It did us a great deal of good to have a little amusement just then, for this part of the voyage was a trial of patience more than anything else.  Possibly we were rather hard to please, but the south-east trade, which we were expecting to meet every day, was, in our opinion, far too late in coming, and when at length it arrived, it did not behave at all as becomes a wind that has the reputation of being the steadiest in the world.  Besides being far too light, according to our requirements, it permitted itself such irregularities as swinging between the points of south and east, but was mostly in the neighbourhood of the former.  For us, who had to lie all the time close-hauled to the westward, this had the effect of increasing our western longitude a great deal faster than our latitude.  We were rapidly approaching the north-eastern point of South America —­ Cape San Roque.  Fortunately we escaped any closer contact with this headland, which shoots so far out into the Atlantic.  The wind at last shifted aft, but it was so light that the motor had to be constantly in use.  Slowly but surely we now went southward, and the temperature again began to approach the limits that are fitting according to a Northerner’s ideas.  The tiresome, rather low awning could be removed, and it was a relief to be rid of it, as one could then walk upright everywhere.

On October 16, according to the observations at noon, we were in the vicinity of the island of South Trinidad, one of the lonely oases in the watery desert of the South Atlantic.  It was our intention to go close under the island, and possibly to attempt a landing; but unfortunately the motor had to be stopped for cleaning, and this prevented our approaching it by daylight.  We caught a glimpse of the land at dusk, which was, at all events, enough to check our chronometers.

South of the 20th degree of latitude the south-east trade was nearly done with, and we were really not sorry to be rid of it; it remained light and scant to the last, and sailing on a wind is not a strong point with the Fram.  In the part of the ocean where we now were there was a hope of getting a good wind, and it was wanted if we were to come out right:  we had now covered 6,000 miles, but there were still 10,000 before us, and the days went by with astonishing rapidity.  The end of October brought the change we wanted; with a fresh northerly breeze she went gallantly southward, and before the end of the month we were down in lat. 40deg..  Here we had reached the waters where we were almost certain to have all the wind we wished, and from the right quarter.  From now our course was eastward along what is known as the southern west wind belt.  This belt extends between the 40th and 50th parallels all round the earth, and is distinguished by the constant occurrence of westerly winds, which as a rule blow with great violence.  We had put our trust in these west winds; if they failed us we should be in a mess.  But