376 Chapter VI. 



are probably sweltering- in their kennels again, for four 

 or five of them are lying outside or on the roof. When 

 there is 50 of cold most of them huddle together inside, 

 and lie as close to one another as possible. Then, too, 

 they are very loth to go out for a walk, they prefer to lie 

 in the sun under the lee of the ship. But now they find 

 it so mild and such pleasant walking that to-day it was 

 not difficult to get them to follow. 



" Friday, March i6th. Sverdrup has of late been 

 occupied in making sails for the ship's boats. To-day 

 there was a light south-westerly breeze, so we tried one 

 of the sails on two hand-sledges lashed together. It is 

 first-rate sailing, and does not require much wind to 

 make them glide along. This would be a great assist- 

 ance if we had to go home over the ice. 



" Wednesday, March 2ist. At length a re-action has 

 set in : the wind is S.E. and there is a strong drift 

 northwards again. The equinox is past, and we are not 

 one degree further north since the last equinox. I wonder 

 where the next will find us. Should it be more to the 

 south, then victory is uncertain ; if more to the north the 

 battle is won, though it may last long. I am looking 

 forward to the summer ; it must bring a change with it. 

 The open water we sailed in up here cannot possibly be 

 produced by the melting of the ice alone ; it must be also 

 due to the winds and current. And if the ice in which 

 we are now, drifts so far to the north as to make room 

 for all this open water, we shall have covered a croocl 



