The Winter Xight. 311 



lane lar to the north, seemed to see the outlines of 

 high land in the hazy light below the moon, and went 

 on and on ; but in the end it turned out to be a bank of 

 clouds behind the moonlit vapour rising from the open 

 water. I saw from a high hummock that this opening- 

 stretched north as far as the eye could reach. 



" The same luxurious living as yesterday ; a dinner 

 of tour courses. Shooting with darts at a target for 

 cigarettes has been the great excitement of the day. 

 Darts and target are Johansen's Christmas present from 

 Miss Fougner." 



" Wednesday, December 2/th. Wind began to blow 

 this afternoon, 19^ to 26 feet per second ; the windmill 

 is going again, and the arc-lamp once more brightens 

 our lives. Johansen gave notice of 'a shooting match 

 by electric light, with free concert,' for the evening. It 

 was a pity for himself that he did, for he and several 

 others were shot into bankruptcy and beggary, and had 

 to retire one after the other, leaving their cigarettes 

 behind them." 



" Thursday. December 28th. A little forward of the 

 Fratu there is a broad, newly formed open lane, in 

 which she could lie crossways. It was covered with last 

 night's ice, in which slight pressure began to-day. It is 

 strange how indifferent we are to this pressure, which 

 was the cause of such great trouble to many earlier 

 Arctic navigators. We have not so much as made the 

 smallest preparation for possible accident, no provisions 



