NANSEN'S EXPEDITION (1896) 233 



had been moored by means of one of the braces, they 

 ascended a hummock close by, and had been standing only 

 a short time when Johansen raised the cry that the kayaks 

 were adrift. A rush was made to the edge of the ice, but 

 the kayaks were already a little way off and were drifting 

 quickly. The position was a terrible one, for all they 

 possessed was on board the kayaks. Nansen at once 

 threw off' some of his clothing, handed his watch to 

 Johansen, and sprang into the icy water. He knew that 

 if the kayaks were lost it meant death to him and his 

 companion. At first it seemed more than doubtful 

 whether he could manage to regain them. When he 

 got tired, he turned over and swam on his back. At 

 length he gained a little on the kayaks, and he redoubled 

 his exertions. By this time Nansen felt his limbs gradually 

 stiffening and losing all feeling. His strokes became more 

 and more feeble, but the distance from the kayaks be- 

 came shorter, and at last he was able to grasp a snow-shoe 

 which lay across the sterns. He now tried to pull himself 

 up, but his body was so stiff with cold that this seemed 

 an impossibility. After a little, he managed to swing 

 one leg up on to the edge of the sledge which lay on the 

 deck, and then raised the rest of his body. They were 

 saved ! With some difficulty he paddled the kayaks back 

 to Johansen, who confessed that these were the worst 

 moments he had ever lived through. Johansen now 

 pulled off' Nansen's wet clothes, put on the few dry ones 

 they had in reserve, spread the sleeping-bag upon the ice, 

 and covered Nansen with the sail and everything he could 

 find to keep out the cold. Next day Nansen was all right 

 again, and in the evening the journey was continued. 



On 14th June great herds of walruses were met, and 

 as meat and blubber were at a low ebb, a young one 

 was shot. Two days afterwards, a walrus nearly turned 

 the tables on them. It came up close beside Nansen's 



