444 Chapter VII. 



and the same joys that permeate every living being, 

 from these microscopic animalcules up to man self- 

 preservation and propagation, that is the whole story. 

 Fiercely, as we human beings struggle to push our way 

 on through the labyrinth of life, their struggles are 

 assuredly no less fierce than ours one incessant, rest- 

 less hurrying to and fro, pushing all others aside, to 

 burrow out for themselves what is needful to them. And 

 as to love, only mark with what passion they seek each 

 other out. With all our brain-cells we do not feel more 

 strongly than they, never live so entirely for a sensation. 

 But what is life ? What matters the individual's suffer- 

 ing so long as the struggle goes on. 



"And these are small, one-celled lumps of viscous 

 matter, teeming in thousands and millions, on nearly 

 every single floe over the whole of this boundless 

 sea, which we are apt to regard as the realm of 

 death. Mother Nature has a remarkable power of 

 producing life everywhere even this ice is a fruitful soil 

 for her. 



"In the evening a little variety occurred in our 

 uneventful existence, Johansen having discovered a bear 

 to the south-east of the ship, but out of range. It had, 

 no doubt, been prowling about for some time while we 

 were below at supper, and had been quite near us ; but 

 being alarmed by some sound or other, had gone off 

 eastwards. Sverdrup and I set out after it, but to no 

 purpose ; the lanes hindered us too much, and more- 



