behind reckoning.  The weather and going remained about the same as on the preceding days:  light south-easterly breeze, temperature -18.4deg.  F. The snow surface was loose, but ski and sledges glided over it well.  On the 11th, the same weather conditions.  Temperature -13deg.  F. Observation and reckoning again agreed exactly.  Our latitude was 89deg. 15’ S. On the 12th we reached 89deg. 30’, reckoning 1 kilometre behind observation.  Going and surface as good as ever.  Weather splendid —­ calm with sunshine.  The noon observation on the 13th gave 89deg. 37’ S. Reckoning 89deg. 38.5’ S. We halted in the afternoon, after going eight geographical miles, and camped in 89deg. 45’, according to reckoning.

The weather during the forenoon had been just as fine as before; in the afternoon we had some snow-showers from the south-east.  It was like the eve of some great festival that night in the tent.  One could feel that a great event was at hand.  Our flag was taken out again and lashed to the same two ski-sticks as before.  Then it was rolled up and laid aside, to be ready when the time came.  I was awake several times during the night, and had the same feeling that I can remember as a little boy on the night before Christmas Eve —­ an intense expectation of what was going to happen.  Otherwise I think we slept just as well that night as any other.

On the morning of December 14 the weather was of the finest, just as if it had been made for arriving at the Pole.  I am not quite sure, but I believe we despatched our breakfast rather more quickly than usual and were out of the tent sooner, though I must admit that we always accomplished this with all reasonable haste.  We went in the usual order —­ the forerunner, Hanssen, Wisting, Bjaaland, and the reserve forerunner.  By noon we had reached 89deg. 53’ by dead reckoning, and made ready to take the rest in one stage.  At 10 a.m. a light breeze had sprung up from the south-east, and it had clouded over, so that we got no noon altitude; but the clouds were not thick, and from time to time we had a glimpse of the sun through them.  The going on that day was rather different from what it had been; sometimes the ski went over it well, but at others it was pretty bad.  We advanced that day in the same mechanical way as before; not much was said, but eyes were used all the more.  Hanssen’s neck grew twice as long as before in his endeavour to see a few inches farther.  I had asked him before we started to spy out ahead for all he was worth, and he did so with a vengeance.  But, however keenly he stared, he could not descry anything but the endless flat plain ahead of us.  The dogs had dropped their scenting, and appeared to have lost their interest in the regions about the earth’s axis.