CATCHING BIRDS 337 



wind was south-easterly and southerly, and the leeway 

 we made when sailing close-hauled took us every day a 

 little to the north of east. When we were in the same 

 waters in 1910, there was gale after gale; then we did 

 not put in at Kerguelen on account of the force of the 

 wind; this time we could not approach the island 

 because of the wind's direction. In no respect can the 

 second trip be compared with the first; I should never 

 have dreamed that there could be so much difference ui 

 the " Roaring Forties " in two different years at the 

 same season. In the " Foggy Fifties " the weather was 

 calm and fine, and we had no fog until lat. 58° S. 



As regards the distance sailed, November, 1911, is the 

 best month the Fram has had. 



In December, which began with a speed of one and a 

 half knots, calm, swell against us, and the engine at full 

 speed, we had a fair wind for three days, all the rest 

 calms and head winds; the first part of the month from 

 the north-east and east, so that we came much too far 

 south; even in long. 150 E. we were in lat. 60° S. In 

 Christmas week we had calms and light winds from the 

 south-east, so that we managed to steal eastward to 

 long. 170° E. and lat. 65° S., where, on the edge of the 

 pack-ice, we had a stiff breeze from the north-north-east, 

 that is, straight on to the ice. 



Between Buenos Aires and the pack-ice we caught, as 

 I have said, a good many birds, mostly albatrosses, and 

 about thirty skins were prepared by L. Hansen. The 



