104 CAPE CHELYUSKIN 



from the farthest north went in her to Vardoe, where 

 they landed on the 13th of August. 



Meanwhile the Frcvm had continued her leisurely 

 drift, north-west, south-west, north-west, west, then all 

 round the compass, still with her head pointing south, 

 until on the 15th of November she reached 85 55 -5' in 

 longitude 66 31', thus giving Captain Otto Sverdrup 

 the honour of attaining the highest north in a ship. 

 Another winter was passed in her ice-berth, during 

 which she moved westerly. In February came another 

 complete triangle in her course, after which she went 

 south-west, and on the 16th of May turned due south. 

 Then, in the later days of the month with the southerly 

 drift continuing and open water on ahead, Sverdrup 

 resolved to set her free by mines, and on the 3rd of 

 June, as a result of the blastings, she gave a lurch, 

 settled a little deeper at the stern and moved away 

 from the edge of the ice until the hawsers tautened. 

 But, though she was afloat, the ice around still kept her 

 captive, and in the pool she drifted straight towards 

 Spitsbergen. 



Again and again was steam got up and endeavour 

 made to break a way out, but day after day elapsed, 

 and it was not until the 13th of August that she passed 

 through the last floes into open water, and her thirty- 

 five months of imprisonment came to an end. Making 

 for Danes Island in Spitsbergen, she was there boarded 

 by Andree, who was then preparing for his disappear- 

 ance in the balloon voyage to the Pole. Going on 

 direct to Skjervoe in Norway, Sverdrup landed at two 

 o'clock in the morning to wake up the telegraphist, 

 who told him that Nansen had reached Vardoe a week 



