NANSEN'S EXPEDITION (1895) 215 



middle, and 12 inches deep. Another kayak was made 

 with a depth of 15 inches. These kayaks were chiefly 

 intended for crossing over channels and open spaces in 

 the ice, and coasting along possible land. They were 

 essentially like Eskimo kayaks, full-decked, save for an 

 aperture in the middle for a man to sit in. This aperture 

 was encircled by a wooden ring, after the Eskimo fashion, 

 over which the lower part of the seal-skin jacket could be 

 adjusted so that the junction between boat and jacket was 

 water-tight. Besides this aperture in the middle, there 

 were small trap-doors fore and aft in the deck, for the 

 convenience of stowing provisions. Two sledges were 

 made about the same length as the kayaks. 



On 12th December 1894 it was found that the Fram 

 had attained a higher latitude than had ever before been 

 reached by a ship, the observation giving 82° 30'. A 

 great feast was held in its honour. 



On the 3rd of January 1895 the Fram received such an 

 alarming pressure from the ice that all preparations had 

 to be made in case the ship would have to be abandoned. 

 By the 6th of January the ice became quiet, and the 

 danger was over. On this day the latitude was found to 

 be 83° 34', so that the expedition had now reached the 

 most northern latitude ; the record of Lockwood had 

 been beaten. 



Preparations for the long sledge-journey were now 

 hastened. Bolsters filled with pemmican and dried-liver 

 pie were made to fit the sledges and form a bed on which 

 the kayaks were to rest. These bolsters when filled 

 weighed from 100 to 120 lb. each. Three sledge-sails 

 were made of very light calico, and were about 7 feet 

 2 inches broad by 4 feet 4 inches long ; they were made so 

 that two of them might be laced together and used as one 

 sail for a double sledge. 



On 26th February, Nansen and Johansen left the ship 



