THE WINTER NIGHT 30S 



"Sunday, November 19th. Our life has gone on its 

 usual monotonous routine since the iith. The wind 

 has been steadily from the south all week, but to-day 

 there is a little from N.N.W. We have had pressure 

 several times, and have heard sounds of it in the south- 

 east. Except for this, the ice has been unusually quiet, 

 and it is closed in tightly round the ship. Since the 

 last strong pressure we have probably 10 to 20 feet of 

 ice packed in below us.* Hansen to-day worked out 

 an observation taken the day before yesterday, and sur- 

 prised us with the welcome intelligence that we have 

 travelled 44' north and a little east since the 8th. We 

 are now in 78 27' north latitude, 139° 23' east longitude. 

 This is farther east than we have been yet. For any 

 sake, let us only keep on as we are going ! 



" The Fram is a warm, cozy abode. Whether the 

 thermometer stands at 22" above zero or at 22° below 

 it we have no fire in the stove. The ventilation is ex- 

 cellent, especially since we rigged up the air sail, which 

 sends a whole winter's cold in through the ventilator; yet 

 in spite of this we sit here warm and comfortable, with 

 only a lamp burning. I am thinking of having the 

 stove removed altogether; it is only in the way. At least, 

 as far as our protection from the winter cold is concern- 

 ed, my calculations have turned out well. Neither do 

 we suffer much from damp. It does collect and drop 



* On a later occasion they bored down 30 feet without reaching the- 

 lower surface of the ice. 



