After putting ample brakes on the sledge-runners, we started off downhill in a south-easterly direction.  The slight idea of the position that we had been able to get in the morning proved correct.  The descent was easy and smooth, and we reached the plain without any adventure.  We could now once more set our faces to the south, and in thick driving snow we continued our way into the unknown, with good assistance from the howling north-easterly gale.  We now recommenced the erection of beacons, which had not been necessary during the ascent.  In the course of the forenoon we again passed over a little ridge, the last of them that we encountered.  The surface was now fine enough, smooth as a floor and without a sign of sastrugi.  If our progress was nevertheless slow and difficult, this was due to the wretched going, which was real torture to all of us.  A sledge journey through the Sahara could not have offered a worse surface to move over.  Now the forerunners came into their own, and from here to the Pole Hassel. and I took it in turns to occupy the position.

The weather improved in the course of the day, and when we camped in the afternoon it looked quite smiling.  The sun came through and gave a delightful warmth after the last few bitter days.  It was not yet clear, so that we could see nothing of our surroundings.  The distance according to our three sledge-meters was eighteen and a half miles; taking the bad going into consideration, we had reason to be well satisfied with it.  Our altitude came out at 9,475 feet above the sea, or a drop of 825 feet in the course of the day.  This surprised me greatly.  What did it mean?  Instead of rising gradually, we were going slowly down.  Something extraordinary must await us farther on, but, what?  According to dead reckoning our latitude that evening was 86deg.  S.

November 27 did not bring us the desired weather; the night was filled with sharp gusts from the north; the morning came with a slack wind, but accompanied by mist and snowfall.  This was abominable; here we were, advancing over absolutely virgin ground, and able to see nothing.  The surface remained about the same —­ possibly rather more undulating.  That it had been blowing here at some time, and violently too, was shown by the under-surface, which was composed of sastrugi as hard as iron.  Luckily for us, the snowfall of the last few days had filled these up, so as to present a level surface.  It was heavy going, though better than on the previous day.

As we were advancing, still blindly, and fretting at the persistently thick weather, one of us suddenly called out:  “Hullo, look there!” A wild, dark summit rose high out of the mass of fog to the east-south-east.  It was not far away —­ on the contrary, it seemed threateningly near and right over us.  We stopped and looked at the imposing sight, but Nature did not expose her objects of interest for long.  The fog rolled over again, thick, heavy