10 EKMAN. ON DEAD-WATER. [norw. pol. Exp. 



ahead, which blocked further progress. It stretched from near Cape Laptev right across to 

 the islands north ' thereof. We approached the ice to make fast to it, but the Fram had 

 got into dead-water, and made hardly any way, in spite of the engine going at full pressure. 

 It was such slow work that I thought I would row ahead to shoot seal. In the meantime 

 the Fram advanced slowly to the edge of the ice with her engines still going at full 

 speed, and there was made fast at half past ten in the evening. The engine stopped hut 

 one half a ship's-length from the edge of the ice (according to Scott-Hansen , it was one 

 whole ship's-length), but it looked as if the ship was drawn back, at the same moment the 

 engine stopped, and she barely struck the ice. 



"The edge of the plain ice, when seen for the first time, at all events, was not more 

 than 8 naut. miles off, and hardly that, because it was quite low and could not have been 

 seen from a greater distance with the naked eye. According to the unanimous calculations 

 of myself, of Svebdrup in the log, and of Scott-Hansen, the speed must have been reduced 

 to 1"5 or 1 knot in the dead-water. About 6 o'clock the dead-water was still not fully 

 developed. 



"The Fram had at that time a draught of 5 m. or more. Her common speed in 

 smooth water, and at full steam pressure, was at that time, fully 4'5 knots. Perhaps it was 

 5 knots at top pressure. I may add, that I convinced myself that there was really full 

 steam pressure and that the engine was being worked at full power. 



"There was but a very slight current to be observed at this time — from 6 in the 

 afternoon to about midnight — as likewise next morning. 



"The ice that covered the sound north of Taimur Island was in a state of dissolution 

 and apparently melting very rapidly, and this was probably the main cause of the sea in 

 the sound being covered with a layer of fresh water. Unfortunately, I have no measure- 

 ments of the thickness of the fresh-water layer. I only say in the journal that the water 

 at the surface was almost fresh (drinking-water), whereas through the bottom-cock of the 

 engine-room we got perfectly salt water 3 . I suppose that the bottom-cock at that time 

 was about 4 m. or more, below the surface of the water, and accordingly the Fram 

 struck the salt water. 



"Aug. 30th, in the morning, we went on to anchor in a bay at Cape Laptev. We 

 now wanted to thoroughly clean the boiler, a very necessary operation. I say in the jour- 

 nal that the bay lay a few miles farther south, and I am sure that it might have been at 

 most 3 nautical miles. But we took 4 hours and more, to steam that little distance. 



"I dare not affirm that the steam was at top pressure during the whole time on this 

 occasion. The distance being so short, it might be conceivable that the engineer did not 

 think it necessary to fire up very heavily, but there cannot have been very much wanting 

 on that score, and at any rate the speed under ordinary circumstances (i. e. with no dead- 

 water) would have been 4 knots. 



"We could hardly get on at all for the dead-water, and we swept the whole sea along 

 with us. It is a peculiar phenomenon this dead-water. We had at that time a better 

 opportunity of studying it than we desired. It occurs where a surface layer of fresh water 

 rests upon the salt water of the sea, and this fresh-water is carried along with the ship, 

 gliding on the heavier sea beneath as if on a fixed foundation. Dead-water manifests itself 

 in the form of larger or smaller ripples or waves stretching across the wake, the one be- 



1 In "Fartherst North" north should evidently be read for south. 



2 Scott-Hansen, who was at that time in command, says: "When we went in to moor 

 at the ice, I had the engine going at full-speed until we were about 30 or 50 m. 

 from the edge of the ice. I then stopped, and the ship lost her speed altogether while 

 going just this slight distance." 



3 On special inquiry Prof. Nansen informed me that this latter observation was made 

 while the ship mas in motion. As will be seen later, this circumstance is of im- 

 portance. 



