Voyage through the Kara Sea. 141 



It was not till next forenoon (August Qth) that we 

 went on board again. The ice to the north now seemed 

 to be rather looser, and at 8 p.m. we at last began once 

 more to make our way north. We found ice that was 

 easy to get through, and held on our course until, three 

 days later, we got into open water. On Sunday, 

 August 1 8th, we stood out into the open Kara Sea, past 

 the north point of Yalmal and Bieloi-Ostrov (White 

 Island). There was no ice to be seen in any direction. 

 During the days that followed we had constant strong 

 east winds, often increasing to half a gale. We kept 

 on tacking to make our way eastward, but the broad 

 and keel-less Fram can hardly be called a good 

 " beater ; " we made too much lee-way, and our progress 

 was correspondingly slow. In the journal there is a 

 constantly-recurring entry of " Head wind, Head wind." 

 The monotony was extreme, but as they may be of 

 interest as relating to the navigation of this sea, I shall 

 give the most important items of the journal, especially 

 those regarding the state of the ice. 



On Monday, August I4th, we beat with only sail 

 against a strong wind. Single pieces of ice were seen 

 during the middle watch, but after that there was none 

 within sight. 



Tuesday, August I5th. The wind slackened in the 

 middle watch ; we took in sail, and got up steam. At 

 S in the morning we steamed away east over a sea 



%-/ c^ *> 



perfectly clear of ice ; but after mid-day the wind began 



