no FARTHEST NORTH 



55 east longitude. The days have passed, working again 

 at the equipment. Everything is now in order. Three 

 sledges are standing ready out on the ice, properly 

 strengthened in ex'ery way, with iron fastenings between 

 uprights and crossbars. These last-mentioned are secure- 

 ly strengthened with extra top -pieces of ash, and pro- 

 tected underneath by boards. This afternoon we tried 

 the dogs with sledges loaded, and they went as easily as 

 could be, and to-morrow we start again for the last time, 

 full of courage and confidence and with the sun up, in 

 the assurance that we are going towards ever brighter 

 days. 



" To-night there has been a great farewell feast, with 

 many hearty speeches, and to-morrow we depart as 

 earlv as possible, provided our dissipation has not de- 

 layed us. I have to-night added the following postscript 

 to Sverdrup's instructions : 



'" P.S. — In the foregoing instructions, which I wrote 

 rather hurriedly on the night of February 25th, I omitted 

 to mention things that should have been alluded to. I 

 will restrict myself here to stating, further, that should you 

 siii'ht unknown land, everythino; ouo'ht, of course, to be 

 done in order to ascertain and examine it, as far as cir- 

 cumstances will permit. Should the Fi-am drift so near 

 that you think it can be reached without great risk, 

 everything that can be done to explore the land would 

 be of the greatest interest. Every stone, every blade of 



