CHAPTER IX 



THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD 



At last, on Tuesday, May 19th, we were ready for 

 the start. Our sledges stood loaded and lashed. The 

 last thing we did was to photograph our hut, both out- 

 side and inside, and to leave in it a short report of our 

 journey. It ran thus: 



"Tuesday, May 19, 1S96. We were frozen in north 

 of Kotelnoi at about 78"' 43' north latitude, September 

 22, 1893. Drifted northwestward during the following 

 year, as we had expected to do. Johansen and I left the 

 Frani, March 14, 1895, at about 84 4' north latitude 

 and 103 east longitude,* to push on northward. The 

 command of the remainder of the expedition was trans- 

 ferred to Sverdrup. Found no land northward. On 

 April 6, 1895, we had to turn back at 86' 14' north lati- 

 tude and about 95^ east longitude, the ice having be- 

 come impassable. Shaped our course for Cape Fligely; 

 but our watches having stopped, we did not know our 

 longitude with certainty, and arrived on August 6, 1895, 



* This was a slip of the pen ; it ought to be 102° east longitude. 



