204 FARTHEST NORTH 



and snow began to fall, which prevented our seeing- 

 anything before us. The ice, however, was fairly even, 

 and we kept going. We came across a lane, but this 

 we crossed by means of a detour. Not long afterw^ards 

 aofain we eot amono: a number of abominable pressure- 

 ridges, and ran right into high mounds and over steep 

 brinks without seeing them. Wherever one turned 

 there were sudden drops and pitfalls, although every- 

 thinof looked so fair and even under its coverino- of still- 

 fallino; snow. As there seemed to be little fyood in con- 

 tinning, we decided to camp, have our dinner of savory 

 hot lobscouse, make out our longitude, and then pass 

 the time until it should clear again ; and if this did not 

 take place soon, then have a good sleep and be ready to 

 get under way as soon as the weather should permit. 

 After having slept for a couple of hours (it was i o'clock 

 in the morning), I turned out of the tent and was con- 

 fronted with the same thick, overcast weather, with only 

 a strip of clear blue sky down by the horizon in the 

 southwest, so I let Johansen sleep on and reckoned out 

 our longitude, which proved to be 64' 20' E. We have 

 drifted considerably westward since I last made it out, if 

 my calculations be right. While I was thus occupied I 

 heard a suspicious gnawing noise outside in the direc- 

 tion of the kayaks. I listened, and — quite right — it was 

 the dogs up in Johansen's kayak. I ran out, caught 

 ' Haren,' who was just lying gnawing at the portions of 

 fresh dogs' flesh destined for to-morrow's consumption, 



