688 APPENDIX 



saloon, and the clock in my cabin was hurled from the wall. It 

 was evidently felt in the engine-room as well, for Amundsen had 

 a bottle and a lamp-chimney smashed. On the ice the explosion 

 took such good effect that the ship nearly broke loose at one 

 blow ; she was now merely hanging on a little forward and aft. 

 With a little more work we might have got quite clear the same 

 evening, but I left her as she was to avoid the trouble of moor- 

 ing her. Instead of that we had something extra after supper; 

 we considered that we had done such a good stroke of work that 

 day that we deserved a reward. 



Next morning we blew away the ice that held our bow. I my- 

 self took a pickaxe and commenced to hack away at the ice 

 which held the stern fast. I had hardly been at work at this for 

 more than four or five minutes before the vessel suddenly gave 

 a lurch, settled a little deeper at the stern, and moved away from 

 the edge of the ice, until the hawsers became taut. She now lay 

 about 6 inches higher at the bow than when she froze fast in 

 the autumn. Thus the Frani was free, and ready to force her 

 way through the ice as soon as the circumstances would permit. 

 But we were still unable to move. 



Even in the month of May there had been signs of whales 

 and seals in the channels, and an occasional sea-bird had also put 

 in an appearance. During the months of June and July there 

 was still more animal life around us, so that we could soon go in 

 for hunting to our hearts' content. During the summer we not 

 only shot a number of fulmars, black guillemots, skuas, auks, 

 and little auks, but also a couple of eider-ducks, and even a brace 

 of broad-beaked snipe. We also shot a number of small seals, 

 but only got hold of six ; the others sank so rapidly that we 

 could not reach them in time. As a matter of course, we wel- 

 comed every opportunity of a hunting expedition, especially 

 when there was a bear in the case. It was not often he did 

 us the honor, but the greater was the excitement and interest 

 when his appearance was announced. Then the lads would 

 get lively, and hastily prepare to give the visitor a suitable re- 

 ception. Altogether we killed sixteen or seventeen full-grown 

 bears during the summer, and a young one, which we capt- 



