300 FARTHEST NORTH 



Johansen's kayak during the catastrophe of a couple of 

 days ago; and after a glorious meal we turned into the 

 bag at 8 o'clock yesterday morning. 



" At midday, again, I got up and went out to take a 

 meridian altitude. The weather was brilliant, and it was 

 so lono- since we had had anythino; of the kind that I 

 could hardly remember it. I sat up on the hummock, 

 waiting for the sun to come to the meridian, basking in 

 its rays, and looking out over the stretches of ice, where 

 the snow glittered and sparkled on all sides, and at the 

 pool in front of me lying shining and still as a mountain 

 ' lake, and reflecting its icy banks in the clear water. Not 

 a breath of wind stirred — so still, so still; and the sun 

 baked, and I dreamed myself at home. . . . 



" Before o-oimr into the tent I went to fetch some salt- 

 water for the soup we were to have for breakfast; but 

 just at that moment a seal came up by the side of the 

 ice, and I ran back for my gun and kayak. Out on the 

 water I discovered that it was leaking like a sieve from 

 lying in the sun, and I had to paddle back faster than I 

 had come out, to avoid sinking. As I was emptying the 

 kayak, up came the seal again in front of me, and this 

 time my shot took effect; the animal lay floating on 

 the water like a cork. It was not many minutes before 

 I had the leaking craft on the water again, and my 

 harpoon in the animal's neck. I towed it in while the 

 kayak gradually filled, and my legs, or, rather, that part 

 which follows closely above the legs when one is sitting 



