.

When it cleared on the morning of the 23rd, we therefore began again
to steam forward among the fields of drift-ice, but now not with the
intention of advancing in a given direction, but only of getting to
open water. The ice-fields we now met with were very much broken up,
which was an indication that we could not be very far from the edge
of the _pack_. But notwithstanding this, all our attempts to find
penetrable ice in an easterly, westerly, or southerly direction were
unsuccessful. We had thus to search in a northerly direction for the
opening by which we had sailed in. This was so much the more
unpleasant as the wind had changed to a pretty fresh N.W. breeze, on
which account, with the _Vega's_ weak steam-power, we could make way
only slowly. It was not until 6.30 p.m. that we at last came to the
sack-formed opening in the ice through which we had sailed in at
noon of the previous day.

One can scarcely, without having experienced it, form any idea of
the optical illusions, which are produced by mist, in regions where
the size of the objects which are visible through the fog is not
known beforehand, and thus does not give the spectator an idea of
the distance. Our estimate of distance and size in such cases depend
wholly on accident. The obscure contours of the fog-concealed
objects themselves, besides, are often by the ignorance of the
spectator converted into whimsical fantastic forms. During a boat
journey in Hinloopen Strait I once intended to row among drift-ice
to an island at a distance of some few kilometres. When the boat
started the air was clear, but while we were employed, as best we
could, in shooting sea-fowl for dinner, all was wrapt in a thick
mist, and that so unexpectedly, that we had not time to take the
bearings of the island. This led to a not altogether pleasant row by
guess among the pieces of ice that were drifting about in rapid
motion in the sound. All exerted themselves as much as possible to
get sight of the island, whose beach would afford us a safe
resting-place. While thus occupied, a dark border was seen through
the mist at the horizon. It was taken for the island which we were
bound for, and it was not at first considered remarkable that the
dark border rose rapidly, for we thought that the mist was
dispersing and in consequence of that more of the land was visible.
Soon two white snow-fields, that we had not observed before, were
seen on both sides of the land, and immediate