The Spring- and Summer of 1894. 395 



when, in addition to this, one bears in mind that the 

 winds seem, as anticipated, to be as a rule south-easterly, 

 as was, moreover, the case at the international station at 

 Sagastyr (by the Lena mouth), our prospects do not 

 appear to be unfavourable. 



Frequently, moreover, I thought I could detect 

 unmistakable symptoms of a steadily flowing north- 

 westerly current under the ice, and then, of course, 

 my spirits rose ; but at other times, when the drift again 

 bore southwards and that w r as often my doubts would 

 return, and it seemed as if there was no prospect of 

 getting through within any reasonable time. Truly such 

 drifting in the ice is extremely trying to the mind ; but 

 there is one virtue it fosters, and that is patience ; the 

 whole expedition was in reality one long course of 

 training- in this useful virtue. 



o 



Our progress as the spring advanced grew somewhat 

 better than it had been during the winter, but on the 

 whole it was always the same sort of crablike locomo- 

 tion ; for each time we made a long stretch to the north, 

 a longer period of reaction was sure to follow. It was, 

 in the opinion of one of our number, who was somew r hat 

 of a politician, a constant struggle between the Left and 

 Right, between Progressionists and Recessionists. After 

 a period of Left wind and a glorious drift northwards, 

 as a matter of course the " Radical Right " took the helm, 

 and we remained lying in dead water or drifted back- 

 wards, thereby putting Amundsen into a very bad 



