VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 229 



a splendid sail. On to the north, steadily north, with a 

 good wind, as fast as steam and sail can take us, and open 

 sea mile after mile, watch after watch, through these un- 

 known regions, always clearer and clearer of ice one 

 might almost say! How long will this last? The eye 

 always turns to the northward as one paces the bridge. 

 It is gazing into the future. But there is always the 

 same dark sky ahead, which means open sea. My plan 

 was standing its test. It seemed as if luck had been on 

 our side ever since the 6th of September. We see 

 'nothing but clean water,' as Henriksen answered from 

 the crow's-nest when I called up to him. When he was 

 standino: at the wheel later in the mornino-, and I was on 

 the bridge, he suddenly said : ' They little think at home 

 in Norway just now that we are sailing straight for the 

 Pole in clear water.' ' No, they don't believe we have 

 got so far.' And I shouldn't have believed it myself if 

 any one had prophesied it to me a fortnight ago ; but 

 true it is. All my reflections and inferences on the sub- 

 ject had led me to expect open water for a good way 

 farther north ; but it is seldom that one's inspirations 

 turn out to be so correct. No ice-light in any direction, 

 not even now, in the evening. We saw no land the 

 whole day; but we had fog and thick weather all morn- 

 ing and forenoon, so that we were still going at half- 

 speed, as we were afraid of coming suddenly on some- 

 thing. Now we are almost in 77° north latitude. How 

 lono; is it to 0:0 on ? I have said all along^ that I should 



