ROLLING AGAIN 305 



nothing is perfect in this world, and we found that out 

 here, as we had icebergs every day, and were constantly 

 bothered by snow-squalls or fog; the former were, of 

 course, to be preferred, as it was at any rate clear 

 between the squalls; but fog is the worst thing of all. 

 It sometimes happened that all hands were on deck the 

 whole night to work the ship at a moment's notice, and 

 there were never less than two men on the lookout 

 forward. The engine, too, was always ready to be 

 started instantly. A little example will show how 

 ready the crew were at any time. 



One Sunday afternoon, when Hansen, Kristensen and 

 I were on watch, the wind began to draw ahead, so that 

 we had to beat. It was blowing quite freshly, but I did 

 not want to call the watch below, as they might need 

 all the sleep they could get, and Hansen and I were to 

 ]3ut the ship about. Kristensen was steering, but gave 

 us a hand when he could leave the wheel. As the ship 

 luffed up into the wind and the sails began to flap 

 pretty violently, the whole of the watch below suddenly 

 came rushing on deck in nothing but their unmention- 

 ables and started to haul. Chance willed it that at the 

 same moment an iceberg came out of the fog, right in 

 front of our bows. It was not many minutes, either, 

 before we were on the other tack, and the watch below 

 did not linger long on deck. With so few clothes on it 

 was no pleasure to be out in that cold, foggy air. They 

 slept so lightly, then, that it took no more noise than 



