554 FARTHEST NORTH 



" Every night I am at home in my dreams, but when 

 the morning breaks I must again, like Helge, gallop 

 back on the pale horse by the way of the reddening 

 dawn, not to the joys of Valhalla, but to the realm of 

 eternal ice. 



"'For thee alone Sigrun, 

 Of the Sa^va Mountain, 

 Must Helge swim 

 In the dew of sorrow.' 



"Friday, October 12th. A regular storm has been 

 blowing from the E.S.E. since yesterday evening. Last 

 ni^ht the mill went to bits ; the teeth broke off one of 

 the toothed wheels, which has been considerably worn 

 by a year's use. The velocity of the wind was over 40 

 feet this morning, and it is long since I have heard it 

 blow as it is doing this evening. We must be making 

 good progress north just now. Perhaps October is not 

 to be such a bad month as I expected from our experi- 

 ences of last year. Was out snow-shoeing before din- 

 ner. The snow was whistling about my ears. I had 

 not much trouble in oettino^ back ; the wind saw to that. 

 A tremendous snow squall is blowing just now. The 

 moon stands low in the southern sky, sending a dull 

 glow through the driving masses. One has to hold on 

 to one's cap. This is a real dismal polar night, such as 

 one imagines it to one's self sitting at home far away in 

 the south. But it makes me cheerful to come on deck, 

 for I feel that we are moving onward. 



"Saturday, October 13th. Same wind to-day; 



