In the evening I stood on the strand out by the fjord. The echoes had died away, and the pine woods stood silent and dark around. On the headland the last embers of a bonfire of welcome still smouldered and smoked, and the sea rippling at my feet seemed to whisper, "Now you are at home." The deep peace of the autumn evening sank beneficently over the weary spirit. I could not but recall that rainy morning in June when I last set foot on this strand. More than three years had passed; we had toiled and we had sown, and now the harvest had come. In my heart I sobbed and wept for joy and thankfulness. The ice and the long moonlit polar nights, with all their yearning, seemed like a far-off dream from another world--a dream that had come and passed away. But what would life be worth without its dreams? The Mean Temperature of Every Month during Nansen and Johansen's Sledge Journey Date Mean Temperature Maximum Minimum (Fahr.) ° ° ° March (16-31), 1895 -37 -9 -51 April, 1895 -20 -2 -35 May, 1895 -24 28 -11 June, 1895 30 38 9 July, 1895 32 37 28 August, 1895 29 36 19 September, 1895 +20 41 -4 October, 1895 -1 16 -13 November, 1895 -13 10 -35 December, 1895 -13 12 -37 January, 1896 -14 19 -46 February, 1896 -10 30 -40 March, 1896 10 30 -29 April, 1896 8 27 -16 May, 1896 18 43 -11 June (1-16), 1896 29 39 23 APPENDIX REPORT OF CAPTAIN OTTO SVERDRUP ON THE DRIFTING OF THE "FRAM" FROM MARCH 14, 1895 CHAPTER I MARCH 15 TO JUNE 22, 1895 As far back as February 26th Dr. Nansen had officially informed the crew that after he left the ship I was to be chief officer of the expedition, and Lieutenant Scott-Hansen second in command. Before starting, he handed me a letter, or set of instructions, which have been mentioned earlier in the volume. [85] The day after that on which the postscript to my instructions is dated--i.e., on Thursday, March 14th, at 11.30 A.M.--Dr. Nansen and Johansen left the Fram and set forth on their sledge expedition. We gave them a parting salute with flag, pennant, and guns. Scott-Hansen, Henriksen, and Pettersen accompanied them as far as the first camping-place, 7 or 8 miles from the vessel, and returned the next day at 2.30 P.M.