THE PROPELLER REPAIRED 299 



At noon on the 16th the propeller was lifted, and by 

 the evening of the 17th the job was done— a record 

 in spite of the temperature. Capital fellows to work, 

 our engineers. 



On the night of the 15th we saw the midnight sun 

 unfortunately for the last time. The same night some- 

 thing dark was sighted on the port bow ; in that light it 

 looked very like an islet. The sounding apparatus was 

 got ready, and we who were on watch of course saw 

 ourselves in our minds as great discoverers. I was 

 already wondering what would be the most appropriate 

 name to give it, but, alas! the "discovery" became 

 clearer and the name — well, it was a rather prosaic one : 

 " Dead Whale Islet " ; for it turned out to be a huge 

 inflated whale, that was drifting, covered with birds. 



We went rather slowly north-westward under sail 

 alone. On the morning of the 17th we saw ice-blink 

 on the starboard bow, and about noon we were close to 

 the pack itself; it was here quite thick, and raised by 

 pressure, so that an attempt to get through it was out 

 of the question. We were, therefore, obliged to follow 

 the ice to the west. Due aft we saw in the sky the 

 same glare as above the great Ice Barrier, which may 

 possibly show that the Barrier turns towards the north 



ence is thus twenty-four hours. In changing the longitude, therefore, 

 one has to change the date, so that, in passing from east to west 

 longitude, one will have the same day twice over, and in passing from 

 west to east longitude a day must be missed. 



