44 FARTHEST NORTH 



unknown regions, but also up into higher latitudes than 

 any human foot had ever trod. We felt that this year, 

 which was just commencing, would bring the culminat- 

 ing-point of the expedition, when it would bear its rich- 

 est fruits. Would that this year might prove a good 

 year for those on board the Frani ; that the Fj-aiu might 

 2:0 ahead, fuliillinQ' her task as she has hitherto done; 

 and in that case none of us could doubt that those on 

 board would also prove equal to the task intrusted to 

 them. 



" New-year's-day was ushered in with the same wind, 

 the same stars, and the same darkness as before. Even at 

 noon one cannot see the slightest glimmer of twilight 

 in the south. Yesterday I thought I could trace some- 

 thins: of the kind ; it extended like a faint oleam of Hs^ht 

 over the sky, but it was yellowish - white, and stretched 

 too high up; hence I am rather inclined to think that it 

 was an aurora borealis. Again to-day the sky looks light- 

 er near the edge, but this can scarcely be anything ex- 

 cept the gleam of the aurora borealis, which extends all 

 round the sky, a little above the fog-banks on the horizon, 

 and which is strongest at the edge. Exactly similar lights 

 may be observed at other times in other parts of the ho- 

 rizon. The air was particularly clear yesterday, but the 

 horizon is always somewhat foggy or hazy. During the 

 night we had an unconimonly strong aurora borealis ; 

 wavy streamers were darting in rapid twists over the 

 southern sky, their rays reaching to the zenith, and be- 



