ARRIVAL AT BUENOS AIRES 315 



From the middle of JNIarch it looked as if the equi- 

 noctial gales were over, for we had quite fine weather 

 all the way to Buenos Aires. Cape Horn was passed 

 on March 31 in the most delightful weather — a light 

 westerly breeze, not a cloud in the sky, and only a very 

 slight swell from the west. Who would have guessed 

 that such splendid weather was to be found in these 

 parts? — and that in March, the most stormy month of 

 the year. 



Lieutenant Gjertsen and Kutschin collected plankton 

 all the time; the latter smiled all over his face whenever 

 he chanced to get one or two " tadpoles " in his tow-net. 



From the Falkland Islands onward the Fram was 

 washed and painted, so that we might not present too 

 " Polar " an appearance on arrival at Buenos Aires. 



It may be mentioned as a curious fact that the snow 

 with which we filled our water-tanks on the Barrier did 

 not melt till we were in the River La Plata, which 

 shows what an even temperature is maintained in the 

 Frames hold. 



About midday on Easter Sunday we were at the mouth 

 of the River La Plata, without seeing land, however. 

 During the night the weather became perfect, a breeze 

 from the south, moonlight and starry, and w^e went up 

 the river by soundings and observations of the stars 

 until at 1 a.m. on Monday, when we had the Recalada 

 light-ship right ahead. We had not seen any light 

 since we left Madeira on September 9. At 2.30 the 



