THE WINTER NIGHT 293 



opinion that the pressure was coming from the north- 

 east, for he had heard the noise approaching from that 

 direction. Johansen let down the silk net for me about 

 1 1 fathoms. It was all he could do to get it up again 

 in time, but it brought up a good catch. Am still keep- 

 ing in. 



" Wednesday, October 25th. We had a horrible press- 

 ure last night. I awoke and felt the Fram being lifted, 

 shaken, and tossed about, and heard the loud cracking of 

 the ice breaking against her sides. After listening for a 

 little while I fell asleep again, with a snug feeling that it 

 was good to be on board the Fram; it would be con- 

 foundedly uncomfortable to have to be ready to turn out 

 every time there was a little pressure, or to have to go 

 off with our bundles on our backs like the Tegethqff 

 people. 



" It is quickly getting darker. The sun stands lower 

 and lower every time we see it ; soon it will disappear 

 altogether, if it has not done so already. The long, dark 

 winter is upon us, and glad shall we be to see the 

 spring; but nothing matters much if we could only begin 

 to move north. There is now southwesterly wind, and 

 the windmill, which has been ready for several days, has 

 been tried at last and works splendidly. We have beau- 

 tiful electric light to-day, though the wind has not been 

 especially strong (5-8 m. per second). Electric lamps 

 are a strand institution. What a stronor influence lis^ht 

 has on one's spirits ! There was a noticeable bright- 



