OUR INSTRUCTIONS 297 



and beg you most earnestly to endeavour to carry out 

 the original plan of the Expedition — the exploration of 

 the North Polar basin. 



" With thanks for the time we have spent together, 

 and in the hope that when we meet again we shall have 

 reached our respective goals, 



" I am, 



" Yours sincerely, 



" RoALD Amundsen." 



When Sir James Ross was in these waters for the first 

 time, in 1842, he marked " Appearance of land " in long. 

 160° W., and lat. about 78° S. Afterwards, in 1902, 

 Captain Scott named this land " King Edward VII. 

 Land." One of the Terra Novas objects was to 

 explore this land; but when we met the ship on 

 February 4, they told us on board that on account of the 

 ice conditions they had not been able to land. As no 

 one had ever been ashore there, I thought it might be 

 interesting to go and see what it looked like. Conse- 

 quently our course was laid north-eastward along the 

 Barrier. During the night a thick sea-fog came on, and 

 it was only now and then that we could see the Barrier 

 over our heads. All of a sudden we were close upon 

 a lofty iceberg, so that we had to put the helm hard 

 over to go clear. The Fram steers splendidly, however, 

 when she is in proper trim, and turns as if on a 



pivot; besides which, it was calm. 



VOL. II. 45 



