302 FARTHES2' NORTH 



in here, however, and the wind does not reach us; we can 

 He in our warm bag, and Hstcn to the flapping of the tent, 

 and imagine that we are drifting rapidly westward, al- 

 though perhaps we are not moving from the spot. But if 

 this wind does not move us, the only explanation is that 

 the ice is landlocked, and that we cannot be far off shore. 

 We must wait for an east wind, I suppose, to drive us 

 farther west, and then afterwards south. My hope is that 

 we shall drift into the channel between Franz Josef Land 

 nnd Spitzbergen while we are lying here. The weather 

 was raw and windy with snowfall, so that it was hardly 

 suitable for outdoor work, particularly as, unfortunately, 

 there was no need to hurry. 



" The lanes have changed very much of late ; there is 

 hardly anything left of the pool in front of us, over which 

 we paddled, and there has been pressure around us in 

 all directions. I hope the ice will be well ground into 

 pieces, as this enables it to slacken more quickly when 

 the time comes; but that will not be before far on in 

 July, and we ought to have the patience to wait for it 

 perhaps. 



" Yesterday we cut some of the seal's flesh into thin 

 slices and hung them up to dry. We must increase our 

 travelling store and prepare pemmican or dried meat ; it 

 will be the easiest way of carrying it with us. Johansen 

 yesterday found a pond of fresh water close by, which is 

 very convenient, and we need no longer melt ice ; it is the 

 first good water we have found for cooking purposes. If 



