year
that has gone since we stood up there on the platform, and she threw
the champagne against the bow, saying: 'Fram is your name!' and
the strong, heavy hull began to glide so gently. I held her hand
tight; the tears came into eyes and throat, and one could not get
out a word. The sturdy hull dived into the glittering water; a sunny
haze lay over the whole picture. Never shall I forget the moment we
stood there together, looking out over the scene. And to think of
all that has happened these four last months! Separated by sea and
land and ice; coming years, too, lying between us--it is all just
the continuation of what happened that day. But how long is it to
last? I have such difficulty in feeling that I am not to see home
again soon. When I begin to reflect, I know that it may be long,
but I will not believe it.

"To-day, moreover, we took solemn farewell of the sun. Half of its
disk showed at noon for the last time above the edge of the ice in
the south, a flattened body, with a dull red glow, but no heat. Now
we are entering the night of winter. What is it bringing us? Where
shall we be when the sun returns? No one can tell. To console us for
the loss of the sun we have the most wonderful moonlight; the moon
goes round the sky night and day. There is, strange to say, little
pressure just now; only an occasional slight squeeze. But the ice
often opens considerably; there are large pieces of water in several
directions; to-day there were some good-sized ones to the south.

"Friday, October 27th. The soundings this morning showed 52 fathoms
(95 m.) of water. According to observations taken yesterday afternoon,
we are about 3' farther north and a little farther west than on the
19th. It is disgusting the way we are muddling about here. We must
have got into a hole where the ice grinds round and round, and can't
get farther. And the time is passing all to no purpose; and goodness
only knows how long this sort of thing may go on. If only a good
south wind would come and drive us north out of this hobble! The boys
have taken up the rudder again to-day. While they were working at
this in the afternoon, it suddenly grew as bright as day. A strange
fireball crossed the sky in the west--giving a bluish-white light,
they said. Johansen ran down to the saloon to tell Hansen and me;
he said they could still see the bright trails it had left in its
train. When we got on deck we saw a bent bow of light in the Triangle,
near