324 NEW LAND. 



more than enough to do to bore a way even through this. A 

 south-east gale, which was blowing some sixty-five feet per second, 

 did not help us much, although it was rather warm, and made the 

 thermometer fly up and down with the gusts. 



When the wind dropped a little, we at last managed to push 

 a short distance beyond the much-debated point ; but the land 

 channel was narrow, packed full of ice, and close to the shelf, 

 and inside of this, at low water, it was, so to speak, dry. I had 

 some one running on ahead all the time, to take soundings and 

 see whether we had water enough under us. But, on the whole, 

 this gives little certainty ; for, only a couple of fathoms nearer 

 land and one may be on the shelf. In case of emergencies we 

 let the ship take a list to land, so that we could be sure she would 

 lie the right way if we stuck fast. 



The navigation was difficult here, and of those who belonged to 

 the deck there were only two aboard, one in the crow's-nest and 

 one at the helm ; the rest were working down on the ice to prize 

 off the floes which the wind drove close in to the edge of the ice. 



Just as we are rounding a sharp point of ice, the wind sweeps 

 a large floe down on us, which strikes the vessel on the quarter. 

 The ' Fram ' is hindered from, turning, and quietly settles herself 

 up on the shelf! The tide had just begun to fall, and our attempts 

 to get free were fruitless. We were in no danger, but it was a 

 matter of waiting nine or ten hours. To be all the more sure of 

 getting away at high water, we fastened a stout steel cable far out 

 on the ice, and meant, if necessary, to use a gin and steam-winch. 



However, as things turned out, we were not obliged to use 

 more power. On September 4, at two in the morning, we glided 

 off, and steamed south along the edge of the ice. In the bay, 

 south of the point, we had to leave the crack, and entered very 

 weak old ice, though the young ice was proportionately strong 

 hard, unyielding, freshwater ice, about eight inches in thickness. 

 Nevertheless, I think we could have pushed through a lane a 

 couple of feet wide, which ran straight across the bay, if it had not 

 been closed on September 5 by a north wind. We had then gone 

 about ten miles through the ice, and the belt which separated 

 us from the open sea was hardly more than six or seven miles in 



