192 FARTHEST NORTH 



as to what should be done. There was an open channel 

 for a short way up past the north point of the nearest 

 island, but farther to the east the ice seemed to be close. 

 It might be possible to force our way through there, 

 but it was just as likely that we should be frozen in ; so I 

 thought it most judicious to go back and make another 

 attempt between these islands and that mainland which 

 I had some difficulty in believing that Sverdrup had seen 

 in the morning. 



" Thursday, August 20th. Still foggy weather. New 

 islands were observed on the way back. Sverdrup's 

 high land did not come to much. It turned out to be an 

 island, and that a low one. It is wonderful the way 

 things loom up in the fog. This reminded me of the 

 story of the pilot at home in the Drobak Channel. He 

 suddenly saw land right in front, and gave the order, 

 ' Full speed astern !' Then they approached carefully 

 and found that it was half a baling-can floating in the 

 water." 



After passing a great number of new islands we 

 got into open water off Taimur Island, and steamed in 

 still weather through the sound to the northeast. At 

 5 in the afternoon I saw from the crow's-nest thick ice 

 ahead, which blocked farther progress. It stretched from 

 Taimur Island right across to the islands south of it. On 

 the ice bearded seals {P/wca barbata) were to be seen in 

 all directions, and we saw one walrus. We approached 

 the ice to make fast to it, but the Frain had got into 



