SUMMER WORK. ACROSS THE GLACIERS. 179 



was a gale from the south-west, with fog, but in the course of the 

 afternoon we were able to go on. 



' Our time was now so far advanced that I thought it best to get 

 on to our old route again, as the country to the south-east was 

 considerably broken. It was also necessary that we should be able 

 to make a little progress, in case of fog, so we turned in a south- 

 easterly direction, and about midnight, on June 17, arrived at our 

 old depression. We still hoped to be on board for St. Hans' Day, 

 if only we had fine weather. On June 18, however, we only made 

 a few miles, as the fog was very thick. Here we were detained six 

 days by fog, and a snowstorm from the west-south-west. On 

 June 22 that is to say, the thirtieth day since we left the " Fram " 

 we had remaining about fifty biscuits, ten and a half tablets of 

 compressed lentils, about four pounds of pemmican, enough coffee 

 for twice, half a gallon of petroleum, and six whole rounds, or 

 seventy-two rations, of dog-food we had been economical with the 

 latter, and had not given the dogs much food, when they had no 

 work to do. We were very sorry that our supply of tobacco had 

 given out, though Braskerud's waistcoat pocket, which had once 

 had tobacco in it, did service in our pipes for three whole days. 



' On St. Hans' Day, at two in the morning, we were at last able 

 to make a start. - The tent and sledges were almost buried in the 

 drifted snow. Our progress, however, did not amount to much, 

 and at half- past nine in the forenoon we camped again, after 

 having advanced about x>ne mile. It was our intention to wait till 

 the snow had packed a little, as driving in snow as loose as this 

 was simply wearing out the dogs to no purpose. 



' Already that evening the going improved, and by eight the 

 next morning we had done another eight miles. On June 26, we 

 only made a couple of miles, on account of the fog and snow. The 

 following day we made so much progress, that, on June 29, we 

 were able to camp at the end of Jokelfjord. 



' At midnight, on June 29, we were at the top of Leffert Glacier, 

 and at two in the morning I saw a couple of men, with two 

 teams of dogs, going in a direction away from us. We had 

 often wondered if they would be anxious about us on board, as we 

 were not back when the thirty days had elapsed. I thought they 



