J WAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 153 



went on board again. The ice to the north now seemed 

 to be rather looser, and at 8 p.m. we at last began once 

 more to make our way north. We found ice that was 

 easy to get through, and held on our course until, three 

 days later, we got into open water. On Sunday, August 

 1 8th, we stood out into the open Kara Sea, past the north 

 point of Yalmal and Bieloi - Ostrov (White Island). 

 There was no ice to be seen in any direction. During 

 the days that followed we had constant strong east winds, 

 often increasing to half a gale. We kept on tacking to 

 make our way eastward, but the broad and keelless Fram 

 can hardly be called a good "beater"; we made too much 

 leeway, and our progress was correspondingly slow. In 

 the journal there is a constantly recurring entry of 

 "Head -wind," "Head -wind." The monotony was ex- 

 treme ; but as they may be of interest as relating to the 

 navigation of this sea, I shall give the most important 

 items of the journal, especially those regarding the state 

 of the ice. 



On Monday, August 14th, we beat with only sail 

 against a strong wind. Single pieces of ice were seen 

 durine the middle watch, but after that there was none 

 within sight. 



Tuesday, August 15th. The wind slackened in the 

 middle watch ; we took in sail and got up steam. At 5 

 in the morning we steamed away east over a sea perfectly 

 clear of ice ; but after niid-day the wind began to freshen 

 ao;ain from E.N.E., and we had to beat with steam and 



