494 FARTHEST NORTH 



treacherous. As we approached the Land there were a 

 number of cracks in every direction, and these were 

 covered with a layer of snow, so that it was difificult to 

 see them. While Johansen was busy lashing the sail and 

 mast securely to the deck of his kayak, so that the wind 

 should not carry tliem away, I went on ahead as fast as I 

 could to look for a camping-ground ; but all of a sudden 

 the ice sank beneath me, and I lay in the water in a 

 broad crack which had been concealed by the snow. I 

 tried to get out again, but with my snow-shoes firmly 

 fastened it was not possible to get them through all the 

 rubble of snow and lumps of ice that had fallen into the 

 water on the top of them. In addition to this, I was 

 fastened to the sledge by the harness, so that I could not 

 turn round. Fortunately, in the act of falling, I had dug 

 my pikestaff into the ice on the opposite side of the 

 crack, and, holding myself up by its aid and the one arm 

 that I had got above the edge of the ice, I lay waiting 

 patiently for Johansen to come and pull me out. I w^as 

 sure he must have seen me fall in, but could not turn 

 enough to look back. When I thought a long time had 

 passed, and I felt the staff giving way and the water 

 creeping farther and farther up my body, I began to call 

 out, but received no answer. I shouted louder for help, 

 and at last heard a "Hullo!" far behind. After some 

 little time, when the water was up to my chest, and it 

 would not have been long before I was right under, 

 Johansen came up and I was pulled out. He had been 



