96 ON THE WAY TO THE SOUTH 



North Sea was as calm as a millpond; the Fram had 

 little more motion than when she was lying in Bunde- 

 f jord. This was all the better for us, as we could hardly 

 be said to be absolutely ready for sea when we passed 

 Faerder, and came into the capricious Skagerak. Hard 

 pressed as we had been for time, it had not been possible 

 to lash and stow the last of our cargo as securely as was 

 desirable; a stiff breeze at the mouth of the fjord would 

 therefore have been rather inconvenient. As it was, 

 everything was arranged admirably, but to do this we 

 had to work night and day. I have been told that on 

 former occasions sea-sickness made fearful ravages on 

 board the Fram, but from this trial we also had an easy 

 escape. Nearly all the members of the expedition were 

 used to the sea, and the few who, perhaps, were not 

 so entirely proof against it had a whole week of fine 

 weather to get into training. So far as I know, not 

 a single case occurred of this unpleasant and justly 

 dreaded complaint. 



After passing the Dogger Bank we had a very 

 welcome north-east breeze; with the help of the sails 

 we could now increase the not very reckless speed 

 that the motor was capable of accomplishing. Before 

 we sailed, the most contradictory accounts were current 

 of the Fram's sailing qualities. There were some who 

 asserted that the ship could not be got through the 

 water at all, while with equal force the contrary view 

 was maintained that she was a notable fast sailer. 



