46 FARTHEST NORTH 



in the lane on our port side. About 8 o'clock I awoke, 

 and heard the crunching and crackling of the ice, as if 

 ice-pressure were setting in. A slight trembling was felt 

 throughout the Fraui, and I heard the roar outside. 

 When I came out I was not a little surprised to find a 

 laro-e pressure - ridge all along the channel on the port 

 side scarcely thirty paces from the Fram ; the cracks on 

 this side extended to quite eighteen paces from us. All 

 loose articles that were lying on the ice on this side 

 were stowed away on board ; the boards and planks 

 which, during the summer, had supported the meteor- 

 ological hut and the screen for the same were chopped 

 up, as we could not afford to lose any materials ; but 

 the line, which had been left out in the soundino- 

 hole with the bag-net attached to it, was caught in the 

 pressure. Just after I had come on board again short- 

 ly before noon the ice suddenly began to press on 

 again. I went out to have a look; it was again in the 

 lane on the port side ; there was a strong pressure, and 

 the ridge was gradually approaching. A little later on 

 Sverdrup went up on deck, but soon after came below 

 and told us that the ridge was quickly bearing down on 

 us, and a few hands were required to come up and help to 

 load the sledge with the sounding apparatus, and bring it 

 round to the starboard side of the Frani, as the ice had 

 cracked close by it. The ridge began to come alarmingly 

 near, and, should it be upon us before the Fram had 

 broken loose from the ice, matters might become very 



