432 NEW LAND. 



There was a strong current in the fjord, and the ice had always 

 a predilection for the east shore. When the pieces of ice came 

 sailing in and out with the current and tide, they had a simply 

 infamous way of always making the round of the bay, and trying 

 to carry us with them ; but we had taken marvellously good root. 

 If the floes were big we did indeed drag for some distance, but we 

 always escaped accidents. 



We were now able to go ashore without difficulty, and there 

 was generally somebody out every day, either on the look-out, or 

 to shoot a stray goose, eider-duck, or hare. Jones Sound presented 

 a hopeless spectacle. Ice, nothing but ice, as far as eye could see, 

 and hardly a single lead the south-east wind took good care of 

 that. A little before midnight on Saturday, July 25, Hassel, whose 

 watch it was, came running down and turned me out with the 

 news that an enormous floe was bearing down on us. The rest of 

 the mate's watch were immediately turned out, and the second 

 anchor got ready in case the chain we had out should break. 



The floe came sailing along, gave us a slap, and swept us 

 inwards with irresistible force ; it hooked itself well to us, this 

 floe, and had no intention of letting its catch go. There were not 

 many feet of water under the keel when its grip slackened, and 

 we were freed. Between three and four in the morning, when 

 the water fell, the same floe came slinking down the fjord again, 

 again caught us, and out we went. This time it was bearing 

 straight down on the peninsula outside of us, and nearer and nearer 

 it drifted. Well, well, the ' Tram ' would probably stand this shock 

 too ; but anyhow we had to, be at our posts. Both the watches 

 on deck ! The hawser round the big ice-blocks stranded yonder ! 

 When the hawser was taut, we paid out some more chain, and 

 thus got the ship clear of the floe and nearer up towards land. 



When the floe, its mission unaccomplished, had floated past, 

 the engineers were turned out, and with all hands on deck we 

 began to heave off. We were tired of the disquiet of our old 

 lodgings ; nor would they do in the spring floods, so it was best 

 to move. We then moored the ship by the stern, close inshore, 

 with only a couple of feet of water under the keel at low 

 tide ; we should then have the bottom as a refuge in case of dire 



