THE THIRD SU AIMER 685 



engine. Some large pieces of ice floated up from the rudder- 

 stock or frame ; we fished them up, and everything was in order. 

 Amundsen let the engine work some time, and everybody was 

 down with him to see the wonder with their own eyes, and to 

 be convinced that he really had got it to turn round. 



This was quite an event for us. It filled us with renewed 

 courage and hope of soon getting out of our long captivity, 

 though the way might be ever so long and weary. The Fraui 

 was no longer a helpless ball, tossed to and fro at the caprice of 

 the drift-ice. Our gallant ship had awakened to renewed life 

 after her year- long winter sleep, and we rejoiced to feel the 

 first pulsations of her strongly beating heart. ■ It seemed as if 

 the Fraiii understood us, and wanted to say : " Onward ! south- 

 ward ! homeward !" 



The state of the ice around the ship, however, was still far 

 from being so favorable as to give us any prospect of getting 

 out just at present. It is true that symptoms of spring began 

 to show themselves; the temperature rose, and the snow van- 

 ished rapidly ; but we still remained at about the same latitude 

 where we had been lying for months — namely, at about 84°. 

 From the crow's-nest, indeed, we could see a large channel, which 

 extended southward as far as the eye could reach ; but to get 

 through the belt of ice, over 200 yards wide, which separated 

 us from it, was impossible before the thick pack-ice slackened 

 somewhat. We therefore made no attempt to blast the ship 

 free, but devoted our time to various duties on board, did what- 

 ever was left undone, got the steam windlass in order, examined 

 all our cordage, and so forth. 



In the hole in the ice which was always kept open for the 

 striking of the log -line, we had placed the heads of the two 

 bears, so that the amphipodes might pick off the meat for 

 us, a task which they usually perform quickly and effectually. 

 One day, when a swarm of amphipodes appeared above the 

 bears' heads, Scott-Hansen caught a lot of them in a bag-net, 

 and had them cooked for supper, intending to give us a regular 

 treat. But we were sadly disappointed. There was not a par- 

 ticle of meat on the miserable creatures — nothing but shells rmd 



