^6 FAR THE SI' NORTH 



soon pass by, and then farewell to this snug nest, which 

 has been our home for eighteen months, and we go out 

 into the darkness and cold, out into the still more un- 

 known : 



'■ ' Out 3'onder 'tis dark, 

 But onward we must. 

 Over the dewj' wet mountains. 

 Ride through the land of the ice-troll; 

 We shall both be saved. 

 Or the ice-troll's hand 

 Shall clutch us both.' " 



On January 23d I write: "The dawn has grown so 

 much that there was a visible light from it on the ice, 

 and for the first time this year I saw the crimson glow of 

 the sun low down in the dawn." We now took sound- 

 ings with the lead before I was to leave the vessel ; we 

 found 1876 fathoms (3450 metres). I then made some 

 snow-shoes down in the hold ; it was important to have 

 them smooth, touQ-h, and lio-ht. on which one could make 

 good headwav; " thev shall be well rubbed with tar, 

 stearine, and tallow, and there shall be speed in them ; 

 then it is only a question of using one's legs, and I have 

 no doubt that can be managed. 



" Tuesday, January 29th. Latitude yesterday, ^-^ 30'. 

 (Some days ago we had been so far north as ^'^ 40', 

 but had again drifted southward.) The light keeps on 

 steadily increasing, and by noon it almost seems to be 

 broad daylight. I believe I could read the title of a 

 book out in the open if the print were large and clear. 



