3H FARTHEST NORTH 



ship. Great piles had been packed up under the stern 

 this morning and yesterday. The explosion was proba- 

 bly caused by a violent pressure suddenly loosening all 

 the ice along the ship's side, the ship at the same time 

 taking a strong list to port. There was no cracking of 

 wood to be heard, so that, whatever it was, the Fram 

 cannot have been injured. But it was cold, and we crept 

 down again. 



" As we were sitting at supper about 6 o'clock, 

 pressure suddenly began. The ice creaked and roared 

 so along the ship's sides close by us that it was not 

 possible to carry on any connected conversation ; we 

 had to scream, and all agreed with Nordahl when he re- 

 marked that it would be much pleasanter if the pressure 

 would confine its operations to the bow instead of coming 

 bothering us here aft. Amidst the noise we caught every 

 now and again from the organ a note or two of Kjerulf's 

 melody — ' I could not sleep for the nightingale's voice.' 

 The hurly-burly outside lasted for about tw^enty minutes, 

 and then all was still. 



" Later in the evening Hansen came down to give 

 notice of what really was a remarkable appearance of 

 aurora borealis. The deck was brightly illuminated by 

 it, and reflections of its light played all over the ice. The 

 whole sky was ablaze with it, but it was brightest in the 

 south ; high up in that direction glowed waving masses 

 of fire. Later still Hansen came again to say that now 

 it was quite extraordinary. No words can depict the 



