Chapter Y. 



On September i4th we were off the land ly 11114" between 

 the Chatanga and the Anabara. This also was fairly high 

 mountainous country with a low strip by the sea. " In 

 this respect," so I write in my diary, " this whole coast 

 reminds one very much of Jsederen in Norway. But 

 the mountains here are not so well separated and are con- 

 siderably lower than those farther north. The sea is 

 unpleasantly shallow ; at one time during the night we 

 had only 4 fathoms, and were obliged to put back some 

 distance. We have ice outside, quite close ; but yet 

 there is a sufficient fairway to let us push on eastwards." 



The following day we got into good, open water, but 

 shallow never more than 6 to 7 fathoms. We heard 

 the roaring of waves to the east, so there must certainly 

 be open water in that direction, which indeed we had 

 expected. It was plain that the Lena, with its masses of 

 warm water, was beginning to assert its influence. The 

 sea here was browner, and showed signs of some mixture 

 of muddy river- water. 1 1 was also much less salt. 



"It would be foolish," I write in my diary for this day 

 (September i5th), " to go in to the Olenek now that we 

 are so late. Even if there were no danger from shoals, 

 it would cost us too much time probably a year. 

 Besides it is by no means sure that the Fram can get in 

 there at all ; it would be a very tiresome business if she 

 went aground in these waters. No doubt we should be 



o 



very much the better for a few more dogs, but to lose a 

 year is too much ; we shall rather head straight east for 



