SHACKLETON PASSED 113 



consummate conjuring trick — 88° 16' S., precisely to a 

 minute the same as our reckoning, 88° 16' S. If we 

 were forced to go to the Pole on dead reckoning, then 

 surely the most exacting would admit our right to 

 do so. We put away our observation books, ate one 

 or two biscuits, and went at it again. 



We had a great piece of work before us that day: 

 nothing less than carrying our flag farther south than 

 the foot of man had trod. We had our silk flag 

 ready; it was made fast to two ski-sticks and laid 

 on Hanssen's sledge. I had given him orders that as 

 soon as we had covered the distance to 88° 23' S., which 

 was Shackleton's farthest south, the flag was to be 

 hoisted on his sledge. It was my turn as forerunner, 

 and I pushed on. There was no longer any difficulty 

 in holding one's course; I had the grandest cloud- 

 formations to steer by, and everything now went like 

 a machine. First came the forerunner for the time 

 being, then Hanssen,then Wisting,and finally Bjaaland. 

 The forerunner who was not on duty went where he 

 liked; as a rule he accompanied one or other of the 

 sledges. I had long ago fallen into a reverie — far 

 removed from the scene in which I was moving; what 

 I thought about I do not remember now, but I was 

 so preoccupied that I had entirely forgotten my sur- 

 roundings. Then suddenly I was roused from my 

 dreaming by a jubilant shout, followed by ringing 

 cheers. I turned round quickly to discover the reason 



