124 NEW LAND. 



for the boat, because the mate was resolved to have a good sail 

 south down the fjord. The wind had been pouring down it day 

 after day, carrying everything before it. But when on February 

 25 we had rigged ourselves ready in every way, and had nothing 

 to do but to step the mast and hoist the sail, the north wind 

 suddenly dropped and went over to a mere slatch from the south. 

 The distance to the headland was nothing to speak of, and the 

 going was hard and good, so, as we did not think it worth while 

 to drag these encumbrances with us, we without more ado threw 

 out the mast and sail. We should not in any case have beached 

 them with the boat, nor the ropes, as the foxes would be sure to 

 eat them, or at any rate gnaw them to pieces in the course of the 

 winter. 



But no sooner were we abreast of Middagskollen than the 

 wind rose again, and half an hour afterwards was blowing a gale 

 from the north. Although we had now neither mast nor sail, we 

 ran before it at tremendous speed. How the snow drove ! We 

 could hardly see one another; and as for land, at was simply 

 invisible, even when we were close under it. I had, however, 

 already had a glimpse of a large mountain out there, which we 

 afterwards called ' Borgen,' and on this I steered as well as I could, 

 taking for granted that we should have the wind pretty much from 

 due astern. 



We, of course, reckoned on this down-fjord wind being steady, 

 and held the course accordingly, but after driving for about an 

 hour we suddenly discovered that we were right up in the crack. 

 In such drift as this it was absolutely impossible to make out 

 where we had got to. The mate thought that we were at some 

 point or other on the east side of the fjord, but where we had 

 no idea. That we were up in the crack, that there was some 

 pressure-ice quite near us, and that we were in a horrible fix and 

 could hardly get the boat along at all, were, however, very 

 patent facts, and the only ones about which we felt the least 

 certainty. 



We deemed it best in the circumstances to try a reconnaissance, 

 and started along the crack with that end in view. But we were 

 no wiser for our efforts. A little way up from the crack we 



