The _Windward_ left Cape Flora on 7th August, and reached Vardo, in Norway, on the 13th. Nansen and Johansen immediately set out for the telegraph-station, and soon the news of their arrival spread over the civilised world. On the 17th August, Nansen arrived at Hammerfest. On the 20th August, while still here, he received a telegram from Sverdrup announcing the arrival of the _Fram_ in Norway. This filled the cup of rejoicing to overflowing. Next day the _Fram_ was joined in Tromsö harbour, and again they were all together, well satisfied with their success. * * * * * We may now return to the voyage of the _Fram_ after the departure of Nansen and Johansen on their sledging expedition. It then lay in 84° 4′ N. latitude, and 102° E. longitude. Sverdrup, after carting away a great pressure-ridge from the port side of the vessel, made various preparations for a sledge-journey southward, in the event of the _Fram_ being wrecked. Sledges, kayaks, snow-shoes, and many other articles had to be made, and this work kept all busy for a considerable time. Sverdrup considers Canadian snow-shoes superior to Norwegian ones, when it is a question of hauling heavily loaded sledges over rough ice. During the summer of 1895 the drift was very slow; the latitude on 22nd June was 84° 32′, and on 6th September, 84° 43′. The longitude on these dates was 80° 58′ and 79° 52′ respectively. During the next three months the drift towards the west was much greater: on the 30th October the longitude was 70° 50′, on the 1st December it was 58° 45′, and on the 9th January 1896 it was 41° 41′. The meridian of 60° passing near Cape Fligely, in Franz-Josef Land, was passed towards the end of November. On the 15th November the latitude was 85° 55.5′, and on the 9th January 1896 it was down to 84° 57′. In these high latitudes the change from sunlight during the whole twenty-four hours to darkness during the same period is very sudden. On 12th September the sun was above the horizon at midnight; on 8th October it disappeared at noon—a change from constant light to constant darkness in twenty-six days. As early as the beginning of February 1896 numerous lanes of water were found both to the north and to the south. By this time they had drifted to the 25th degree of longitude, while the latitude kept steady at about 84° 50′. On the 15th February the longitude was 23° 28′, but by the 29th February they had gone back to 27°. After this date the drift to the west was very slow, but it was more rapid towards the south. On 16th May the latitude was 83° 45′, and the longitude 12° 50′.