644 APPENDIX 



As will be seen from the above, there were comparatively 

 small deviations towards the south and the north in the line of the 

 drift, whereas the deviations to east and west were much greater. 



From June 2 2d to the 29th it bore rapidh^ westward, then 

 back some distance in the beginning of July ; again for a couple 

 of days quickly towards the west, and then a rapid return till 

 July 1 2th. I'^rom this day until the 22d we again drifted well 

 to the west, to ~2'' 56', but from that time the backward drift 

 predominated, placing us at 79*^ 52' on September 6th, or about 

 the same longitude as we started from on June 29th. 



During this period the weather was, on the whole, fair and 

 mild. Occasionally we had some bad weather, with drift-snow 

 and sleet, compelling us to stay indoors. However, the bad 

 weather did not worry us much ; on the contrary, we looked 

 rather eagerly for changes in the weather, especially if they 

 revived our hopes of a good drift westward, with a prospect of 

 soon getting out of our prison. It must not be understood that 

 we dreaded another winter in the ice before getting home. We 

 had provisions enough, and everything else needful to get over 

 some two or three polar winters, if necessar}', and we had a ship 

 in which w c all placed the fullest confidence, in view of the many 

 tests she had been put to. We were all sound and healthy, and 

 had learned to stick ever closer to one another for better and for 

 worse. 



With regard to Nansen and Johansen, hardly any of us enter- 

 tained serious fears ; however dangerous their trip was, we were 

 not afraid that the}- would succumb to their hardships on the 

 way, and be prevented from reaching Franz Josef Land, and 

 thence getting back to Norwa}- before the \'ear was out. On 

 the contrary, we rejoiced at the thought that they would soon 

 be home, telling our friends that we were getting on all right, 

 and that there was every prospect of our return in the autumn 

 of 1896. It is no wonder, however, that we were impatient, and 

 that both bod}' and soul suffered when the drift was slow, or 

 when a protracted contrary wind and back-drift seemed to make 

 it highly improbable that we should be able to reach home by 

 the time we were expected. 



