THE WINTER NIGHT 277 



even going up to look at all the hurly-burly, but just 

 chatting and laughing as usual. Last night there was 

 tremendous pressure round our old dog- floe. The ice 

 had towered up higher than the highest point of the 

 floe and hustled down upon it. It had quite spoiled a 

 well, where we till now had found good drinking-water, 

 filling it with brine. Furthermore, it had cast itself 

 over our stern ice - anchor and part of the steel cable 

 which held it, burying them so effectually that we had 

 afterwards to cut the cable. Then it covered our planks 

 and sled2"es, which stood on the ice. Before long the 

 dogs were in danger, and the watch had to turn out all 

 hands to save them. At last the floe split in two. This 

 morning the ice was one scene of melancholy confusion, 

 gleaming in the most glorious sunshine. Piled up all 

 round us were high, steep ice walls. Strangely enough, 

 we had lain on the very verge of the worst confusion, 

 and had escaped with the loss of an ice-anchor, a piece 

 of steel cable, a few planks and other bits of wood, and 

 half of a Samoyede sledge, all of which might have been 

 saved if we had looked after them in time. But the 

 men have grown so indifferent to the pressure now that 

 they do not even go up to look, let it thunder ever so 

 hard. They feel that the ship can stand it, and so long 

 as that is the case there is nothing to hurt except the ice 

 itself. 



" In the morning the pressure slackened again, and 

 we were soon lying in a large piece of open water, as we 



