142 THE RETURN TO FRA3IHEIM 



mighty range running to the south-east as we had seen 

 before, but this time it stretched considerably farther to 

 the south. The weather was radiantly clear, and we 

 could see by the land that the range of vision was very 

 great. Summit after summit the range extended to 

 the south-east, until it gradually disappeared; but to 

 judge from the atmosphere, it was continued beyond 

 our range of vision in the same direction. That this 

 chain traverses the Antarctic continent I therefore 

 consider beyond a doubt. Here we had a very good 

 example of how deceptive the atmosphere is in these 

 regions. On a day that appeared perfectly clear we 

 had lost sight of the mountains in 87°, and now we saw 

 them as far as the eye could reach in 88°. That we were 

 astonished is a mild expression. We looked and looked, 

 entirely unable to recognize our position; little did we 

 guess that the huge mountain-mass that stood up so 

 high and clear on the horizon was ]Mount Thorvald 

 Nilsen. How utterly different it had looked in the 

 mistj^ air when we said good-bye to it. It is amusing 

 to read my diary of this time and see how persistently 

 we took the bearings of land every day, and thought it 

 was new. We did not recognize that vast mountain 

 until Mount Helmer Hanssen began to stick up out of 

 the plain. 



On December 28 we left the summit of the plateau, 

 and began the descent. Although the incline was not 

 perceptible to the naked eye, its effect could easily be 



