IVE MAKE A START 105 



the same evening. " It was certainly a most cheerful 

 good-bye," says the diary, " but it is always hard to part, 

 even at 84°, and maybe there was a tearful eye or two." 

 The last thing Sverdrup asked me when sitting on his 

 sledge, just as we were about to part, was, if I thought I 

 should go to the South Pole when I got home ; for if so, 

 he hoped I would wait till he arrived ; and then he asked 

 me to give his love to his wife and child. 



And so we proceeded, Johansen and I, but it was 

 slow work for us alone with six sledges, which were 

 impeded on their way by all sorts of obstacles and 

 inequalities. Besides this, the ice became rougher, so 

 that it was difficult to get on during the afternoon on 

 account of the darkness, the days being still very short 

 and the sun was not yet above the horizon. We there- 

 fore camped rather early. 



"Wednesday, March 6th. We are again on board 

 the Frain to make a fresh start, for the third time, and 

 then, I suppose, it will be in earnest. On Saturday, 

 March 2d, we proceeded with the six sledges after I 

 had been a trip to the northward and found it passable. 

 Progress was slow, and we had to do nearly six turns 

 each, as the sledges stopped everywhere and had to be 

 helped along. I saw now too clearly that we should 

 never get on in this manner; a change would have to be 

 made, and I decided to camp in order to have a look at 

 the ice northward and consider the matter. Having tied 

 up the dogs, I set out, while Johansen was to feed the 



