102 FARTHEST NORTH 



time shone forth over the ice masses of the Polar Sea. 

 Torches had also been lit, and bonfires of oakum-ends 

 and other combustibles were burning on several floes 

 around the Fravi and making a brilliant show. Sver- 

 drup had, by-the-way, given orders that the electric light 

 or a lantern should be hoisted on the maintop every 

 night until he and the others had returned, for fear they 

 might lose their way if the tracks should be obliterated 

 by bad weather. It would then be very difficult to find 

 the ship ; but such a light can be seen a long distance 

 over these plains, where by merely standing on a hum- 

 mock one can easily get a view for many miles round. 



I was afraid that the dogs, if they got loose, would 

 (JO back to the Fraiii, and I therefore o^ot two steel 

 lines made, to which short leashes were fastened a little 

 distance apart, so that the dogs could be secured to 

 these lines between two sticks or sledges. In spite of 

 this, several of the dogs got loose ; but, strange to say, 

 they did not leave us, but remained with their comrades 

 and us. There was, of course, a doleful howling round 

 the tents the first night, and they disturbed our sleep 

 to some extent. 



The next morning (Friday, March ist) it took one 

 of our comrades three hours to make the coffee, being- 

 unaccustomed to the apparatus. We then had a very 

 nice breakfast together. Not before 11.30 a.m. did we 

 get under way. Our five comrades accompanied us for 

 an hour or two and then turned to get back to the Fi-ani 



