The Winter Night. 265 



O *J 



Even this small observation serves to show that the 

 formation of ice goes on most easily where the crust is 

 thin, becoming more and more difficult as the thickness 

 increases, until at a certain thickness, as we observed 

 later, it stops altogether. "It is curious that the pressure 

 has gone on almost all clay no slackening such as we 

 have usually observed." 



"Sunday, November iQth. Our life has gone on 

 its usual monotonous routine since the iith. The 

 wind has been steadily from the south all the week, but 

 to-day there is a little from N.N.W. We have had 

 pressure several times, and have heard sounds of it 

 in the south-east. Except for this, the ice has been 

 unusually quiet, and it is closed in tightly round the ship. 

 Since the last strong pressure we have probably 10 to 20 

 feet of ice packed in below us."" Hansen to-day worked 

 out an observation taken the clay before yesterday, and 

 surprised us with the welcome intelligence that we have 

 travelled 44' north and a little east since the 8th. We 

 are now in 78 27' north latitude, 139 23' east longitude. 

 This is farther east than we have been yet. For any 

 sake let us only keep on as we are going ! 



"The Fram is a warm, cosy abode. Whether the 

 thermometer stands at 22 above zero or at 22 below 

 it, we have no fire in the stove. The ventilation is 



' On a later occasion, they bored down 30 feet without reaching the 

 lower surface of the ice. 



