rse to the tent, and examined everything there before
(as we have seen) he went after them.

"It was a lean he-bear. The only thing that was found in its stomach
when it was opened was a piece of paper, with the names 'Luetken and
Mohn.' This was the wrapping-paper of a 'ski' light, and had been
left by one of us somewhere on the ice. After this day some of the
members of the expedition would hardly leave the ship without being
armed to the teeth.

"Wednesday, October 4th. Northwesterly wind yesterday and
to-day. Yesterday we had -16 deg., and to-day -14 deg. C. I have worked
all day at soundings and got to about 800 fathoms depth. The bottom
samples consisted of a layer of gray clay 4 to 4 1/2 inches thick, and
below that brown clay or mud. The temperature was, strangely enough,
just above freezing-point (+0.18 deg. C.) at the bottom, and just below
freezing-point (-0.4 deg. C.) 75 fathoms up. This rather disposes of the
story of a shallow polar basin and of the extreme coldness of the
water of the Arctic Ocean.

"While we were hauling up the line in the afternoon the ice cracked
a little astern of the Fram, and the crack increased in breadth so
quickly that three of us, who had to go out to save the ice-anchors,
were obliged to make a bridge over it with a long board to get back
to the ship again. Later in the evening there was some packing in
the ice, and several new passages opened out behind this first one.

"Thursday, October 5th. As I was dressing this morning, just before
breakfast, the mate rushed down to tell me a bear was in sight. I was
soon on deck and saw him coming from the south, to the lee of us. He
was still a good way off, but stopped and looked about. Presently he
lay down, and Henriksen and I started off across the ice, and were
lucky enough to send a bullet into his breast at about 310 yards,
just as he was moving off.

"We are making everything snug for the winter and for the
ice-pressure. This afternoon we took up the rudder. Beautiful weather,
but cold, -18 deg. C. at 8 P.M. The result of the medical inspection
to-day was the discovery that we still have bugs on board; and I do
not know what we are to do. We have no steam now, and must fix our
hopes on the cold.

"I must confess that this discovery made me feel quite ill. If bugs
got into our winter furs the thing was hopeless. So the next day
there was a regular feast of purification, according to the most rigid
antiseptic prescriptions