rOYAGE THROUGH 7HE KARA SEA H? 



from land and got into deeper water, so that the Fram 

 could come on again at full speed. 



From time to time our petroleum engine took to its 

 old tricks and stopped. I had to pour in more oil to set 

 it going again, and as I was standing doing this the boat 

 gave a lurch, so that a little oil was spilt and took fire. 

 The burning oil ran over the bottom of the boat, where 

 a good deal had been spilt already. In an instant the 

 whole stern was in a blaze, and my clothes, which were 

 sprinkled with oil, caught fire. I had to rush to the 

 bow, and for a moment the situation was a critical one, 

 especially as a big pail that was standing full of oil also 

 took fire. As soon as I had stopped the burning of my 

 clothes I rushed aft again, seized the pail, and poured 

 the fiaming oil into the sea, burning my fingers badly. 

 At once the whole surface of the water round was in 

 flames. Then I got hold of the baler, and baled water 

 into the boat as hard as I could, and soon the worst 

 was over. Things had looked anything but well from 

 the Fram, however, and they were standing by with 

 ropes and buoys to throw to us. 



Soon we were out of Yugor Strait. There was now 

 so little fog that the low land round us was visible, and 

 we could also see a little way out to sea, and, in the dis- 

 tance, all drift-ice. At 4 o'clock in the morning (August 

 4th) we glided past Sokolii, or Hawk Island, out into the 

 dreaded Kara Sea. 



Now our fate was to be decided. I had alwavs said 



