226 FARTHEST NORTH 



way. But the mountains here are not so well separated, 

 and are considerably lower than those farther north. 

 The sea is unpleasantly shallow; at one time during the 

 night we had only 4 fathoms, and were obliged to put 

 back some distance. We have ice outside, quite close ; 

 but yet there is a sufficient fairway to let us push on 

 eastward." 



The following day we got into good, open water, but 

 shallow — never more than 6 to 7 fathoms. We heard 

 the roaring of waves to the east, so there must certainly 

 be open water in that direction, which indeed we had 

 expected. It was plain that the Lena, with its masses of 

 warm water, was beginning to assert its influence. The 

 sea here was browner, and showed signs of some mixture 

 of muddy river- water. It was also much less salt. 



" It would be foolish." I write in my diary for this da)^ 

 (September 15th). "to go in to the Olenek, now that we 

 are so late. Even if there were no danger from shoals, 

 it would cost us too much time — probably a year. Be- 

 sides, it is by no means sure that the Fram can get in 

 there at all ; it would be a very tiresome business if she 

 went aground in these waters. No doubt we should be 

 very much the better of a few more dogs, but to lose a 

 year is too much ; we shall rather head straight east for 

 the New Siberian Islands, now that there is a good op- 

 portunity, and really bright prospects. 



" The ice here puzzles me a good deal. How in the 

 world is it not swept northward by the current, which. 



