282 FARTHEST NORTH 



had a height of 1 8 to 23 feet; and I can maintain with 

 certainty that the packing of sea ice to a height of over 

 25 feet is a very rare exception.* 



"Saturday, October 14th. To-day we have got on 

 the rudder ; the engine is pretty well in order, and we 

 are clear to start north when the ice opens to-morrow 

 morning. It is still slackening and packing quite 

 regularly twice a day, so that we can calculate on 

 it beforehand. To-day we had the same open chan- 

 nel to the north, and beyond it open sea as far as 

 our view extended. What can this mean ? This even- 

 ing the pressure has been pretty violent. The floes 

 were packed up against the Fram on the port side, and 

 were once or twice on the point of toppling over the rail. 

 The ice, however broke below ; they tumbled back 

 again, and had to go under us after all. It is not thick 

 ice, and cannot do much damage; but the force is some- 

 thing enormous. On the masses come incessantly without 

 a pause ; they look irresistible ; but slowly and surely they 

 are crushed against the Frams sides. Now {^.'yo p.m.) 

 the pressure has at last stopped. Clear evening, spark- 

 ling stars, and flaming northern lights." 



I had finished writing my diary, gone to bed, and 



* Markham's account gives us to understand that on the north side 

 of Grinnell Land he came across hummocks which measured 43 feet. 

 I do not feel at all certain that these were not in reality icebergs; but it 

 is no doubt possible that such hummocks might be formed by violent 

 pressure against land or something resembling it. After our experience, 

 however, I cannot believe in the possibility of their occurring in open sea. 



