394 FAR THE S 2' NORTH 



" To-day another noteworthy thing happened, which 

 was that about midday we saw the sun, or, to be more 

 correct, an image of the sun, for it was only a mirage. 

 A peculiar impression was produced by the sight of 

 that glowing fire lit just above the outermost edge of 

 the ice. According to the enthusiastic descriptions given 



FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SUN 



by many Arctic travellers of the first appearance of this 

 god of life after the long winter night, the impres- 

 sion ought to be one of jubilant excitement; but it 

 was not so in my case. We had not expected to see 

 it for some days yet, so that my feeling was rather one 

 of pain, of disappointment, that we must have drifted 



