The Spring and Summer of 1894. 397 



After this we began once more to drift northwards, 

 but not very fast. 



As before, we were constantly on the look-out for 

 land, and were inclined first from one thing, then from 

 another, to think we saw signs of its proximity ; but 

 they always turned out to be imaginary, and the great 

 depth of the sea, moreover, showed that at all events 

 land could not be near. 



Later on on August 7th when I had found over 

 2,085 fathoms (3,850 metres) depth, I say in my diary : 

 " I do not think we shall talk any more about the shallow 

 Polar Sea, where land may be expected anywhere. We 

 may very possibly drift out into the Atlantic Ocean 

 without having seen a single mountain-top. An eventful 

 series of years to look forward to ! " 



The plan already alluded to of travelling over the ice 

 with dogs and sledges occupied me a good deal, and 

 during my daily expeditions partly on snow-shoes, 

 partly with dogs, my attention was constantly given to 

 the condition of the ice and our prospects of being able 

 to make our way over it. During April it was specially 

 well adapted for using dogs. The surface was good, as 

 the sun's power had made it smoother than the heavy 

 drift-snow earlier in the winter ; besides, the wind had 

 covered the pressure-ridges pretty evenly, and there 

 were not many crevasses or channels in the ice, so that 

 one could proceed for miles without much trouble from 

 them. In May, however, a change set in. So early as 



