30 FARTHESl' NORTH 



blowing equally fresh, up to 13 or 14 metres (44 or 47 

 feet). The snow is drifting and sweeping so that noth- 

 ing can be distino-uished ; the darkness is intense. Abaft 

 on the deck there are deep mounds of snow lying round 

 the wheel and the rails, so that when we go up on deck 

 we get a genuine sample of an Arctic winter. The 

 outlook is enough to make you shudder, and feel grate- 

 ful that instead of having to turn out in such weather, 

 you may dive back again into the tent, and down the 

 companionway into your warm bunk; but soon, no doubt, 

 Johansen and I will have to face it out, day and night, 

 even in such weather as this, whether we like it or 

 not. This morning Pettersen, who has had charge of 

 the dogs this week, came down to the saloon and asked 

 whether some one would come out with him on the ice 

 with a rifle, as he was sure there was a bear. Peter and 

 I went, but we could not find anything. The dogs left 

 off barking when we arrived on the scene, and com- 

 menced to play with each other. But Pettersen was right 

 in saying that it was 'horrid weather,' it was almost enough 

 to take away one's breath to face the wind, and the drift- 

 ing snow forced its way into the mouth and nostrils. The 

 vessel could not be distinguished beyond a few paces, so 

 that it was not advisable to go any distance away from her, 

 and it was very difficult to walk ; for, what with snow-drifts 

 and ice-mounds, at one moment you stumbled against 

 the frozen edge of a snow-drift, at another you tumbled 

 into a hole. It was pitch-dark all round. The ba- 



