d
follow the land in a southerly direction till it disappeared on the
horizon at the head of the bay in the south. Then there was a small
strip where no land, only open water, could be made out. After that the
land emerged on the west side of the bay, stretching towards Taimur
Island. With its heights and round knolls this land was essentially
different from the low coast on the east side of the bay.

To the north of the point ahead of us I saw open water; there was some
ice between us and it, but the Fram forced her way through. When we got
out, right off the point, I was surprised to notice the sea suddenly
covered with brown, clayey water. It could not be a deep layer, for
the track we left behind was quite clear. The clayey water seemed
to be skimmed to either side by the passage of the ship. I ordered
soundings to be taken, and found, as I expected, shallower water--first
8 fathoms, then 6 1/2, then 5 1/2. I stopped now, and backed. Things
looked very suspicious, and round us ice-floes lay stranded. There
was also a very strong current running northeast. Constantly sounding,
we again went slowly forward. Fortunately the lead went on showing 5
fathoms. Presently we got into deeper water--6 fathoms, then 6 1/2--and
now we went on at full speed again. We were soon out into the clear,
blue water on the other side. There was quite a sharp boundary-line
between the brown surface water and the clear blue. The muddy water
evidently came from some river a little farther south.

From this point the land trended back in an easterly direction, and we
held east and northeast in the open water between it and the ice. In
the afternoon this channel grew very narrow, and we got right under
the coast, where it again slopes north. We kept close along it in a
very narrow cut, with a depth of 6 to 8 fathoms, but in the evening
had to stop, as the ice lay packed close in to the shore ahead of us.

This land we had been coasting along bore a strong resemblance
to Yalmal. The same low plains, rising very little above the sea,
and not visible at any great distance. It was perhaps rather more
undulating. At one or two places I even saw some ridges of a certain
elevation a little way inland. The shore the whole way seemed to
be formed of strata of sand and clay, the margin sloping steeply to
the sea.

Many reindeer herds were to be seen on the plains, and next morning
(September 8th) I went on shore on a hunting expedition. Having shot