After passing the Dogger Bank we had a very welcome north-east breeze; with the help of the sails we could now increase the not very reckless speed that the motor was capable of accomplishing.  Before we sailed, the most contradictory accounts were current of the Fram’s sailing qualities.  There were some who asserted that the ship could not be got through the water at all, while with equal force the contrary view was maintained —­ that she was a notable fast sailer.  As might be supposed, the truth as usual lay about half-way between these two extremes.  The ship was no racer, nor was she an absolute log.  We ran before the north-east wind towards the English Channel at a speed of about seven knots, and with that we were satisfied for the time being.  The important question for us was whether we should keep the favourable wind till we were well through the Straits of Dover, and, preferably, a good way down Channel.  Our engine power was far too limited to make it of any use trying to go against the wind, and we should have been obliged in that case to have recourse to the sailing-ship’s method —­ beating.  Tacking in the English Channel —­ the busiest part of the world’s seas —­ is in itself no very pleasant work; for us it would be so much the worse, as it would greatly encroach on the time that could be devoted to oceanographical investigations.  But the east wind held with praiseworthy steadiness.  In the course of a few days we were through the Channel, and about a week after leaving Norway we were able to take the first oceanographical station at the point arranged according to the plan.  Hitherto everything had gone as smoothly as we could wish, but now, for a change, difficulties began to appear, first in the form of unfavourable weather When the north-wester begins to blow in the North Atlantic, it is generally a good while before it drops again, and this time it did not belie its reputation.  Far from getting to the westward, we were threatened for a time with being driven on to the Irish coast.  It was not quite so bad as that, but we soon found ourselves obliged to shorten the route originally laid down very considerably.  A contributing cause of this determination was the fact that the motor was out of order.  Whether it was the fault of the oil or a defect in the engine itself our engineer was not clear.  It was therefore necessary to make for home in good time, in case of extensive repairs being required.  In spite of these difficulties, we had a quite respectable collection of samples of water and temperatures at different depths before we set our course for Norway at the beginning of July, with Bergen as our destination.