the ice became so thick that it looked badly for our further progress.  Now was the time to try Nilsen’s method:  the wind, which, by the way, was quite light, came about due west, and accordingly the helm was put to starboard and the bow turned to the west.  For a good while we even steered true south, but it proved that this fairly long turn had not been made in vain; after we had worked our way to windward for a few hours, we found openings in numbers.  If we had held our course as we began, it is not at all impossible that we should have been delayed for a long time, with a free passage a few miles away.

After having accomplished this first long turn, we escaped having to make any more in future.  The ice continued slack, and on February 6 the rapidly increasing swell told us that we had done with the Antarctic drift-ice for good.  I doubt if we saw a single seal during our passage through the ice-belt this time; and if we had seen any, we should scarcely have allowed the time for shooting them.  There was plenty of good food both for men and dogs this time, without our having recourse to seal-beef.  For the dogs we had brought all our remaining store of the excellent dogs’ pemmican, and that was not a little.  Besides this, we had a good lot of dried fish.  They had fish and pemmican on alternate days.  On this diet the animals kept in such splendid condition that, when on arrival at Hobart they had shed most of their rough winter coats, they looked as if they had been in clover for a year.

For the nine of us who had just joined the ship, our comrades on board had brought all the way from Buenos Aires several fat pigs, that were now living in luxury in their pen on the after-deck; in addition to these, three fine sheep’s carcasses hung in the workroom.  It need scarcely be said that we were fully capable of appreciating these unexpected luxuries.  Seal-beef, no doubt, had done excellent service, but this did not prevent roast mutton and pork being a welcome change, especially as they came as a complete surprise.  I hardly think one of us had counted on the possibility of getting fresh meat before we were back again in civilization.

On her arrival at the Bay of Whales there were eleven men on board the Fram, all included.  Instead of Kutschin and Nodtvedt, who had gone home from Buenos Aires while the ship was there in the autumn of 1911, three new men were engaged —­ namely, Halvorsen, Olsen and Steller; the two first-named were from Bergen; Steller was a German, who had lived for several years in Norway, and talked Norwegian like a native.

All three were remarkably efficient and friendly men; it was a pleasure to have any dealings with them.  I venture to think that they, too, found themselves at home in our company; they were really only engaged until the Fram called at the first port, but they stayed on board all the way to Buenos Aires, and will certainly go with us farther still.