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THE   SOUTH    POLE 


KOALD    AMUNDSEN. 


Frontispiece,  Vol.  I. 


THE  SOUTH  POLE 

AN    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    NORWEGIAN 
ANTARCTIC  EXPEDITION  IN  THE  "FRAM," 

1910-1912 

BY  ROALD  AMUNDSEN 

TRANSLATED   FROM   THE   NORWEGIAN    BY 

A.  G.  CHATER 

WITH    MAPS    AND.    NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIONS 

IN  TWO  VOLUMES 
VOL.  I 


LONDON 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET,  W. 
1912 


TO 

MY   COMRADES, 

THE  BRAVE  LITTLE  BAND  THAT  PROMISED 

IN  FUNCHAL  ROADS 
TO  STAND  BY  ME   IN   THE   STRUGGLE  FOR  THE 

SOUTH  POLE, 

I  DEDICATE  THIS   BOOK. 


ROALD  AMUNDSEN. 


URANIENBORG, 

August  15,  1912. 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

ON  February  10,  1911,  we  started  for  the  South  to 
establish  depots,  and  continued  our  journey  until 
April  11.  We  formed  three  depots  and  stored  in  them 
3  tons  of  provisions,  including  22  hundredweight  of  seal 
meat.  As  there  were  no  landmarks,  we  had  to  indicate 
the  position  of  our  depots  by  flags,  which  were  posted  at 
a  distance  of  about  four  miles  to  the  east  and  west.  The 
first  barrier  afforded  the  best  going,  and  was  specially 
adapted  for  dog-sledging.  Thus,  on  February  15  we 
did  sixty-two  miles  with  sledges.  Each  sledge  weighed 
660  pounds,  and  we  had  six  dogs  for  each.  The  upper 
barrier  ("  barrier  surface  ")  was  smooth  and  even.  There 
were  a  few  crevasses  here  and  there,  but  we  only  found 
them  dangerous  at  one  or  two  points.  The  barrier 
went  in  long,  regular  undulations.  The  weather  was 
very  favourable,  with  calms  or  light  winds.  The  lowest 
temperature  at  this  station  was  —49°  F.,  which  was 
taken  on  March  4. 

When  we  returned  to  winter  quarters  on  February  5 
from  a  first  trip,  we  found  that  the  Fram  had  already 

vii 


viii  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

left  us.  With  joy  and  pride  we  heard  from  those  who 
had  stayed  behind  that  our  gallant  captain  had  suc- 
ceeded in  sailing  her  farther  south  than  any  former  ship. 
So  the  good  old  Fram  has  shown  the  flag  of  Norway 
both  farthest  north  and  farthest  south.  The  most 
southerly  latitude  reached  by  the  Fram  was  78°  41'. 

Before  the  winter  set  in  we  had  60  tons  of  seal 
meat  in  our  winter  quarters  ;  this  was  enough  for  our- 
selves and  our  110  dogs.  We  had  built  eight  kennels 
and  a  number  of  connecting  tents  and  snow  huts. 
When  we  had  provided  for  the  dogs,  we  thought  of  our- 
selves. Our  little  hut  was  almost  entirely  covered  with 
snow.  Not  till  the  middle  of  April  did  we  decide  to 
adopt  artificial  light  in  the  hut.  This  we  did  with  the 
help  of  a  Lux  lamp  of  200  candle-power,  which  gave  an 
excellent  light  and  kept  the  indoor  temperature  at 
about  68°  F.  throughout  the  winter.  The  ventilation 
was  very  satisfactory,  and  we  got  sufficient  fresh  air. 
The  hut  was  directly  connected  with  the  house  in  which 
we  had  our  workshop,  larder,  storeroom,  and  cellar, 
besides  a  single  bathroom  and  observatory.  Thus  we 
had  everything  within  doors  and  easily  got  at,  in  case 
the  weather  should  be  so  cold  and  stormy  that  we  could 
not  venture  out. 

The  sun  left  us  on  April  22,  and  we  did  not  see  it 
again  for  four  months.  We  spent  the  winter  in  altering 
our  whole  equipment,  which  our  depot  journeys  had 
shown  to  be  too  heavy  and  clumsy  for  the  smooth 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT  ix 

barrier  surface.  At  the  same  time  we  carried  out  all 
the  scientific  work  for  which  there  was  opportunity. 
We  made  a  number  of  surprising  meteorological  obser- 
vations. There  was  very  little  snow,  in  spite  of  there 
being  open  water  in  the  neighbourhood.  We  had 
expected  to  observe  higher  temperatures  in  the  course  of 
the  winter,  but  the  thermometer  remained  very  low. 
During  five  months  temperatures  were  observed  varying 
between  -  58°  and  -  74°  F.  We  had  the  lowest  (  -  74°  F.) 
on  August  18  ;  the  weather  was  calm.  On  August  1 
we  had  —72°  F.  with  a  wind  of  thirteen  miles  an  hour. 
The  mean  temperature  for  the  year  was  —  15°  F.  We 
expected  blizzard  after  blizzard,  but  had  only  two 
moderate  storms.  We  made  many  excellent  observa- 
tions of  the  aurora  australis  in  all  parts  of  the  heavens. 
Our  bill  of  health  was  the  best  possible  throughout  the 
whole  winter.  When  the  sun  returned  on  August  24 
it  shone  upon  men  who  were  healthy  in  mind  and  body, 
and  ready  to  begin  the  task  that  lay  before  them. 

We  had  brought  the  sledges  the  day  before  to  the 
starting-point  of  the  southern  j  ourney.  At  the  beginning 
of  September  the  temperature  rose,  and  it  was  decided 
to  commence  the  journey.  On  September  8  a  party  of 
eight  men  set  out,  with  seven  sledges  and  ninety  dogs, 
provisioned  for  ninety  days.  The  surface  was  excellent, 
and  the  temperature  not  so  bad  as  it  might  have  been. 
But  on  the  following  day  we  saw  that  we  had  started 
too  early.  The  temperature  then  fell,  and  remained 


x  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

for  some  days  between  -58°  and  -75°  F.  Personally 
we  did  not  suffer  at  all,  as  we  had  good  fur  clothing,  but 
with  the  dogs  it  was  another  matter.  They  grew  lanker 
and  lanker  every  day,  and  we  soon  saw  that  they  would 
not  be  able  to  stand  it  in  the  long  run.  At  our  depot 
in  lat.  80°  we  agreed  to  turn  back  and  await  the  arrival 
of  spring.  After  having  stored  our  provisions,  we  re- 
turned to  the  hut.  Excepting  the  loss  of  a  few  dogs 
and  one  or  two  frost-bitten  heels,  all  was  well.  It  was 
not  till  the  middle  of  October  that  the  spring  began  in 
earnest.  Seals  and  birds  were  sighted.  The  temperature 
remained  steady,  between  —  5°  and  —  22°  F. 

Meanwhile  we  had  abandoned  the  original  plan,  by 
which  all  were  to  go  to  the  south.  Five  men  were  to 
do  this,  while  three  others  made  a  trip  to  the  east,  to 
visit  King  Edward  VII.  Land.  This  trip  did  not  form 
part  of  our  programme,  but  as  the  English  did  not  reach 
this  land  last  summer,  as  had  been  their  intention,  we 
agreed  that  it  would  be  best  to  undertake  this  journey 
in  addition. 

On  October  20  the  southern  party  left.  It  consisted 
of  five  men  with  four  sledges  and  fifty-two  dogs,  and 
had  provisions  for  four  months.  Everything  was  in 
excellent  order,  and  we  had  made  up  our  minds  to  take 
it  easy  during  the  first  part  of  the  journey,  so  that  we 
and  the  dogs  might  not  be  too  fatigued,  and  we  there- 
fore decided  to  make  a  little  halt  on  the  22nd  at  the 
depot  that  lay  in  lat.  80°.  However,  we  missed  the 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT  xi 

mark  owing  to  thick  fog,  but  after  two  or  three  miles' 
march  we  found  the  place  again. 

When  we  had  rested  here  and  given  the  dogs  as  much 
seal  meat  as  they  were  able  to  eat,  we  started  again  on 
the  26th.  The  temperature  remained  steady,  between 
-5°  and  -22°F. 

At  first  we  had  made  up  our  minds  not  to  drive  more 
than  twelve  to  eighteen  miles  a  day ;  but  this  proved  to 
be  too  little,  thanks  to  our  strong  and  willing  animals. 
At  lat.  80°  we  began  to  erect  snow  beacons,  about  the 
height  of  a  man,  to  show  us  the  way  home. 

On  the  31st  we  reached  the  depot  in  lat.  81°.  We 
halted  for  a  day  and  fed  the  dogs  on  pemmican.  On 
November  5  we  reached  the  depot  in  82°,  where  for  the 
last  time  the  dogs  got  as  much  to  eat  as  they  could 
manage. 

On  the  8th  we  started  southward  again,  and  now 
made  a  daily  march  of  about  thirty  miles.  In  order  to 
relieve  the  heavily  laden  sledges,  we  formed  a  depot  at 
every  parallel  we  reached.  The  journey  from  lat.  82° 
to  83°  was  a  pure  pleasure-trip,  on  account  of  the  surface 
and  the  temperature,  which  were  as  favourable  as  one 
could  wish.  Everything  went  swimmingly  until  the 
9th,  when  we  sighted  South  Victoria  Land  and  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  mountain-chain,  which  Shackleton  gives 
on  his  map,  running  south-east  from  Beardmore  Glacier. 
On  the  same  day  we  reached  lat.  83°,  and  established 
here  Depot  No.  4. 


xii  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

On  the  llth  we  made  the  interesting  discovery 
that  the  Ross  Barrier  ended  in  an  elevation  on  the 
south-east,  formed  between  a  chain  of  mountains 
running  south-eastward  from  South  Victoria  Land 
and  another  chain  on  the  opposite  side,  which  runs 
south-westward  in  continuation  of  King  Edward  VII. 
Land. 

On  the  13th  we  reached  lat.  84°,  where  we  estab- 
lished a  depot.  On  the  16th  we  got  to  85°,  where 
again  we  formed  a  depot.  From  our  winter  quarters 
at  Framheim  we  had  marched  due  south  the  whole 
time. 

On  November  17,  in  lat.  85°,  we  came  to  a  spot 
where  the  land  barrier  intersected  our  route,  though  for 
the  time  being  this  did  not  cause  us  any  difficulty.  The 
barrier  here  rises  in  the  form  of  a  wave  to  a  height  of 
about  300  feet,  and  its  limit  is  shown  by  a  few  large 
fissures.  Here  we  established  our  main  depot.  We 
took  supplies  for  sixty  days  on  the  sledges  and  left 
behind  enough  provisions  for  thirty  days. 

The  land  under  which  we  now  lay,  and  which  we 
were  to  attack,  looked  perfectly  impossible,  with  peaks 
along  the  barrier  which  rose  to  heights  of  from  2,000  to 
10,000  feet.  Farther  south  we  saw  more  peaks,  of 
15,000  feet  or  higher. 

Next  day  we  began  to  climb.  The  first  part  of  the 
work  was  easy,  as  the  ground  rose  gradually  with 
smooth  snow-slopes  below  the  mountain-side.  Our 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 


Xlll 


dogs  working  well,  it  did  not  take  us  long  to  get  over 
these  slopes. 

At  the  next  point  we  met  with  some  small,  very 
steep  glaciers,  and  here  we  had  to  harness  twenty  dogs 
to  each  sledge  and  take  the  four  sledges  in  two  journeys. 
Some  places  were  so  steep  that  it  was  difficult  to  use 
our  ski.  Several  times  we  were  compelled  by  deep 
crevasses  to  turn  back. 

On  the  first  day  we  climbed  2,000  feet.  The  next 
day  we  crossed  small  glaciers,  and  camped  at  a  height 
of  4,635  feet.  On  the  third  day  we  were  obliged  to 
descend  the  great  Axel  Heiberg  Glacier,  which  separates 
the  mountains  of  the  coast  from  those  farther  south. 

On  the  following  day  the  longest  part  of  our  climbing 
began.  Many  detours  had  to  be  made  to  avoid  broad 
fissures  and  open  crevasses.  Most  of  them  were  filled 
up,  as  in  all  probability  the  glacier  had  long  ago  ceased 
to  move ;  but  we  had  to  be  very  careful,  nevertheless, 
as  we  could  never  know  the  depth  of  snow  that  covered 
them.  Our  camp  that  night  was  in  very  picturesque 
surroundings,  at  a  height  of  about  5,000  feet. 

The  glacier  was  here  imprisoned  between  two  moun- 
tains of  15,000  feet,  which  we  named  after  Fridtjof 
Nansen  and  Don  Pedro  Christophersen. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  glacier  we  saw  Ole  Engelstad's 
great  snow-cone  rising  in  the  air  to  19,000  feet.  The 
glacier  was  much  broken  up  in  this  narrow  defile ; 
enormous  crevasses  seemed  as  if  they  would  stop  our 


xiv  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

going  farther,  but  fortunately  it  was  not  so  bad  as  it 
looked. 

Our  dogs,  which  during  the  last  few  days  had  covered 
a  distance  of  nearly  440  miles,  put  in  a  very  good  piece 
of  work  that  day,  as  they  did  twenty-two  miles  on 
ground  rising  to  5,770  feet.  It  was  an  almost  in- 
credible record.  It  only  took  us  four  days  from  the 
barrier  to  reach  the  immense  inland  plateau.  We 
camped  at  a  height  of  7,600  feet.  Here  we  had  to  kill 
twenty-four  of  our  brave  dogs,  keeping  eighteen — six 
for  each  of  our  three  sledges.  We  halted  here  for  four 
days  on  account  of  bad  weather.  On  November  25  we 
were  tired  of  waiting,  and  started  again.  On  the  26th 
we  were  overtaken  by  a  raging  blizzard.  In  the  thick, 
driving  snow  we  could  see  absolutely  nothing ;  but  we 
felt  that,  contrary  to  what  we  had  expected — namely,  a 
further  ascent — we  were  going  rapidly  downhill.  The 
hypsometer  that  day  showed  a  descent  of  600  feet. 
We  continued  our  march  next  day  in  a  strong  wind 
and  thick,  driving  snow.  Our  faces  were  badly  frozen. 
There  was  no  danger,  but  we  simply  could  see  nothing. 
Next  day,  according  to  our  reckoning,  we  reached 
lat.  86°.  The  hypsometer  showed  a  fall  of  800  feet. 
The  following  day  passed  in  the  same  way.  The 
weather  cleared  up  about  noon,  and  there  appeared  to 
our  astonished  eyes  a  mighty  mountain-range  to  the 
east  of  us,  and  not  far  away.  But  the  vision  only  lasted 
a  moment,  and  then  disappeared  again  in  the  driving 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 


xv 


snow.  On  the  29th  the  weather  became  calmer  and  the 
sun  shone — a  pleasant  surprise.  Our  course  lay  over  a 
great  glacier,  which  ran  in  a  southerly  direction.  On  its 
eastern  side  was  a  chain  of  mountains  running  to  the 
south-east.  We  had  no  view  of  its  western  part,  as  this 
was  lost  in  a  thick  fog.  At  the  foot  of  the  Devil's 
Glacier  we  established  a  depot  in  lat.  86°  21',  calcu- 
lated for  six  days.  The  hypsometer  showed  8,000  feet 
above  sea-level.  On  November  30  we  began  to  ascend 
the  glacier.  The  lower  part  was  much  broken  up  and 
dangerous,  and  the  thin  bridges  of  snow  over  the 
crevasses  often  broke  under  us.  From  our  camp  that 
evening  we  had  a  splendid  view  of  the  mountains  to  the 
east.  Mount  Helmer  Hansen  was  the  most  remarkable 
of  them  all ;  it  was  12,000  feet  high,  and  covered  by  a 
glacier  so  rugged  that  in  all  probability  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  find  foothold  on  it.  Here  were  also 
Mounts  Oskar  Wisting,  Sverre  Hassel,  and  Olav  Bjaa- 
land,  grandly  lighted  up  by  the  rays  of  the  sun.  In  the 
distance,  and  only  visible  from  time  to  time  through  the 
driving  mists,  we  saw  Mount  Thorvald  Nilsen,  with 
peaks  rising  to  15,000  feet.  We  could  only  see  those 
parts  of  them  that  lay  nearest  to  us.  It  took  us  three 
days  to  get  over  the  Devil's  Glacier,  as  the  weather 
was  unusually  misty. 

On  December  1  we  left  the  glacier  in  high  spirits. 
It  was  cut  up  by  innumerable  crevasses  and  holes.  We 
were  now  at  a  height  of  9,370  feet.  In  the  mist  and 


xvi  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

driving  snow  it  looked  as  if  we  had  a  frozen  lake  before 
us ;  but  it  proved  to  be  a  sloping  plateau  of  ice,  full  of 
small  blocks  of  ice.  Our  walk  across  this  frozen  lake 
was  not  pleasant.  The  ground  under  our  feet  was 
evidently  hollow,  and  it  sounded  as  if  we  were  walking 
on  empty  barrels.  First  a  man  fell  through,  then  a 
couple  of  dogs ;  but  they  got  up  again  all  right.  We 
could  not,  of  course,  use  our  ski  on  this  smooth-polished 
ice,  but  we  got  on  fairly  well  with  the  sledges.  We 
called  this  place  the  Devil's  Ballroom.  This  part  of 
our  march  was  the  most  unpleasant  of  the  whole  trip. 
On  December  2  we  reached  our  greatest  elevation. 
According  to  the  hypsometer  and  our  aneroid  barometer 
we  were  at  a  height  of  11,075  feet — this  was  in  lat.  87°  51'. 
On  December  8  the  bad  weather  came  to  an  end,  the 
sun  shone  on  us  once  more,  and  we  were  able  to  take 
our  observations  again.  It  proved  that  the  observations 
and  our  reckoning  of  the  distance  covered  gave  exactly 
the  same  result — namely,  88°  16'  S.  lat.  Before  us  lay 
an  absolutely  flat  plateau,  only  broken  by  small  crevices. 
In  the  afternoon  we  passed  88°  23',  Shackleton's  farthest 
south.  We  pitched  our  camp  in  88°  25',  and  established 
our  last  depot — No.  10.  From  88°  25'  the  plateau 
began  to  descend  evenly  and  very  slowly.  We  reached 
88°  29'  on  December  9.  On  December  10,  88°  56'; 
December  11,  89°  15';  December  12,  89°  30' ;  Decem- 
ber 13,  89°  45'. 

Up  to  this  moment  the  observations  and  our  reckoning 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT  xvii 

had  shown  a  surprising  agreement.  We  reckoned  that 
we  should  be  at  the  Pole  on  December  14.  On  the 
afternoon  of  that  day  we  had  brilliant  weather — a  light 
wind  from  the  south-east  with  a  temperature  of  — 10°  F. 
The  sledges  were  going  very  well.  The  day  passed 
without  any  occurrence  worth  mentioning,  and  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  halted,  as  according  to  our 
reckoning  we  had  reached  our  goal. 

We  all  assembled  about  the  Norwegian  flag  —  a 
handsome  silken  flag — which  we  took  and  planted  all 
together,  and  gave  the  immense  plateau  on  which 
the  Pole  is  situated  the  name  of  "  King  Haakon  VII. 's 
Plateau." 

It  was  a  vast  plain  of  the  same  character  in  every 
direction,  mile  after  mile.  During  the  afternoon  we 
traversed  the  neighbourhood  of  the  camp,  and  on  the 
following  day,  as  the  weather  was  fine,  we  were  occu- 
pied from  six  in  the  morning  till  seven  in  the  evening 
in  taking  observations,  which  gave  us  89°  55'  as  the 
result.  In  order  to  take  observations  as  near  the  Pole 
as  possible,  we  went  on,  as  near  true  south  as  we  could, 
for  the  remaining  9  kilometres.  On  December  16  we 
pitched  our  camp  in  brilliant  sunshine,  with  the  best 
conditions  for  taking  observations.  Four  of  us  took 
observations  every  hour  of  the  day — twenty-four  in  all. 
The  results  of  these  will  be  submitted  to  the  examination 
of  experts. 

We  have  thus  taken  observations  as  near  to  the  Pole 

b 


xviii  THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

as  was  humanly  possible  with  the  instruments  at  our 
disposal.  We  had  a  sextant  and  artificial  horizon  calcu- 
lated for  a  radius  of  8  kilometres. 

On  December  17  we  were  ready  to  go.  We  raised 
on  the  spot  a  little  circular  tent,  and  planted  above  it 
the  Norwegian  flag  and  the  Frams  pennant.  The 
Norwegian  camp  at  the  South  Pole  was  given  the 
name  of  "Polheim."  The  distance  from  our  winter 
quarters  to  the  Pole  was  about  870  English  miles,  so 
that  we  had  covered  on  an  average  15^  miles  a  day. 

We  began  the  return  journey  on  December  17.  The 
weather  was  unusually  favourable,  and  this  made  our 
return  considerably  easier  than  the  march  to  the  Pole. 
We  arrived  at  "Framheim,"  our  winter  quarters,  in 
January,  1912,  with  two  sledges  and  eleven  dogs,  all 
well.  On  the  homeward  journey  we  covered  an  average 
of  22^  miles  a  day.  The  lowest  temperature  we  ob- 
served on  this  trip  was  —24°  F.,  and  the  highest 
+  23°F. 

The  principal  result — besides  the  attainment  of  the 
Pole — is  the  determination  of  the  extent  and  character 
of  the  Ross  Barrier.  Next  to  this,  the  discovery  of  a 
connection  between  South  Victoria  Land  and,  probably, 
King  Edward  VII.  Land  through  their  continuation  in 
huge  mountain-ranges,  which  run  to  the  south-east  and 
were  seen  as  lar  south  as  lat.  88°  8',  but  which  in  all 
probability  are  continued  right  across  the  Antarctic 
Continent.  We  gave  the  name  of  "  Queen  Maud's 


THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT  xix 

Mountains"  to  the  whole  range  of  these  newly  dis- 
covered mountains,  about  530  miles  in  length. 

The  expedition  to  King  Edward  VII.  Land,  under 
Lieutenant  Prestrud,  has  achieved  excellent  results. 
Scott's  discovery  was  confirmed,  and  the  examination  of 
the  Bay  of  Whales  and  the  Ice  Barrier,  which  the  party 
carried  out,  is  of  great  interest.  Good  geological  col- 
lections have  been  obtained  from  King  Edward  VII. 
Land  and  South  Victoria  Land. 

The  Fram  arrived  at  the  Bay  of  Whales  on  January  9, 
having  been  delayed  in  the  "  Roaring  Forties  "  by  easterly 
winds. 

On  January  16  the  Japanese  expedition  arrived  at 
the  Bay  of  Whales,  and  landed  on  the  Barrier  near  our 
winter  quarters. 

We  left  the  Bay  of  Whales  on  January  30.  We  had 
a  long  voyage  on  account  of  contrary  wind. 

We  are  all  in  the  best  of  health. 


ROALD  AMUNDSEN. 


HOBART, 

March  8,  1912. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I 


CHAPTER 

THE  FIRST  ACCOUNT 

INTRODUCTION,   BY  FRIDTJOF  NANSEN 

I.   THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 
II.   PLAN   AND   PREPARATIONS    - 

III.  ON   THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

IV.  FROM   MADEIRA  TO  THE   BARRIER    - 
V.    ON   THE  BARRIER      - 

VI.  DEPOT   JOURNEYS      - 

VII.  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER       - 

VIII.  A  DAY   AT  FRAMHEIM 

IX.  THE   END   OF  THE  WINTER  - 


PAUH 

vii 
xxvii 

1 

42 
90 
126 
169 
206 
259 
283 
346 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOL.  I 


TO  FACE  PAGE 

ROALD   AMUNDSEN  Frontispiece 

APPROXIMATE     BIRD'S  -  EYE     VIEW,     DRAWN     FROM  THE     FIRST 

TELEGRAPHIC  ACCOUNT           -  1 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  DAILY  CHRONICLE 

THE  OPENING  OF  ROALD  AMUNDSEN'S   MANUSCRIPT  -                -  1 

HELMER     HANSSEN,     ICE     PILOT,     A     MEMBER      OF  THE     POLAR 

PARTY  -  50 

THE  "FRAM'S"  PIGSTY  -  .  60 

THE  PIG'S  TOILET  -  60 

HOISTING  THE  FLAG       -  -  90 

A  PATIENT  -  90 

SOME  MEMBERS  OF  THE  EXPEDITION      -  -  92 

SVERRE  HASSEL  -  -  10.1 

OSCAR  WISTING  -  -  102 

IN  THE  NORTH-EAST  TRADES  -  130 

IN  THE  RIGGING  -  134 

TAKING  AN   OBSERVATION  -  134 

RONNE   FELT  SAFER  WHEN   THE  DOGS   WERE   MUZZLED    -  -  136 

STARBOARD  WATCH  ON   THE  BRIDGE         -  -  136 

OLAV   BJAALAND,    A   MEMBER  OF  THE   POLAR  PARTY  -                 -  136 
IN    THE    ABSENCE    OF    LADY   PARTNERS,    RONNE    TAKES    A    TURN 

WITH   THE   DOGS        -  -  148 

AN   ALBATROSS     -  -  150 

IN  WARMER   REGIONS        -  -  150 

xxiii 


xxiv    LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOL.  I 

TO   FACE   PAGE 

A  FRESH  BREEZE  IN  THE  WEST  WIND  BELT      -  152 

THE  PROPELLER  LIFTED  IN  THE  WESTERLIES     -  -    154 

THE  "FRAM'S"  SALOON  DECORATED  FOR  CHRISTMAS  EVE  -    158 
RONNE  AT  A  SAILOR'S  JOB  162 

THE  "FRAM"  IN  DRIFT-ICE  162 

DRIFT-ICE  IN  ROSS  SEA  -  168 

A  CLEVER  METHOD  OF  LANDING  170 

THE  "FRAM"  UNDER  SAIL  -     170 

CAPE  MAN'S  HEAD  ON  THE  BARRIER      -  -    174 

SEAL-HUNTING    -  -    176 
THE  "FRAM"  176 

THE  CREW  OF  THE  "FRAM"  IN  THE  BAY  OF  WHALES  -  -    178 

THE  "FRAM"  IN  THE  BAY  OF  WHALES  -    178 

THE  FIRST  DOG-CAMP     -  -    180 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS 

DIGGING  THE  FOUNDATIONS   OF  FRAMHEIM  -      184 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  tlie  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS 

BUILDING  THE   HUT  -      186 
UNLOADING  :    THE   SIX  SLEDGE-DRIVERS  -  186 

POLAR  TRANSPORT  -      192 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS 

PENGUINS  -  -      192 

THE   PROVISION   STORE     -  -      192 

FRAMHEIM,   JANUARY,    1911  194 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS 

SUGGEN,   ARNE,    AND   THE  COLONEL  -      196 

MIKKEL,    RAVN,   AND   MAS-MAS     -  -      196 
FRAMHEIM,   FEBRUARY,    1911        -  206 

PRESTRUD   IN   WINTER   DRESS       -  -      208 

BJAALAND   IN   WINTER  DRESS       -  -      208 
THE   "  FRAM "  VETERAN,   LINDSTROM  :   THE   ONLY   MAN   WHO   HAS 

SAILED   ROUND  THE   CONTINENT  OF  AMERICA  -  -      208 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOL.  I     xxv 

TO  FACE   PAGE 

THE  START  OF  THE  FIRST  DEPOT  JOURNEY  -      208 
A  PAGE  FROM  THE  SLEDGE  DIARY,  GIVING  DETAILS  OF  DEPOTS  I. 

AND   II.           -  -      230 

FRAMHEIM,    MARCH,    1911  -      248 

KILLING  SEALS   FOR  THE  DEPOT  -      254 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS 

THE  MEAT  TENT  -  264 

THE  METEOROLOGICAL  SCREEN  -  266 

INSIDE  A  DOG-TENT  •  266 

A  WINTER  EVENING  AT  FRAMHEIM  •  272 

THE  CARPENTERS'  SHOP  -  -  272 

ENTRANCE  TO  THE  HUT  -  -  272 

ENTRANCE  TO  THE  WESTERN  WORKSHOP  -  272 

PRESTRUD  IN  HIS  OBSERVATORY  -  272 

WISTING  AT  THE  SEWING-MACHINE  -      278 

PACKING  SLEDGES  IN  THE    "  CRYSTAL  PALACE  "  -      278 

LINDSTROM  WITH  THE  BUCKWHEAT  CAKES  -      298 

ON   HIS    "  NATIVE  HEATH  "  :    A  DOG  ON   THE  BARRIER  ICE  -      304 

DOGS  EXERCISING  -      308 

HELMER  HANSSEN   ON   A   SEAL-HUNT         -  -      308 

HANSSEN  AND  WISTING  LASHING  THE  NEW  SLEDGES       -  -      312 

PASSAGE  IN  THE  ICE         -  -      312 
JOHANSEN   PACKING  PROVISIONS  IN   THE    "CRYSTAL  PALACE"     -      322 

A  CORNER  OF  THE   KITCHEN         -  -      322 

STUBBERUD   TAKING  IT  EASY        -  -      322 

JOHANSEN   PACKING  BISCUITS  IN   THE    "CRYSTAL  PALACE"  -      322 

HASSEL  AND  THE  VAPOUR-BATH  -      330 

MIDWINTER  DAY,    JUNE,    1911      -  -      362 

OUR  SKI-BINDING  IN   ITS  FINAL  FORM      -  -      362 

AT  WORK  ON   PERSONAL  OUTFIT  -      364 
TRYING   ON   PATENT   GOGGLES       -                -                 ...      368 


xxvi     LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOL.  I 

TO    FACE   PAOK 

HASSEL  IN  THE  OIL-STORE  -  368 
DEEP  IN  THOUGHT  -  372 
FUNCHO  -  -  372 
THE  LOADED  SLEDGES  IN  THE  CLOTHING  STORE  374 
SLEDGES  READY  FOR  USE  BEING  HAULED  OUT  OF  THE  STORE- 
ROOM -  374 
AT  THE  DEPOT  IN  LAT.  80°  S.  -  384 

Reproduced  by  permission  of  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS. 

SOME  OF  THE  LAND   PARTY   IN  WINTER  COSTUME  -  390 


GENERAL  MAP  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLAR  REGION     -  At  end  of  Volume 


INTRODUCTION 

WHEN  the  explorer  comes  home  victorious,  everyone 
goes  out  to  cheer  him.  We  are  all  proud  of  his 
achievement — proud  on  behalf  of  the  nation  and  of 
humanity.  We  think  it  is  a  new  feather  in  our  cap, 
and  one  we  have  come  by  cheaply. 

How  many  of  those  who  join  in  the  cheering  were 
there  when  the  expedition  was  fitting  out,  when  it  was 
short  of  bare  necessities,  when  support  and  assistance 
were  most  urgently  wanted  ?  Was  there  then  any  race 
to  be  first?  At  such  a  time  the  leader  has  usually 
found  himself  almost  alone ;  too  often  he  has  had  to 
confess  that  his  greatest  difficulties  were  those  he  had 
to  overcome  at  home  before  he  could  set  sail.  So  it 
was  with  Columbus,  and  so  it  has  been  with  many  since 
his  time. 

So  it  was,  too,  with  Roald  Amundsen — not  only  the 
first  time,  when  he  sailed  in  the  Gjoa  with  the  double 
object  of  discovering  the  Magnetic  North  Pole  and  of 
making  the  North- West  Passage,  but  this  time  again, 
when  in  1910  he  left  the  fjord  on  his  great  expedition 

xxvii 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION 

in  the  Pram,  to  drift  right  across  the  North  Polar  Sea. 
What  anxieties  that  man  has  gone  through,  which  might 
have  been  spared  him  if  there  had  been  more  apprecia- 
tion on  the  part  of  those  who  had  it  in  their  power  to 
make  things  easier !  And  Amundsen  had  then  shown 
what  stuff  he  was  made  of:  both  the  great  objects  of 
the  GJOOLS  expedition  were  achieved.  He  has  always 
reached  the  goal  he  has  aimed  at,  this  man  who  sailed 
his  little  yacht  over  the  whole  Arctic  Ocean,  round  the 
north  of  America,  on  the  course  that  had  been  sought 
in  vain  for  four  hundred  years.  If  he  staked  his  life 
and  abilities,  would  it  not  have  been  natural  if  we  had 
been  proud  of  having  such  a  man  to  support  ? 

But  was  it  so  ? 

For  a  long  time  he  struggled  to  complete  his  equip- 
ment. Money  was  still  lacking,  and  little  interest  was 
shown  in  him  and  his  work,  outside  the  few  who  have 
always  helped  so  far  as  was  in  their  power.  He  himself 
gave  everything  he  possessed  in  the  world.  But  this 
time,  as  last,  he  nevertheless  had  to  put  to  sea  loaded 
with  anxieties  and  debts,  and,  as  before,  he  sailed  out 
quietly  on  a  summer  night. 

Autumn  was  drawing  on.  One  day  there  came  a 
letter  from  him.  In  order  to  raise  the  money  he  could 
not  get  at  home  for  his  North  Polar  expedition  he  was 
going  to  the  South  Pole  first.  People  stood  still — did 
not  know  what  to  say.  This  was  an  unheard-of  thing, 
to  make  for  the  North  Pole  by  way  of  the  South  Pole ! 


INTRODUCTION 


XXIX 


To  make  such  an  immense  and  entirely  new  addition 
to  his  plans  without  asking  leave !  Some  thought  it 
grand  ;  more  thought  it  doubtful ;  but  there  were  many 
who  cried  out  that  it  was  inadmissible,  disloyal — nay, 
there  were  some  who  wanted  to  have  him  stopped. 
But  nothing  of  this  reached  him.  He  had  steered  his 
course  as  he  himself  had  set  it,  without  looking  back. 

Then  by  degrees  it  was  forgotten,  and  everyone  went 
on  with  his  own  affairs.  The  mists  were  upon  us  day 
after  day,  week  after  week — the  mists  that  are  kind  to 
little  men  and  swallow  up  all  that  is  great  and  towers 
above  them. 

Suddenly  a  bright  spring  day  cuts  through  the  bank 
of  fog.  There  is  a  new  message.  People  stop  again 
and  look  up.  High  above  them  shines  a  deed,  a  man. 
A  wave  of  joy  runs  through  the  souls  of  men ;  their 
eyes  are  bright  as  the  flags  that  wave  about  them. 

Why?  On  account  of  the  great  geographical  dis- 
coveries, the  important  scientific  results  ?  Oh  no  ;  that 
will  come  later,  for  the  few  specialists.  This  is  some- 
thing all  can  understand.  A  victory  of  human  mind 
and  human  strength  over  the  dominion  and  powers  of 
Nature ;  a  deed  that  lifts  us  above  the  grey  monotony 
of  daily  life ;  a  view  over  shining  plains,  with  lofty 
mountains  against  the  cold  blue  sky,  and  lands  covered 
by  ice-sheets  of  inconceivable  extent ;  a  vision  of  long- 
vanished  glacial  times ;  the  triumph  of  the  living  over 
the  stiffened  realm  of  death.  There  is  a  ring  of  steeled, 


xxx  INTRODUCTION 

purposeful  human  will — through  icy  frosts,  snowstorms, 
and  death. 

For  the  victory  is  not  due  to  the  great  inventions  of 
the  present  day  and  the  many  new  appliances  of  every 
kind.  The  means  used  are  of  immense  antiquity,  the 
same  as  were  known  to  the  nomad  thousands  of  years 
ago,  when  he  pushed  forward  across  the  snow-covered 
plains  of  Siberia  and  Northern  Europe.  But  every- 
thing, great  and  small,  was  thoroughly  thought  out, 
and  the  plan  was  splendidly  executed.  It  is  the  man 
that  matters,  here  as  everywhere. 

Like  everything  great,  it  all  looks  so  plain  and 
simple.  Of  course,  that  is  just  as  it  had  to  be,  we 
think. 

Apart  from  the  discoveries  and  experiences  of  earlier 
explorers — which,  of  course,  were  a  necessary  condition 
of  success — both  the  plan  and  its  execution  are  the  ripe 
fruit  of  Norwegian  life  and  experience  in  ancient  and 
modern  times.  The  Norwegians'  daily  winter  life  in 
snow  and  frost,  our  peasants'  constant  use  of  ski  and 
ski-sledge  in  forest  and  mountain,  our  sailors'  yearly 
whaling  and  sealing  life  in  the  Polar  Sea,  our  explorers' 
journeys  in  the  Arctic  regions — it  was  all  this,  with 
the  dog  as  a  draught  animal  borrowed  from  the  primi- 
tive races,  that  formed  the  foundation  of  the  plan 
and  rendered  its  execution  possible — when  the  man 
appeared. 

Therefore,  when  the   man  is   there,  it   carries   him 


INTRODUCTION 


XXXI 


through  all  difficulties  as  if  they  did  not  exist ;  every 
one  of  them  has  been  foreseen  and  encountered  in 
advance.  Let  no  one  come  and  prate  about  luck  and 
chance.  Amundsen's  luck  is  that  of  the  strong  man 
who  looks  ahead. 

How  like  him  and  the  whole  expedition  is  his 
telegram  home — as  simple  and  straightforward  as  if  it 
concerned  a  holiday  tour  in  the  mountains.  It  speaks 
of  what  is  achieved,  not  of  their  hardships.  Every  word 
a  manly  one.  That  is  the  mark  of  the  right  man,  quiet 
and  strong. 

It  is  still  too  early  to  measure  the  extent  of  the  new 
discoveries,  but  the  cablegram  has  already  dispersed  the 
mists  so  far  that  the  outlines  are  beginning  to  shape 
themselves.  That  fairyland  of  ice,  so  different  from  all 
other  lands,  is  gradually  rising  out  of  the  clouds. 

In  this  wonderful  world  of  ice  Amundsen  has  found 
his  own  way.  From  first  to  last  he  and  his  companions 
have  traversed  entirely  unknown  regions  on  their  ski, 
and  there  are  not  many  expeditions  in  history  that  have 
brought  under  the  foot  of  man  so  long  a  range  of 
country  hitherto  unseen  by  human  eye.  People  thought 
it  a  matter  of  course  that  he  would  make  for  Beardmore 
Glacier,  which  Shackleton  had  discovered,  and  by  that 
route  come  out  on  to  the  high  snow  plateau  near  the 
Pole,  since  there  he  would  be  sure  of  getting  forward. 
We  who  knew  Amundsen  thought  it  would  be  more 


xxxii  INTRODUCTION 

like  him  to  avoid  a  place  for  the  very  reason  that  it  had 
been  trodden  by  others.     Happily  we  were  right.     Not 
at  any  point  does  his  route  touch  that  of  the  Englishmen    \ 
—except  by  the  Pole  itself. 

This  is  a  great  gain  to  research.  When  in  a  year's 
time  we  have  Captain  Scott  back  safe  and  sound  with 
all  his  discoveries  and  observations  on  the  other  route, 
Amundsen's  results  will  greatly  increase  in  value,  since 
the  conditions  will  then  be  illuminated  from  two  sides. 
The  simultaneous  advance  towards  the  Pole  from  two 
separate  points  was  precisely  the  most  fortunate  thing 
that  could  happen  for  science.  The  region  investigated 
becomes  so  much  greater,  the  discoveries  so  many  more, 
and  the  importance  of  the  observations  is  more  than 
doubled,  often  multiplied  many  times.  Take,  for  in- 
stance, the  meteorological  conditions :  a  single  series 
of  observations  from  one  spot  no  doubt  has  its  value, 
but  if  we  get  a  simultaneous  series  from  another  spot 
in  the  same  region,  the  value  of  both  becomes  very 
much  greater,  because  we  then  have  an  opportunity 
of  understanding  the  movements  of  the  atmosphere. 
And  so  with  other  investigations.  Scott's  expedition 
will  certainly  bring  back  rich  and  important  results  in 
many  departments,  but  the  value  of  his  observations 
will  also  be  enhanced  when  placed  side  by  side  with 
Amundsen's. 

An  important  addition  to  Amundsen's  expedition  to 
the  Pole  is  the  sledge  journey  of  Lieutenant  Prestrud  and 


INTRODUCTION 


xxxm 


his  two  companions  eastward  to  the  unknown  King 
Edward  VII.  Land,  which  Scott  discovered  in  1902. 
It  looks  rather  as  if  this  land  was  connected  with  the 
masses  of  land  and  immense  mountain -chains  that 
Amundsen  found  near  the  Pole.  We  see  new  problems 
looming  up. 

But  it  was  not  only  these  journeys  over  ice-sheets  and 
mountain-ranges  that  were  carried  out  in  masterly 
fashion.  Our  gratitude  is  also  due  to  Captain  Nilsen 
and  his  men.  They  brought  the  Fram  backwards  and 
forwards,  twice  each  way,  through  those  ice -filled 
southern  waters  that  many  experts  even  held  to  be 
so  dangerous  that  the  Fram  would  not  be  able  to  come 
through  them,  and  on  both  trips  this  was  done  with  the 
speed  and  punctuality  of  a  ship  on  her  regular  route. 
The  Frams  builder,  the  excellent  Colin  Archer,  has 
reason  to  be  proud  of  the  way  in  which  his  "  child  "  has 
performed  her  latest  task — this  vessel  that  has  been 
farthest  north  and  farthest  south  on  our  globe.  But 
Captain  Nilsen  and  the  crew  of  the  Fram  have  done 
more  than  this  ;  they  have  carried  out  a  work  of  research 
which  in  scientific  value  may  be  compared  with  what 
their  comrades  have  accomplished  in  the  unknown  world 
of  ice,  although  most  people  will  not  be  able  to  recognize 
this.  While  Amundsen  and  his  companions  were  passing 
the  winter  in  the  South,  Captain  Nilsen,  in  the  From, 
investigated  the  ocean  between  South  America  and 
Africa.  At  no  fewer  than  sixty  stations  they  took  a 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION 

number  of  temperatures,  samples  of  water,  and  speci- 
mens of  the  plankton  in  this  little-known  region,  to  a 
depth  of  2,000  fathoms  and  more.  They  thus  made  the 
first  two  sections  that  have  ever  been  taken  of  the  South 
Atlantic,  and  added  new  regions  of  the  unknown  ocean 
depths  to  human  knowledge.  The  Frams  sections  are 
the  longest  and  most  complete  that  are  known  in  any 
part  of  the  ocean. 

Would  it  be  unreasonable  if  those  who  have  endured 
and  achieved  so  much  had  now  come  home  to  rest? 
But  Amundsen  points  onward.  So  much  for  that ;  now 
for  the  real  object.  Next  year  his  course  will  be  through 
Behring  Strait  into  the  ice  and  frost  and  darkness  of  the 
North,  to  drift  right  across  the  North  Polar  Sea — five 
years,  at  least.  It  seems  almost  superhuman ;  but  he 
is  the  man  for  that,  too.  Fram  is  his  ship,  "forward" 
is  his  motto,  and  he  will  come  through.*  He  will  carry 
out  his  main  expedition,  the  one  that  is  now  before 
him,  as  surely  and  steadily  as  that  he  has  just  come 
from. 

But  while  we  are  waiting,  let  us  rejoice  over  what  has 
already  been  achieved.  Let  us  follow  the  narrow  sledge- 
tracks  that  the  little  black  dots  of  dogs  and  men  have 
drawn  across  the  endless  white  surface  down  there  in 
the  South — like  a  railroad  of  exploration  into  the  heart 
of  the  unknown.  The  wind  in  its  everlasting  flight 

*  Fram  means  " forward/'  "out  of,"  "through," — TR. 


INTRODUCTION  xxxv 

sweeps  over  these  tracks  in  the  desert  of  snow.  Soon 
all  will  be  blotted  out. 

But  the  rails  of  science  are  laid  ;  our  knowledge  is 
richer  than  before. 

And    the   light   of   the   achievement   shines   for   all 

time. 

FRIDTJOF  NANSEN. 

LYSAKER, 

May  3,  1912. 


APPROXIMATE    BIRD'S-EYE   VIEW,    DRAWN   FROM    THE    FIRST    TELEGRAPHIC   ACCOUNT. 

To, face  page  1,  Vol.  I. 


\ 


s  p 


v     , 


THE    OPENING   OF   ROALD   AMUNDSEN'S    MANUSCRIPT. 


To  /kce  iw^e  1,  ^oL  /. 


THE    SOUTH    POLE 


CHAPTER  I* 

THE    HISTORY   OF   THE    SOUTH    POLE 

"  Life  is  a  ball 
In  the  hands  of  chance." 

BRISBANE, 

QUEENSLAND, 

April  13,  1912. 

HERE  I  am,  sitting  in  the  shade  of  palms,  surrounded 
by  the  most  wonderful  vegetation,  enjoying  the  most 
magnificent  fruits,  and  writing— the  history  of  the  South 
Pole.  What  an  infinite  distance  seems  to  separate  that 
region  from  these  surroundings!  And  yet  it  is  only 
four  months  since  my  gallant  comrades  and  I  reached 
the  coveted  spot. 

/  write  the  history  of  the  South  Pole  !  If  anyone 
had  hinted  a  word  of  anything  of  the  sort  four  or  five 
years  ago,  I  should  have  looked  upon  him  as  incurably 
mad.  And  yet  the  madman  would  have  been  right. 

:  This  retrospective  chapter  has  here  been  greatly  condensed,  as  the 
ground  is  already  covered,  for  English  readers,  by  Dr.  H.  R.  Mill's 
" The  Siege  of  the  South  Pole,"  Sir  Ernest  Shackleton's  "The  Heart 
of  the  Antarctic/'  and  other  works. — TR. 
VOL.  I. 


2     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

One  circumstance  has  followed  on  the  heels  of  another, 
and  everything  has  turned  out  so  entirely  different  from 
what  I  had  imagined. 

On  December  14, 1911,  five  men  stood  at  the  southern 
end  of  our  earth's  axis,  planted  the  Norwegian  flag  there, 
and  named  the  region  after  the  man  for  whom  they  would 
all  gladly  have  offered  their  lives — King  Haakon  VII. 
Thus  the  veil  was  torn  aside  for  all  time,  and  one  of  the 
greatest  of  our  earth's  secrets  had  ceased  to  exist. 

Since  I  was  one  of  the  five  who,  on  that  December 
afternoon,  took  part  in  this  unveiling,  it  has  fallen  to  my 
lot  to  write — the  history  of  the  South  Pole. 

Antarctic  exploration  is  very  ancient.  Even  before 
our  conception  of  the  earth's  form  had  taken  definite 
shape,  voyages  to  the  South  began.  It  is  true  that  not 
many  of  the  explorers  of  those  distant  times  reached 
what  we  now  understand  by  the  Antarctic  regions,  but 
still  the  intention  and  the  possibility  were  there,  and 
justify  the  name  of  Antarctic  exploration.  The  motive 
force  of  these  undertakings  was — as  has  so  often  been 
the  case — the  hope  of  gain.  Rulers  greedy  of  power 
saw  in  their  mind's  eye  an  increase  of  their  possessions. 
Men  thirsting  for  gold  dreamed  of  an  unsuspected  wealth 
of  the  alluring  metal.  Enthusiastic  missionaries  rejoiced 
at  the  thought  of  a  multitude  of  lost  sheep.  The  scienti- 
fically trained  world  waited  modestly  in  the  background. 
But  they  have  all  had  their  share  :  politics,  trade,  religion, 
and  science. 


THE  EARLIEST  EXPLORERS  3 

The  history  of  Antarctic  discovery  may  be  divided 
at  the  outset  into  two  categories.  In  the  first  of  these 
I  would  include  the  numerous  voyagers  who,  without 
any  definite  idea  of  the  form  or  conditions  of  the  southern 
hemisphere,  set  their  course  toward  the  South,  to  make 
what  landfall  they  could.  These  need  only  be  mentioned 
briefly  before  passing  to  the  second  group,  that  of 
Antarctic  travellers  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term, 
who,  with  a  knowledge  of  the  form  of  the  earth,  set  out 
across  the  ocean,  aiming  to  strike  the  Antarctic  monster 
—in  the  heart,  if  fortune  favoured  them. 

We  must  always  remember  with  gratitude  and  admir- 
ation the  first  sailors  who  steered  their  vessels  through 
storms  and  mists,  and  increased  our  knowledge  of  the 
lands  of  ice  in  the  South.  People  of  the  present  day, 
who  are  so  well  supplied  with  information  about  the 
most  distant  parts  of  the  earth,  and  have  all  our  modern 
means  of  communication  at  their  command,  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  understand  the  intrepid  courage  that  is  implied 
by  the  voyages  of  these  men. 

They  shaped  their  course  toward  the  dark  unknown, 
constantly  exposed  to  being  engulfed  and  destroyed  by 
the  vague,  mysterious  dangers  that  lay  in  wait  for 
them  somewhere  in  that  dim  vastness. 

The  beginnings  were  small,  but  by  degrees  much  was 
won.  One  stretch  of  country  after  another  was  dis- 
covered and  subjected  to  the  power  of  man.  Knowledge 
of  the  appearance  of  our  globe  became  ever  greater  and 


4     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

took  more  definite  shape.     Our  gratitude  to  these  first 
discoverers  should  be  profound. 

And  yet  even  to-day  we  hear  people  ask  in  surprise  : 
What  is  the  use  of  these  voyages  of  exploration  ?  What 
good  do  they  do  us  ?  Little  brains,  I  always  answer 
to  myself,  have  only  room  for  thoughts  of  bread  and 
butter. 

The  first  name  on  the  roll  of  discovery  is  that  of 
Prince  Henry  of  Portugal,  surnamed  the  Navigator, 
who  is  ever  to  be  remembered  as  the  earliest  promoter 
of  geographical  research.  To  his  efforts  was  due  the 
first  crossing  of  the  Equator,  about  1470. 

With  Bartholomew  Diaz  another  great  step  in  advance 
was  made.  Sailing  from  Lisbon  in  1487,  he  reached 
Algoa  Bay,  and  without  doubt  passed  the  fortieth  parallel 
on  his  southward  voyage. 

Vasco  da  Gama's  voyage  of  1497  is  too  well  known 
to  need  description.  After  him  came  men  like  Cabral 
and  Vespucci,  who  increased  our  knowledge,  and  de 
Gonneville,  who  added  to  the  romance  of  exploration. 

We  then  meet  with  the  greatest  of  the  older  ex- 
plorers, Ferdinand  Magellan,  a  Portuguese  by  birth, 
though  sailing  in  the  service  of  Spain.  Setting  out  in 
1519,  he  discovered  the  connection  between  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  Oceans  in  the  strait  that  bears  his  name. 
No  one  before  him  had  penetrated  so  far  South — to 
about  lat.  52°  S.  One  of  his  ships,  the  Victoria, 


DRAKE  AND  GERRITSZ  5 

accomplished  the  first  circumnavigation  of  the  world, 
and  thus  established  in  the  popular  mind  the  fact  that 
the  earth  was  really  round.  From  that  time  the  idea 
of  the  Antarctic  regions  assumed  definite  shape.  There 
must  be  something  in  the  South  :  whether  land  or  water 
the  future  was  to  determine. 

In  1578  we  come  to  the  renowned  English  seaman, 
Sir  Francis  Drake.  Though  he  was  accounted  a  buc- 
caneer, we  owe  him  honour  for  the  geographical  dis- 
coveries he  made.  He  rounded  Cape  Horn  and  proved 
that  Tierra  del  Fuego  was  a  great  group  of  islands  and 
not  part  of  an  Antarctic  continent,  as  many  had  thought. 

The  Dutchman,  Dirk  Gerritsz,  who  took  part  in  a 
plundering  expedition  to  India  in  1599  by  way  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  is  said  to  have  been  blown  out  of 
his  course  after  passing  the  straits,  and  to  have  found 
himself  in  lat.  64°  S.  under  high  land  covered  with 
snow.  This  has  been  assumed  to  be  the  South  Shetland 
Islands,  but  the  account  of  the  voyage  is  open  to  doubt. 

In  the  seventeenth  century  we  have  the  discoveries 
of  Tasman,  and  towards  its  close  English  adventurers 
reported  having  reached  high  latitudes  in  the  South 
Atlantic. 

The  English  Astronomer  Royal,  Halley,  undertook  a 
scientific  voyage  to  the  South  in  1699  for  the  purpose  of 
making  magnetic  observations,  and  met  with  ice  in  52°  S., 
from  which  latitude  he  returned  to  the  north. 

The  Frenchman,  Bouvet  (1738),  was  the  first^to  follow 


6     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

the  southern  ice-pack  for  any  considerable  distance,  and 
to  bring  reports  of  the  immense,  flat-topped  Antarctic 
icebergs. 

In  1756  the  Spanish  trading-ship  Leon  came  home 
and  reported  high,  snow-covered  land  in  lat.  55°  S.  to 
the  east  of  Cape  Horn.  The  probability  is  that  this 
was  what  we  now  know  by  the  name  of  South  Georgia. 
The  Frenchman,  Marion-Dufresne,  discovered,  in  1772, 
the  Marion  and  Crozet  Islands.  In  the  same  year 
Joseph  de  Kerguelen-Tremarec — another  Frenchman 
— reached  Kerguelen  Land. 

This  concludes  the  series  of  expeditions  that  I  have 
thought  it  proper  to  class  in  the  first  group.  "  Antarc- 
tica," the  sixth  continent  itself,  still  lay  unseen  and 
untrodden.  But  human  courage  and  intelligence  were 
now  actively  stirred  to  lift  the  veil  and  reveal  the  many 
secrets  that  were  concealed  within  the  Antarctic  Circle. 

Captain  James  Cook — one  of  the  boldest  and  most 
capable  seamen  the  world  has  known — opens  the  series 
of  Antarctic  expeditions  properly  so  called.  The  British 
Admiralty  sent  him  out  with  orders  to  discover  the 
great  southern  continent,  or  prove  that  it  did  not  exist. 
The  expedition,  consisting  of  two  ships,  the  Resolution 
and  the  Adventure,  left  Plymouth  on  July  13,  1772. 
After  a  short  stay  at  Madeira  it  reached  Cape  Town  on 
October  30.  Here  Cook  received  news  of  the  discovery 
of  Kerguelen  and  of  the  Marion  and  Crozet  Islands. 
In  the  course  of  his  voyage  to  the  south  Cook  passed 


CAPTAIN  COOK 

300  miles  to  the  south  of  the  land  reported  by  Bouvet, 
and  thereby  established  the  fact  that  the  land  in  ques- 
tion— if  it  existed — was  not  continuous  with  the  great 
southern  continent. 

On  January  17, 1773,  the  Antarctic  Circle  was  crossed 
for  the  first  time — a  memorable  day  in  the  annals  of 
Antarctic  exploration.  Shortly  afterwards  a  solid  pack 
was  encountered,  and  Cook  was  forced  to  return  to  the 
north.  A  course  was  laid  for  the  newly  discovered 
islands — Kerguelen,  Marion,  and  the  Crozets — and  it 
was  proved  that  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  great 
southern  land.  In  the  course  of  his  further  voyages  in 
Antarctic  waters  Cook  completed  the  most  southerly 
circumnavigation  of  the  globe,  and  showed  that  there 
was  no  connection  between  any  of  the  lands  or  islands 
that  had  been  discovered  and  the  great  mysterious 
"  Antarctica."  His  highest  latitude  (January  30,  1774) 
was  71°  10'  S. 

Cook's  voyages  had  important  commercial  results,  as 
his  reports  of  the  enormous  number  of  seals  round  South 
Georgia  brought  many  sealers,  both  English  and  Amer- 
ican, to  those  waters,  and  these  sealers,  in  turn,  in- 
creased the  field  of  geographical  discovery. 

In  1819  the  discovery  of  the  South  Shetlands  by  the 
Englishman,  Captain  William  Smith,  is  to  be  recorded. 
And  this  discovery  led  to  that  of  the  Palmer  Archipelago 
to  the  south  of  them. 

The  next  scientific  expedition  to  the  Antarctic  regions 


8     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

was  that  despatched  by  the  Emperor  Alexander  I. 
of  Russia,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Thaddeus 
von  Bellingshausen.  It  was  composed  of  two  ships, 
and  sailed  from  Cronstadt  on  July  15,  1819.  To  this 
expedition  belongs  the  honour  of  having  discovered  the 
first  land  to  the  south  of  the  Antarctic  Circle — Peter  I. 
Island  and  Alexander  I.  Land. 

The  next  star  in  the  Antarctic  firmament  is  the 
British  seaman,  James  Weddell.  He  made  two 
voyages  in  a  sealer  of  160  tons,  the  Jane  of  Leith, 
in  1819  and  1822,  being  accompanied  on  the  second 
occasion  by  the  cutter  Beaufoy.  In  February,  1823, 
Weddell  had  the  satisfaction  of  beating  Cook's  record  by 
reaching  a  latitude  of  74°  15'  S.  in  the  sea  now  known 
as  Weddell  Sea,  which  in  that  year  was  clear  of  ice. 

The  English  firm  of  shipowners,  Enderby  Brothers, 
plays  a  not  unimportant  part  in  Antarctic  exploration. 
The  Enderbys  had  carried  on  sealing  in  southern  waters 
since  1785.  They  were  greatly  interested,  not  only  in 
the  commercial,  but  also  in  the  scientific  results  of  these 
voyages,  and  chose  their  captains  accordingly.  In  1830 
the  firm  sent  out  John  Biscoe  on  a  sealing  voyage  in 
the  Antarctic  Ocean  with  the  brig  Tula  and  the  cutter 
Lively.  The  result  of  this  voyage  was  the  sighting  of 
Enderby  Land  in  lat.  66°  25'  S.,  long.  49°  18'  E.  In 
the  following  year  Adelaide,  Biscoe,  and  Pitt  Islands, 
on  the  west  coast  of  Graham  Land  were  charted,  and 
Graham  Land  itself  was  seen  for  the  first  time. 


DUMONT  D'URVILLE  9 

Kemp,  another  of  Enderby's  skippers,  reported  land 
in  lat.  66°  S.,  and  about  long.  60°  E. 

In  1839  yet  another  skipper  of  the  same  firm,  John 
Balleny,  in  the  schooner  Eliza  Scott,  discovered  the 
Balleny  Islands. 

We  then  come  to  the  celebrated  French  sailor, 
Admiral  Jules  Sdbastien  Dumont  d'Urville.  He  left 
Toulon  in  September,  1837,  with  a  scientifically 
equipped  expedition,  in  the  ships  Astrolabe  and  Zelee. 
The  intention  was  to  follow  in  Weddell's  track,  and 
endeavour  to  carry  the  French  flag  still  nearer  to  the 
Pole.  Early  in  1838  Louis  Philippe  Land  and  Joinville 
Island  were  discovered  and  named.  Two  years  later 
we  again  find  d'Urville's  vessels  in  Antarctic  waters, 
with  the  object  of  investigating  the  magnetic  conditions 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  South  Magnetic  Pole.  Land  was 
discovered  in  lat.  66°  30'  S.  and  long.  138°  21'  E.  With 
the  exception  of  a  few  bare  islets,  the  whole  of  this  land 
was  completely  covered  with  snow.  It  was  given  the 
name  of  Adelie  Land,  and  a  part  of  the  ice-barrier  lying 
to  the  west  of  it  was  called  Cote  Clarie,  on  the  supposi- 
tion that  it  must  envelop  a  line  of  coast. 

The  American  naval  officer,  Lieutenant  Charles 
Wilkes,  sailed  in  August,  1838,  with  a  fleet  of  six 
vessels.  The  expedition  was  sent  out  by  Congress,  and 
carried  twelve  scientific  observers.  In  February,  1839, 
the  whole  of  this  imposing  Antarctic  fleet  was  collected 
in  Orange  Harbour  in  the  south  of  Tierra  del  Fuego, 


10    THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

where  the  work  was  divided  among  the  various  vessels. 
As  to  the  results  of  this  expedition  it  is  difficult  to 
express  an  opinion.  Certain  it  is  that  Wilkes  Land  has 
subsequently  been  sailed  over  in  many  places  by  several 
expeditions.  Of  what  may  have  been  the  cause  of  this 
inaccurate  cartography  it  is  impossible  to  form  any 
opinion.  It  appears,  however,  from  the  account  of 
the  whole  voyage,  that  the  undertaking  was  seriously 
conducted. 

Then  the  bright  star  appears — the  man  whose  name 
will  ever  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  intrepid 
polar  explorers  and  one  of  the  most  capable  seamen 
the  world  has  produced  —  Admiral  Sir  James  Clark 
Ross. 

The  results  of  his  expedition  are  well  known.  Ross 
himself  commanded  the  Erebus  and  Commander  Francis 
Crozier  the  Terror.  The  former  vessel,  of  370  tons, 
had  been  originally  built  for  throwing  bombs ;  her 
construction  was  therefore  extraordinarily  solid.  The 
Terror,  340  tons,  had  been  previously  employed  in 
Arctic  waters,  and  on  this  account  had  been  already 
strengthened.  In  provisioning  the  ships  every  possible 
precaution  was  taken  against  scurvy,  with  the  dangers 
of  which  Ross  was  familiar  from  his  experience  in 
Arctic  waters. 

The  vessels  sailed  from  England  in  September,  1839, 
calling  at  many  of  the  Atlantic  Islands,  and  arrived  in 
Christmas  Harbour,  Kerguelen  Land,  in  the  following 


SIR  JAMES  ROSS  11 

May.  Here  they  stayed  two  months,  making  magnetic 
observations,  and  then  proceeded  to  Hobart. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  the  eminent  polar  explorer,  was  at 
that  time  Governor  of  Tasmania,  and  Ross  could  not 
have  wished  for  a  better  one.  Interested  as  Franklin 
naturally  was  in  the  expedition,  he  afforded  it  all  the 
help  he  possibly  could.  During  his  stay  in  Tasmania 
Ross  received  information  of  what  had  been  accom- 
plished by  Wilkes  and  Dumont  d'Urville  in  the  very 
region  which  the  Admiralty  had  sent  him  to  explore. 
The  effect  of  this  news  was  that  Ross  changed  his  plans, 
and  decided  to  proceed  along  the  170th  meridian  E.,  and 
if  possible  to  reach  the  Magnetic  Pole  from  the  eastward. 

Here  was  another  fortuitous  circumstance  in  the  long 
chain  of  events.  If  Ross  had  not  received  this  intelli- 
gence, it  is  quite  possible  that  the  epoch-making  geo- 
graphical discoveries  associated  with  his  name  would 
have  been  delayed  for  many  years. 

On  November  12,  1840,  Sir  John  Franklin  went  on 
board  the  Erebus  to  accompany  his  friend  Ross  out  of 
port.  Strange  are  the  ways  of  life !  There  stood 
Franklin  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  which  a  few  years 
later  was  to  be  his  deathbed.  Little  did  he  suspect, 
as  he  sailed  out  of  Hobart  through  Storm  Bay — the  bay 
that  is  now  wreathed  by  the  flourishing  orchards  of 
Tasmania — that  he  would  meet  his  death  in  a  high 
northern  latitude  on  board  the  same  vessel,  in  storms 
and  frost.  But  so  it  was. 


12     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

After  calling  at  the  Auckland  Islands  and  at  Camp- 
bell Island,  Ross  again  steered  for  the  South,  and  the 
Antarctic  Circle  was  crossed  on  New  Year's  Day,  1841. 
The  ships  were  now  faced  by  the  ice-pack,  but  to  Ross 
this  was  not  the  dangerous  enemy  it  had  appeared  to 
earlier  explorers  with  their  more  weakly  constructed 
vessels.  Ross  plunged  boldly  into  the  pack  with  his 
fortified  ships,  and,  taking  advantage  of  the  narrow 
leads,  he  came  out  four  days  later,  after  many  severe 
buffets,  into  the  open  sea  to  the  South. 

Ross  had  reached  the  sea  now  named  after  him,  and 
the  boldest  voyage  known  in  Antarctic  exploration  was 
accomplished. 

Few  people  of  the  present  day  are  capable  of  rightly 
appreciating  this  heroic  deed,  this  brilliant  proof  of 
human  courage  and  energy.  With  two  ponderous  craft 
— regular  "  tubs  "  according  to  our  ideas — these  men 
sailed  right  into  the  heart  of  the  pack,  which  all  previous 
polar  explorers  had  regarded  as  certain  death.  It  is  not 
merely  difficult  to  grasp  this  ;  it  is  simply  impossible— 
to  us,  who  with  a  motion  of  the  hand  can  set  the  screw 
going,  and  wriggle  out  of  the  first  difficulty  we  encounter. 
These  men  were  heroes — heroes  in  the  highest  sense  of 
the  word. 

It  was  in  lat.  69°  15'  S.  and  long.  176°  15'  E.  that  Ross 
found  the  open  sea.  On  the  following  day  the  horizon 
was^perfectly  clear  of  ice.  What  joy  that  man  must  have 
felt  when  he  saw  that  he  had  a  clear  way  to  the  South ! 


ROSS'S  DISCOVERIES  13 

The  course  was  set  for  the  Magnetic  Pole,  and  the 
hope  of  soon  reaching  it  burned  in  the  hearts  of  all. 
Then — just  as  they  had  accustomed  themselves  to  the 
idea  of  open  sea,  perhaps  to  the  Magnetic  Pole  itself— 
the  crow's-nest  reported  "  High  land  right  ahead."  This 
was  the  mountainous  coast  of  South  Victoria  Land. 

What  a  fairyland  this  must  have  seemed  to  the  first 
voyagers  who  approached  it !  Mighty  mountain-ranges 
with  summits  from  7,000  to  10,000  feet  high,  some 
covered  with  snow  and  some  quite  bare — lofty  and 
rugged,  precipitous  and  wild. 

It  became  apparent  that  the  Magnetic  Pole  was  some 
500  miles  distant — far  inland,  behind  the  snow-covered 
ridges.  On  the  morning  of  January  12  they  came  close 
under  a  little  island,  and  Ross  with  a  few  companions 
rowed  ashore  and  took  possession  of  the  country.  They 
could  not  reach  the  mainland  itself  on  account  of  the 
thick  belt  of  ice  that  lay  along  the  coast. 

The  expedition  continued  to  work  its  way  southward, 
making  fresh  discoveries.  On  January  28  the  two 
lofty  summits,  Mount  Erebus  and  Mount  Terror,  were 
sighted  for  the  first  time.  The  former  was  seen  to  be 
an  active  volcano,  from  which  smoke  and  flames  shot 
up  into  the  sky.  It  must  have  been  a  wonderfully  fine 
sight,  this  flaming  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  white,  frozen 
landscape.  Captain  Scott  has  since  given  the  island, 
on  which  the  mountains  lie,  the  name  of  Ross  Island, 
after  the  intrepid  navigator. 


14     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

Naturally  there  were  great  expectations  on  board. 
If  they  had  penetrated  so  far  south,  there  might  be  no 
limit  to  their  further  progress.  But,  as  had  happened 
so  many  times  before,  their  hopes  were  disappointed. 
From  Ross  Island,  as  far  to  the  eastward  as  the  eye 
could  see,  there  extended  a  lofty,  impenetrable  wall  of 
ice.  To  sail  through  it  was  as  impossible  as  sailing 
through  the  cliffs  of  Dover,  Ross  says  in  his  description. 
All  they  could  do  was  to  try  to  get  round  it.  And 
then  began  the  first  examination  of  that  part  of  the 
great  Antarctic  Barrier  which  has  since  been  named 
the  Ross  Barrier. 

The  wall  of  ice  was  followed  to  the  eastward  for  a 
distance  of  250  miles.  Its  upper  surface  was  seen  to 
be  perfectly  flat.  The  most  easterly  point  reached  was 
long.  167°  W.,  and  the  highest  latitude  78°  4'  S.  No 
opening  having  been  found,  the  ships  returned  to  the 
west,  in  order  to  try  once  more  whether  there  was  any 
possibility  of  reaching  the  Magnetic  Pole.  But  this 
attempt  soon  had  to  be  abandoned  on  account  of  the 
lateness  of  the  season,  and  in  April,  1841,  Ross  returned 
to  Hobart. 

His  second  voyage  was  full  of  dangers  and  thrilling 
incidents,  but  added  little  to  the  tale  of  his  discoveries. 

On  February  22,  1842,  the  ships  came  in  sight  of 
the  Barrier,  and,  following  it  to  the  east,  found  that 
it  turned  north-eastward.  Here  Ross  recorded  an 
"appearance  of  land"  in  the  very  region  in  which 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "PAGODA"  15 

Captain    Scott,    sixty    years    later,    discovered    King 
Edward  VII.  Land. 

On  December  17,  1842,  Ross  set  out  on  his  third 
and  last  Antarctic  voyage.  His  object  this  time  was 
to  reach  a  high  latitude  along  the  coast  of  Louis 
Philippe  Land,  if  possible,  or  alternatively  by  following 
Weddell's  track.  Both  attempts  were  frustrated  by  the 
ice  conditions. 

On  sighting  Joinville  Land,  the  officers  of  the  Terror 
thought  they  could  see  smoke  from  active  volcanoes, 
but  Ross  and  his  men  did  not  confirm  this.  About 
fifty  years  later  active  volcanoes  were  actually  dis- 
covered by  the  Norwegian,  Captain  C.  A.  Larsen,  in 
the  Jason.  A  few  minor  geographical  discoveries  were 
made,  but  none  of  any  great  importance. 

This  concluded  Ross's  attempts  to  reach  the  South 
Pole.  A  magnificent  work  had  been  achieved,  and  the 
honour  of  having  opened  up  the  way  by  which,  at  last, 
the  Pole  was  reached  must  be  ascribed  to  Ross. 

The  Pagoda,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Moore,  was 
the  next  vessel  to  make  for  the  South.  Her  chief  object 
was  to  make  magnetic  observations  in  high  latitudes 
south  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

The  first  ice  was  met  with  in  lat.  53°  30'  S.,  on 
January  25,  1845.  On  February  5  the  Antarctic  Circle 
was  crossed  in  long.  30°  45'  E.  The  most  southerly 
latitude  attained  on  this  voyage  was  67°  50',  in 
long.  39°  41'  E. 


16     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

This  was  the  last  expedition  to  visit  the  Antarctic 
regions  in  a  ship  propelled  by  sails  alone. 

The  next  great  event  in  the  history  of  the  southern 
seas  is  the  Challenger  expedition.  This  was  an  entirely 
scientific  expedition,  splendidly  equipped  and  conducted. 

The  achievements  of  this  expedition  are,  however,  so 
well  known  over  the  whole  civilized  world  that  I  do  not 
think  it  necessary  to  dwell  upon  them. 

Less  known,  but  no  less  efficient  in  their  work,  were 
the  whalers  round  the  South  Shetlands  and  in  the 
regions  to  the  south  of  them.  The  days  of  sailing-ships 
were  now  past,  and  vessels  with  auxiliary  steam  appear 
on  the  scene. 

Before  passing  on  to  these,  I  must  briefly  mention  a 
man  who  throughout  his  life  insisted  on  the  necessity 
and  utility  of  Antarctic  expeditions — Professor  Georg 
von  Neumayer. 

Never  has  Antarctic  research  had  a  warmer,  nobler, 
and  more  high-minded  champion.  So  long  as  "  Ant- 
arctica "  endures,  the  name  of  Neumayer  will  always  be 
connected  with  it. 

The  steam  whaler  Grwilandleft,  Hamburg  on  July  22, 
1872,  in  command  of  Captain  Eduard  Dallmann,  bound 
for  the  South  Shetlands.  Many  interesting  geographical 
discoveries  were  made  on  this  voyage. 

Amongst    other    whalers    may    be    mentioned    the 


WHALING  VOYAGES  17 

Balcena,  the  Diana,  the  Active,  and  the  Polar  Star 
of  Dundee. 

In  1892  the  whole  of  this  fleet  stood  to  the  South 
to  hunt  for  whales  in  the  vicinity  of  the  South  Shetlands. 
They  each  brought  home  with  them  some  fresh  piece  of 
information.  On  board  the  Balasna  was  Dr.  William  S. 
Bruce.  This  is  the  first  time  we  meet  with  him  on  his 
way  to  the  South,  but  it  was  not  to  be  the  last. 

Simultaneously  with  the  Scottish  whaling  fleet,  the 
Norwegian  whaling  captain,  C.  A.  Larsen,  appears  in  the 
regions  to  the  south  of  the  South  Shetlands.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  of  Captain  Larsen  that  of  all  those  who 
have  visited  the  Antarctic  regions  in  search  of  whales,  he 
has  unquestionably  brought  home  the  best  and  most 
abundant  scientific  results.  To  him  we  owe  the  dis- 
covery of  large  stretches  of  the  east  coast  of  Graham 
Land,  King  Oscar  II.  Land,  Foyn's  Land,  etc.  He 
brought  us  news  of  two  active  volcanoes,  and  many 
groups  of  islands.  But  perhaps  the  greatest  interest 
attaches  to  the  fossils  he  brought  home  from  Seymour 
Island — the  first  to  be  obtained  from  the  Antarctic 
regions. 

In  November,  1894,  Captain  Evensen  in  the  Hertha 
succeeded  in  approaching  nearer  to  Alexander  I.  Land 
than  either  Bellingshausen  or  Biscoe.  But  the  search 
for  whales  claimed  his  attention,  and  he  considered  it  his 
duty  to  devote  himself  to  that  before  anything  else. 

A  grand  opportunity  was  lost :  there  can  be  no  doubt 

VOL.   I,  2 


18     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

that,  if  Captain  Evensen  had  been  free,  he  would  here 
have  had  a  chance  of  achieving  even  better  work  than 
he  did — bold,  capable,  and  enterprising  as  he  is. 

The  next  whaling  expedition  to  make  its  mark  in  the 
South  Polar  regions  is  that  of  the  Antarctic,  under 
Captain  Leonard  Kristensen.  Kristensen  was  an  extra- 
ordinarily capable  man,  and  achieved  the  remarkable 
record  of  being  the  first  to  set  foot  on  the  sixth  conti- 
nent, the  great  southern  land — "Antarctica."  This 
was  at  Cape  Adare,  Victoria  Land,  in  January,  1895. 

An  epoch-making  phase  of  Antarctic  research  is  now 
ushered  in  by  the  Belgian  expedition  in  the  Belgica, 
under  the  leadership  of  Commander  Adrien  de  Gerlache. 
Hardly  anyone  has  had  a  harder  fight  to  set  his 
enterprise  on  foot  than  Gerlache.  He  was  successful, 
however,  and  on  August  16,  1897,  the  Belgica  left 
Antwerp. 

The  scientific  staff  had  been  chosen  with  great  care, 
and  Gerlache  had  been  able  to  secure  the  services  of 
exceedingly  able  men.  His  second  in  command,  Lieu- 
tenant G.  Lecointe,  a  Belgian,  possessed  every  qualifica- 
tion for  his  difficult  position.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  Belgica }s  company  was  as  cosmopolitan  as  it 
could  be — Belgians,  Frenchmen,  Americans,  Norwe- 
gians, Swedes,  Rumanians,  Poles,  etc. — and  it  was  the 
business  of  the  second  in  command  to  keep  all  these 
men  together  and  get  the  best  possible  work  out  of 


THE  BELGIAN  EXPEDITION  19 

them.  And  Lecointe  acquitted  himself  admirably ; 
amiable  and  firm,  he  secured  the  respect  of  all. 

As  a  navigator  and  astronomer  he  was  unsurpassable, 
and  when  he  afterwards  took  over  the  magnetic  work 
he  rendered  great  services  in  this  department  also. 
Lecointe  will  always  be  remembered  as  one  of  the  main 
supports  of  this  expedition. 

Lieutenant  Emile  Danco,  another  Belgian,  was  the 
physicist  of  the  expedition.  Unfortunately  this  gifted 
young  man  died  at  an  early  stage  of  the  voyage — a  sad 
loss  to  the  expedition.  The  magnetic  observations  were 
then  taken  over  by  Lecointe. 

The  biologist  was  the  Rumanian,  Emile  Racovitza. 
The  immense  mass  of  material  Racovitza  brought  home 
speaks  better  than  I  can  for  his  ability.  Besides  a  keen 
interest  in  his  work,  he  possessed  qualities  which  made 
him  the  most  agreeable  and  interesting  of  companions. 

Henryk  Argtowski  and  Antoine  Dobrowolski  were 
both  Poles.  Their  share  of  the  work  was  the  sky  and 
the  sea ;  they  carried  out  oceanographical  and  meteor- 
ological observations. 

Argtowski  was  also  the  geologist  of  the  expedition — 
an  all-round  man.  It  was  a  strenuous  task  he  had, 
that  of  constantly  watching  wind  and  weather.  Con- 
scientious as  he  was,  he  never  let  slip  an  opportunity  of 
adding  to  the  scientific  results  of  the  voyage. 

Frederick  A.  Cook,  of  Brooklyn,  was  surgeon  to  the 
expedition — beloved  and  respected  by  all.  As  a  medical 


20     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

man,  his  calm  and  convincing  presence  had  an  excellent 
effect.  As  things  turned  out,  the  greatest  responsibility 
fell  upon  Cook,  but  he  mastered  the  situation  in  a 
wonderful  way.  Through  his  practical  qualities  he 
finally  became  indispensable.  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
the  Belgian  Antarctic  expedition  owes  a  great  debt  to 
Cook. 

The  object  of  the  expedition  was  to  penetrate  to  the 
South  Magnetic  Pole,  but  this  had  to  be  abandoned  at 
an  early  stage  for  want  of  time. 

A  somewhat  long  stay  in  the  interesting  channels  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego  delayed  their  departure  till  January  13, 
1898.  On  that  date  the  Belgica  left  Staten  Island  and 
stood  to  the  South. 

An  interesting  series  of  soundings  was  made  between 
Cape  Horn  and  the  South  Shetlands.  As  these  waters 
had  not  previously  been  investigated,  these  soundings 
were,  of  course,  of  great  importance. 

The  principal  work  of  the  expedition,  from  a  geo- 
graphical point  of  view,  was  carried  out  on  the  north 
coast  of  Graham  Land. 

A  large  channel  running  to  the  south-west  was  dis- 
covered, dividing  a  part  of  Palmer  Land  from  the  main- 
land— Danco's  Land.  The  strait  was  afterwards  named 
by  the  Belgian  authorities  "  Gerlache  Strait."  Three 
weeks  were  spent  in  charting  it  and  making  scientific 
observations.  An  excellent  collection  of  material  was 
made. 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ICE  21 

This  work  was  completed  by  February  12,  and  the 
Belgica  left  Gerlache  Strait  southward  along  the  coast 
of  Graham  Land,  at  a  date  when  all  previous  expedi- 
tions had  been  in  a  hurry  to  turn  their  faces  homeward. 

On  the  15th  the  Antarctic  Circle  was  crossed  on  a 
south-westerly  course.  Next  day  they  sighted  Alexander 
Land,  but  could  not  approach  nearer  to  it  than  twenty 
miles  on  account  of  impenetrable  pack-ice. 

On  February  28  they  had  reached  lat.  70°  20'  S.  and 
long.  85°  W.  Then  a  breeze  from  the  north  sprang  up 
and  opened  large  channels  in  the  ice,  leading  southward. 
They  turned  to  the  south,  and  plunged  at  haphazard 
into  the  Antarctic  floes. 

On  March  3  they  reached  lat.  70°  30'  S.,  where  all 
further  progress  was  hopeless.  An  attempt  to  get  out 
again  was  in  vain — they  were  caught  in  the  trap.  They 
then  had  to  make  the  best  of  it. 

Many  have  been  disposed  to  blame  Gerlache  for 
having  gone  into  the  ice,  badly  equipped  as  he  was, 
at  a  time  of  year  when  he  ought  rather  to  have  been 
making  his  way  out,  and  they  may  be  right.  But  let 
us  look  at  the  question  from  the  other  side  as  well. 

After  years  of  effort  he  had  at  last  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  expedition  away.  Gerlache  knew  for  a  certainty 
that  unless  he  returned  with  results  that  would  please 
the  public,  he  might  just  as  well  never  return  at  all. 
Then  the  thickly  packed  ice  opened,  and  long  channels 
appeared,  leading  as  far  southward  as  the  eye  could 


22     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

reach.  Who  could  tell  ?  Perhaps  they  led  to  the  Pole 
itself.  There  was  little  to  lose,  much  to  gain ;  he 
decided  to  risk  it. 

Of  course,  it  was  not  right,  but  we  can  easily  under- 
stand it. 

The  Belgica  now  had  thirteen  long  months  before 
her.  Preparations  were  commenced  at  once  for  the 
winter.  As  many  seals  and  penguins  as  could  be  found 
were  shot,  and  placed  in  store. 

The  scientific  staff  was  constantly  active,  and  brilliant 
oceanographical,  meteorological,  and  magnetic  work  was 
accomplished. 

On  May  17  the  sun  disappeared,  not  to  be  seen  again 
for  seventy  days.  The  first  Antarctic  night  had  begun. 
What  would  it  bring  ?  The  Belgica  was  not  fitted  for 
wintering  in  the  ice.  For  one  thing,  personal  equip- 
ment was  insufficient.  They  had  to  do  the  best  they 
could  by  making  clothes  out  of  blankets,  and  the  most 
extraordinary  devices  were  contrived  in  the  course  of 
the  winter.  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention. 

On  June  5  Danco  died  of  heart-failure. 

On  the  same  day  they  had  a  narrow  escape  of  being 
squeezed  in  the  ice.  Fortunately  the  enormous  block 
of  ice  passed  under  the  vessel  and  lifted  her  up  without 
doing  her  any  damage.  Otherwise,  the  first  part  of  the 
winter  passed  off  well. 

Afterwards  sickness  appeared,  and  threatened  the 
most  serious  danger  to  the  expedition — scurvy  and 


SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  "  BELGICA  "      23 

insanity.  One  of  them  by  itself  would  have  been  bad 
enough.  Scurvy  especially  increased,  and  did  such 
havoc  that  finally  there  was  not  a  single  man  who 
escaped  being  attacked  by  this  fearful  disease. 

Cook's  behaviour  at  this  time  won  the  respect  and 
devotion  of  all.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  Cook 
was  the  most  popular  man  of  the  expedition,  and  he 
deserved  it.  From  morning  to  night  he  was  occupied 
with  his  many  patients,  and  when  the  sun  returned  it 
happened  not  infrequently  that,  after  a  strenuous  day's 
work,  the  doctor  sacrificed  his  night's  sleep  to  go  hunt- 
ing seals  and  penguins,  in  order  to  provide  the  fresh 
meat  that  was  so  greatly  needed  by  all. 

On  July  22  the  sun  returned. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  sight  that  it  shone  upon.  The 
Antarctic  winter  had  set  its  mark  upon  all,  and  green, 
wasted  faces  stared  at  the  returning  light. 

Time  went  on,  and  the  summer  arrived.  They 
waited  day  by  day  to  see  a  change  in  the  ice.  But  no  ; 
the  ice  they  had  entered  so  light-heartedly  was  not  to 
be  so  easy  to  get  out  of  again. 

New  Year's  Day  came  and  went  without  any  change 
in  the  ice. 

The  situation  now  began  to  be  seriously  threatening. 
Another  winter  in  the  ice  would  mean  death  and 
destruction  on  a  large  scale.  Disease  and  insufficient 
nourishment  would  soon  make  an  end  of  most  of  the 
ship's  company. 


24  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

Again  Cook  came  to  the  aid  of  the  expedition. 

In  conjunction  with  Racovitza  he  had  thought  out 
a  very  ingenious  way  of  sawing  a  channel,  and  thus 
reaching  the  nearest  lead.  The  proposal  was  submitted 
to  the  leader  of  the  expedition  and  accepted  by  him : 
both  the  plan  and  the  method  of  carrying  it  out  were 
well  considered. 

After  three  weeks'  hard  work,  day  and  night,  they  at 
last  reached  the  lead. 

Cook  was  incontestably  the  leading  spirit  in  this 
work,  and  gained  such  honour  among  the  members  of 
the  expedition  that  I  think  it  just  to  mention  it.  Up- 
right, honourable,  capable,  and  conscientious  in  the 
extreme — such  is  the  memory  we  retain  of  Frederick  A. 
Cook  from  those  days. 

Little  did  his  comrades  suspect  that  a  few  years  later 
he  would  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  humbugs 
the  w^orld  has  ever  seen.  This  is  a  psychological 
enigma  well  worth  studying  to  those  who  care  to  do  so. 

But  the  Belgica  was  not  yet  clear  of  the  ice.  After 
having  worked  her  way  out  into  the  lead  and  a  little 
way  on,  she  was  stopped  by  absolutely  close  pack, 
within  sight  of  the  open  sea. 

For  a  whole  month  the  expedition  lay  here,  reaping 
the  same  experiences  as  Ross  on  his  second  voyage  with 
the  Erebus  and  Terror.  The  immense  seas  raised  the 
heavy  ice  high  in  the  air,  and  flung  it  against  the  sides 


THE  «  SOUTHERN  CROSS  "  25 

of  the  vessel.  That  month  was  a  hell  upon  earth. 
Strangely  enough,  the  Belgica  escaped  undamaged,  and 
steamed  into  Punta  Arenas  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan 
on  March  28,  1899. 

Modern  scientific  Antarctic  exploration  had  now 
been  initiated,  and  de  Gerlache  had  won  his  place  for 
all  time  in  the  first  rank  of  Antarctic  explorers. 

While  the  Belgica  was  trying  her  hardest  to  get  out 
of  the  ice,  another  vessel  was  making  equally  strenuous 
efforts  to  get  in.  This  was  the  Southern  Cross,  the 
ship  of  the  English  expedition,  under  the  leadership  of 
Carstens  Borchgrevink.  This  expedition's  field  of  work 
lay  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Pole,  in  Ross's  footsteps. 

On  February  11,  1899,  the  Southern  Cross  entered 
Ross  Sea  in  lat.  70°  S.  and  long.  174°  E.,  nearly  sixty 
years  after  Ross  had  left  it. 

A  party  was  landed  at  Cape  A  dare,  where  it  wintered. 
The  ship  wintered  in  New  Zealand. 

In  January,  1900,  the  land  party  was  taken  off,  and 
an  examination  of  the  Barrier  was  carried  out  with  the 
vessel.  This  expedition  succeeded  for  the  first  time  in 
ascending  the  Barrier,  which  from  Ross's  day  had  been 
looked  upon  as  inaccessible.  The  Barrier  formed  a  little 
bight  at  the  spot  where  the  landing  was  made,  and  the 
ice  sloped  gradually  down  to  the  sea. 

We  must  acknowledge  that  by  ascending  the  Barrier, 
Borchgrevink  opened  a  way  to  the  south,  and  threw 


26     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

aside  the  greatest  obstacle  to  the  expeditions  that 
followed.  The  Southern  Cross  returned  to  civilization 
in  March,  1900. 

The  Valdivias  expedition,  under  Professor  Chun,  of 
Leipzig,  must  be  mentioned,  though  in  our  day  it  can 
hardly  be  regarded  as  an  Antarctic  expedition.  On 
this  voyage  the  position  of  Bouvet  Island  was  established 
once  for  all  as  lat.  54°  26'  S.,  long.  3°  24'  E. 

The  ice  was  followed  from  long.  8°  E.  to  58°  E.,  as 
closely  as  the  vessel  could  venture  to  approach.  Abun- 
dance of  oceanographical  material  was  brought  home. 

Antarctic  exploration  now  shoots  rapidly  ahead,  and 
the  twentieth  century  opens  with  the  splendidly  equipped 
British  and  German  expeditions  in  the  Discovery  and 
the  Gauss,  both  national  undertakings. 

Captain  Robert  F.  Scott  was  given  command  of  the 
Discovery's  expedition,  and  it  could  not  have  been  placed 
in  better  hands. 

The  second  in  command  was  Lieutenant  Armitage, 
who  had  taken  part  in  the  Jackson-Harmsworth  North 
Polar  expedition. 

The  other  officers  were  Royds,  Barne,  and  Shackleton. 

Lieutenant  Skelton  was  chief  engineer  and  photo- 
grapher to  the  expedition.  Two  surgeons  were  on 
board — Dr.  Koettlitz,  a  former  member  of  the  Jackson- 
Harmsworth  expedition,  and  Dr.  Wilson.  The  latter  was 
also  the  artist  of  the  expedition.  Bernacchi  was  the  physi- 
cist, Hodgson  the  biologist,  and  Ferrar  the  geologist. 


THE  "DISCOVERY'  27 

On  August  6,  1901,  the  expedition  left  Cowes,  and 
arrived  at  Simon's  Bay  on  October  3.  On  the  14th  it 
sailed  again  for  New  Zealand. 

The  official  plan  was  to  determine  as  accurately  as 
possible  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  South  Polar  lands 
that  might  be  found,  and  to  make  a  magnetic  survey. 
It  was  left  to  the  leader  of  the  expedition  to  decide 
whether  it  should  winter  in  the  ice. 

It  was  arranged  beforehand  that  a  relief  ship  should 
visit  and  communicate  with  the  expedition  in  the  follow- 
ing year. 

The  first  ice  was  met  with  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Antarctic  Circle  on  January  1,  1902,  and  a  few 
days  later  the  open  Ross  Sea  was  reached.  After  several 
landings  had  been  made  at  Cape  A  dare  and  other  points, 
the  Discovery  made  a  very  interesting  examination  of 
the  Barrier  to  the  eastward.  At  this  part  of  the  voyage 
King  Edward  VII.  Land  was  discovered,  but  the  thick 
ice-floes  prevented  the  expedition  from  landing.  On 
the  way  back  the  ship  entered  the  same  bight  that 
Borchgrevink  had  visited  in  1900,  and  a  balloon  ascent 
was  made  on  the  Barrier.  The  bay  was  called  Balloon 
Inlet. 

From  here  the  ship  returned  to  McMurdo  Bay,  so 
named  by  Ross.  Here  the  Discovery  wintered,  in  a  far 
higher  latitude  than  any  previous  expedition.  In  the 
course  of  the  autumn  it  was  discovered  that  the  land  on 
which  the  expedition  had  its  winter  quarters  was  an 


28     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

island,  separated  from  the  mainland  by  McMurdo 
Sound.  It  was  given  the  name  of  Ross  Island. 

Sledge  journeys  began  with  the  spring.  Depots  were 
laid  down,  and  the  final  march  to  the  South  was  begun 
on  November  2, 1902,  by  Scott,  Shackleton,  and  Wilson. 

They  had  nineteen  dogs  to  begin  with.  On  Novem- 
ber 27  they  passed  the  80th  parallel,  Owing  to  the 
nature  of  the  ground  their  progress  was  not  rapid  ; 
the  highest  latitude  was  reached  on  December  30 — 
82°  17'  S.  New  land  was  discovered — a  continuation 
of  South  Victoria  Land.  One  summit  after  another 
rose  higher  and  higher  to  the  south. 

The  return  journey  was  a  difficult  one.  The  dogs 
succumbed  one  after  another,  and  the  men  themselves 
had  to  draw  the  sledges.  It  went  well  enough  so  long 
as  all  were  in  health  ;  but  suddenly  Shackleton  was 
incapacitated  by  scurvy,  and  there  were  only  two  left  to 
pull  the  sledges. 

On  February  3  they  reached  the  ship  again,  after  an 
absence  of  ninety-three  days. 

Meanwhile  Armitage  and  Skelton  had  reached,  for 
the  first  time  in  history,  the  high  Antarctic  inland 
plateau  at  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  relief  ship  Morning  had  left  Lyttelton  on 
December  9.  On  her  way  south  Scott  Island  was 
discovered,  and  on  January  25  the  Discovery's  masts 
were  seen.  But  McMurdo  Sound  lay  icebound  all  that 
year,  and  the  Morning  returned  home  on  March  3. 


RETURN  OF  THE  "DISCOVERY'         29 

The  expedition  passed  a  second  winter  in  the  ice, 
and  in  the  following  spring  Captain  Scott  led  a  sledge 
journey  to  the  west  on  the  ice  plateau.  In  January, 
1904,  the  Morning  returned,  accompanied  by  the  Terra 
Nova,  formerly  a  Newfoundland  sealing  vessel.  They 
brought  orders  from  home  that  the  Discovery  was  to  be 
abandoned  if  she  could  not  be  got  out.  Preparations 
were  made  for  carrying  out  the  order,  but  finally,  after 
explosives  had  been  used,  a  sudden  break-up  of  the  ice 
set  the  vessel  free. 

All  the  coal  that  could  be  spared  was  put  on  board 
the  Discovery  from  the  relief  ships,  and  Scott  carried  his 
researches  further.  If  at  that  time  he  had  had  more 
coal,  it  is  probable  that  this  active  explorer  would  have 
accomplished  even  greater  things  than  he  did.  Wilkes's 

Ringgold's  Knoll  "  and  "  Eld's  Peak  "  were  wiped  off 
the  map,  and  nothing  was  seen  of  "  Cape  Hudson," 
though  the  Discovery  passed  well  within  sight  of  its 
supposed  position. 

On  March  14  Scott  anchored  in  Ross  Harbour, 
Auckland  Islands.  With  rich  results,  the  expedition 
returned  home  in  September,  1904. 

Meanwhile  the  German  expedition  under  Professor 
Erich  von  Drygalski  had  been  doing  excellent  work  in 
another  quarter. 

The  plan  of  the  expedition  was  to  explore  the 
Antarctic  regions  to  the  south  of  Kerguelen  Land,  after 


30     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

having  first  built  a  station  on  that  island  and  landed  a 
scientific  staff,  who  were  to  work  there,  while  the  main 
expedition  proceeded  into  the  ice.  Its  ship,  the 
Gauss,  had  been  built  at  Kiel  with  the  From  as  a 
model. 

The  Gauss's  navigator  was  Captain  Hans  Ruser,  a 
skilful  seaman  of  the  Hamburg- American  line. 

Drygalski  had  chosen  his  scientific  staff  with  know- 
ledge and  care,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  could  not  have 
obtained  better  assistants. 

The  expedition  left  Kiel  on  August  11,  1901,  bound 
for  Cape  Town.  An  extraordinarily  complete  oceano- 
graphical,  meteorological,  and  magnetic  survey  was 
made  during  this  part  of  the  voyage. 

After  visiting  the  Crozet  Islands,  the  Gauss  anchored 
in  Royal  Sound,  Kerguelen  Land,  on  December  31.  The 
expedition  stayed  here  a  month,  and  then  steered  for 
the  south  to  explore  the  regions  between  Kemp  Land 
and  Knox  Land.  They  had  already  encountered  a 
number  of  bergs  in  lat.  60°  S. 

On  February  14  they  made  a  sounding  of  1,730 
fathoms  near  the  supposed  position  of  Wilkes's  Termi- 
nation Land.  Progress  was  very  slow  hereabout  on 
account  of  the  thick  floes. 

Suddenly,  on  February  19,  they  had  a  sounding  of 
132  fathoms,  and  on  the  morning  of  February  21  land 
was  sighted,  entirely  covered  with  ice  and  snow.  A 
violent  storm  took  the  Gauss  by  surprise,  collected  a 


THE  "GAUSS"  EXPEDITION  31 

mass  of  icebergs  around  her,  and  filled  up  the  inter- 
vening space  with  floes,  so  that  there  could  be  no 
question  of  making  any  way.  They  had  to  swallow  the 
bitter  pill,  and  prepare  to  spend  the  winter  where  they 
were. 

Observatories  were  built  of  ice,  and  sledge  journeys 
were  undertaken  as  soon  as  the  surface  permitted. 
They  reached  land  in  three  and  a  half  days,  and  there 
discovered  a  bare  mountain,  about  1,000  feet  high, 
fifty  miles  from  the  ship.  The  land  was  named 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.  Land,  and  the  mountain  the 
Gaussberg. 

They  occupied  the  winter  in  observations  of  every 
possible  kind.  The  weather  was  extremely  stormy  and 
severe,  but  their  winter  harbour,  under  the  lee  of  great 
stranded  bergs,  proved  to  be  a  good  one.  They  were 
never  once  exposed  to  unpleasant  surprises. 

On  February  8,  1903,  the  Gauss  was  able  to  begin 
to  move  again.  From  the  time  she  reached  the  open 
sea  until  her  arrival  at  Cape  Town  on  June  9,  scientific 
observations  were  continued. 

High  land  had  been  seen  to  the  eastward  on  the 
bearing  of  Wilkes's  Termination  Land,  and  an  amount 
of  scientific  work  had  been  accomplished  of  which 
the  German  nation  may  well  be  proud.  Few  Antarctic 
expeditions  have  had  such  a  thoroughly  scientific 
equipment  as  that  of  the  Gauss,  both  as  regards 
appliances  and  personnel. 


32     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

The  Swedish  Antarctic  expedition  under  Dr.  Otto 
Nordenskjold  left  Gothenburg  on  October  16,  1901,  in 
the  Antarctic,  commanded  by  Captain  C.  A.  Larsen, 
already  mentioned.  The  scientific  staff  was  composed 
of  nine  specialists. 

After  calling  at  the  Falkland  Islands  and  Staten 
Island,  a  course  was  made  for  the  South  Shetlands, 
which  came  in  sight  on  January  10,  1902. 

After  exploring  the  coast  of  Louis  Philippe  Land, 
the  ship  visited  Weddell  Sea  in  the  hope  of  getting 
southward  along  King  Oscar  II.  Land,  but  the  ice 
conditions  were  difficult,  and  it  was  impossible  to  reach 
the  coast. 

Nordenskjold  and  five  men  were  then  landed  on 
Snow  Hill  Island,  with  materials  for  an  observatory 
and  winter  quarters  and  the  necessary  provisions.  The 
ship  continued  her  course  northward  to  the  open  sea. 

The  first  winter  on  Snow  Hill  Island  was  unusually 
stormy  and  cold,  but  during  the  spring  several  interest- 
ing sledge  journeys  were  made.  When  summer  arrived 
the  Antarctic  did  not  appear,  and  the  land  party  were 
obliged  to  prepare  for  a  second  winter.  In  the 
following  spring,  October,  1903,  Nordenskjold  made  a 
sledge  journey  to  explore  the  neighbourhood  of  Mount 
Haddington,  and  a  closer  examination  showed  that  the 
mountain  lay  on  an  island.  In  attempting  to  work 
round  this  island,  he  one  day  stumbled  upon  three 
figures,  doubtfully  human,  which  might  at  first  sight 


NORDENSKJOLD'S  EXPERIENCES       33 

have  been  taken  for  some  of  our  African  brethren 
straying  thus  far  to  the  south. 

It  took  Nordenskjold  a  long  time  to  recognize  in 
these  beings  Dr.  Gunnar  Andersson,  Lieutenant  Duse, 
and  their  companion  during  the  winter,  a  Norwegian 
sailor  named  Grunden. 

The  way  it  came  about  was  this.  The  Antarctic  had 
made  repeated  attempts  to  reach  the  winter  station,  but 
the  state  of  the  ice  was  bad,  and  they  had  to  give  up 
the  idea  of  getting  through.  Andersson,  Duse  and 
Grunden  were  then  landed  in  the  vicinity,  to  bring 
news  to  the  winter  quarters  as  soon  as  the  ice  per- 
mitted them  to  arrive  there.  They  had  been  obliged 
to  build  themselves  a  stone  hut,  in  which  they  had 
passed  the  winter. 

This  experience  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  one 
can  read  of  in  the  history  of  the  Polar  regions.  Badly 
equipped  as  they  were,  they  had  to  have  recourse,  like 
Robinson  Crusoe,  to  their  inventive  faculties.  The 
most  extraordinary  contrivances  were  devised  in  the 
course  of  the  winter,  and  when  spring  came  the  three 
men  stepped  out  of  their  hole,  well  and  hearty,  ready 
to  tackle  their  work. 

This  was  such  a  remarkable  feat  that  everyone  who 
has  some  knowledge  of  Polar  conditions  must  yield 
them  his  admiration.  But  there  is  more  to  tell. 

On  November  8,  when  both  parties  were  united  at 
Snow  Hill,  they  were  unexpectedly  joined  by  Captain 
VOL.  i.  3 


34    THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

Irizar,  of  the  Argentine  gunboat  Uruguay,  and  one  of 
his  officers.  Some  anxiety  had  been  felt  owing  to  the 
absence  of  news  of  the  Antarctic,  and  the  Argentine 
Government  had  sent  the  Uruguay  to  the  South  to 
search  for  the  expedition.  But  what  in  the  world  had 
become  of  Captain  Larsen  and  the  Antarctic?  This 
was  the  question  the  others  asked  themselves. 

The  same  night — it  sounds  almost  incredible — there 
was  a  knock  at  the  door  of  the  hut,  and  in  walked  Cap- 
tain Larsen  with  five  of  his  men.  They  brought  the 
sad  intelligence  that  the  good  ship  Antarctic  was  no 
more.  The  crew  had  saved  themselves  on  the  nearest 
island,  while  the  vessel  sank,  severely  damaged  by  ice. 

They,  too,  had  had  to  build  themselves  a  stone  hut 
and  get  through  the  winter  as  best  they  could.  They 
certainly  did  not  have  an  easy  time,  and  I  can  imagine 
that  the  responsibility  weighed  heavily  on  him  who  had 
to  bear  it.  One  man  died  ;  the  others  came  through 
it  well. 

Much  of  the  excellent  material  collected  by  the 
expedition  was  lost  by  the  sinking  of  the  Antarctic,  but 
a  good  deal  was  brought  home. 

Both  from  a  scientific  and  from  a  popular  point  of 
view  this  expedition  may  be  considered  one  of  the  most 
interesting  the  South  Polar  regions  have  to  show. 

We  then  come  to  the  Scotsman,  Dr.  William  S. 
Bruce,  in  the  Scotia. 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  "SCOTIA"  35 

We  have  met  with  Bruce  before  :  first  in  the  Balcena 
in  1892,  and  afterwards  with  Mr.  Andrew  Coats  in 
Spitzbergen.  The  latter  voyage  was  a  fortunate  one 
for  Bruce,  as  it  provided  him  with  the  means  of  fitting 
out  his  expedition  in  the  Scotia  to  Antarctic  waters. 

The  vessel  left  the  Clyde  on  November  2, 1902,  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Thomas  Robertson,  of  Dun- 
dee. Bruce  had  secured  the  assistance  of  Mossman, 
Rudmose  Brown  and  Dr.  Pirie  for  the  scientific  work. 
In  the  following  February  the  Antarctic  Circle  was 
crossed,  and  on  the  22nd  of  that  month  the  ship  was 
brought  to  a  standstill  in  lat.  70°  25'  S.  The  winter  was 
spent  at  Laurie  Island,  one  of  the  South  Orkneys. 

Returning  to  the  south,  the  Scotia  reached,  in  March, 
1904,  lat.  74°  I'  S.,  long.  22°  W.,  where  the  sea  rapidly 
shoaled  to  159  fathoms.  Further  progress  was  impos- 
sible owing  to  ice.  Hilly  country  was  sighted  beyond 
the  barrier,  and  named  "  Coats  Land,"  after  Bruce's 
chief  supporters. 

In  the  foremost  rank  of  the  Antarctic  explorers  of 
our  time  stands  the  French  savant  and  yachtsman,  Dr. 
Jean  Charcot.  In  the  course  of  his  two  expeditions 
of  1903-1905  and  1908-1910  he  succeeded  in  opening  up 
a  large  extent  of  the  unknown  continent.  We  owe  to 
him  a  closer  acquaintance  with  Alexander  I.  Land,  and 
the  discovery  of  Loubet,  Fallieres  and  Charcot  Lands 
is  also  his  work. 


36     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

His  expeditions  were  splendidly  equipped,  and  the 
scientific  results  were  extraordinarily  rich.  The  point 
that  compels  our  special  admiration  in  Charcot's  voyages 
is  that  he  chose  one  of  the  most  difficult  fields  of  the 
Antarctic  zone  to  work  in.  The  ice  conditions  here  are 
extremely  unfavourable,  and  navigation  in  the  highest 
degree  risky.  A  coast  full  of  submerged  reefs  and  a  sea 
strewn  with  icebergs  was  what  the  Frenchmen  had  to 
contend  with.  The  exploration  of  such  regions  demands 
capable  men  and  stout  vessels. 

Sir  Ernest  Shackleton  ! — the  name  has  a  brisk  sound. 
At  its  mere  mention  we  see  before  us  a  man  of  in- 
domitable will  and  boundless  courage.  He  has  shown 
us  what  the  will  and  energy  of  a  single  man  can  perform. 
He  gained  his  first  experience  of  Antarctic  exploration 
as  a  member  of  the  British  expedition  in  the  Discovery, 
under  Captain  Scott.  It  was  a  good  school.  Scott, 
Wilson,  and  Shackleton,  formed  the  southern  party, 
with  the  highest  latitude  as  their  goal.  They  reached 
82°  17'  S. — a  great  record  at  that  time.  Being  attacked 
by  scurvy,  Shackleton  had  to  go  home  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

Shortly  after  his  return  Shackleton  began  to  make 
active  preparations.  Few  people  had  any  faith  in 
Shackleton.  Wasn't  it  he  who  was  sent  home  from 
the  Discovery  after  the  first  year  ?  What  does  he  want 
to  go  out  for  again  ?  He  has  shown  well  enough  that 


SHACKLETON'S  EXPEDITION  37 

he  can't  stand  the  work !  Shackleton  had  a  hard 
struggle  to  find  the  necessary  funds.  He  left  England 
unheeded  and  loaded  with  debts  in  August,  1907,  on 
board  the  Nimrod,  bound  for  the  South  Pole.  With 
surprising  frankness  he  declared  his  intention  of  trying 
to  reach  the  Pole  itself.  So  far  as  I  know,  he  was  the 
first  who  ventured  to  say  straight  out  that  the  Pole  was 
his  object.  This  hearty  frankness  was  the  first  thing 
that  struck  me,  and  made  me  look  more  closely  at  the 
man.  Later  on  I  followed  his  steps  with  the  greatest 
interest.  The  expedition,  unnoticed  when  it  left  Eng- 
land, was  soon  forgotten.  At  most,  people  connected 
the  name  of  Shackleton  with  the  rank  of  "  Lieutenant 
R.N.R."  And  the  months  went  by.  .  .  . 

Then  suddenly  came  a  piece  of  news  that  made  a 
great  stir.  It  was  in  the  latter  half  of  March,  1909. 
The  telegraphic  instruments  were  busy  all  over  the 
world ;  letter  by  letter,  word  by  word,  they  ticked  out 
the  message,  until  it  could  be  clearly  read  that  one  of 
the  most  wonderful  achievements  of  Polar  exploration 
had  been  accomplished.  Everyone  was  spellbound. 
Was  it  possible  ?  Could  it  be  true  ?  Shackleton, 
Lieutenant  R.N.R.,  had  fought  his  way  to  lat.  88°  23'  S. 

Seldom  has  a  man  enjoyed  a  greater  triumph  ;  seldom 
has  a  man  deserved  it  better. 

As  the  details  of  Sir  Ernest  Shackleton's  expedition 
will  be  fresh  in  the  minds  of  English  readers,  it  is  un- 
necessary to  recapitulate  them  here.  A  few  points 


38     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

may,  however,  be  noted,  for  comparison  with  the  Pram's 
expedition. 

The  plan  was  to  leave  New  Zealand  at  the  beginning 
of  1908  and  go  into  winter  quarters  on  the  Antarctic 
continent  with  the  necessary  provisions  and  equip- 
ment, while  the  vessel  returned  to  New  Zealand  and 
came  back  to  take  off  the  land  party  in  the  following 
year. 

The  land  party  that  wintered  in  the  South  was  divided 
into  three.  One  party  was  to  go  eastward  to  King 
Edward  VII.  Land  and  explore  it,  the  second  was  to 
go  westward  to  the  South  Magnetic  Pole,  and  the 
third  southward  toward  the  Geographical  Pole. 

In  the  plan  submitted  to  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  Shackleton  says  :  "  I  do  not  intend  to  sacrifice 
the  scientific  utility  of  the  expedition  to  a  mere  record- 
breaking  journey,  but  say  frankly,  all  the  same,  that 
one  of  my  great  efforts  will  be  to  reach  the  Southern 
Geographical  Pole." 

It  was  further  intended  that  the  Nimrod  should 
explore  Wilkes  Land. 

As  draught  animals  Shackleton  had  both  ponies  and 
dogs,  but  chiefly  ponies.  The  dogs  were  regarded  more 
as  a  reserve.  Shackleton's  experience  was  that  the  Ice 
Barrier  was  best  suited  for  ponies.  They  also  took  a 
motor-car,  besides  the  usual  equipment  of  sledges,  ski, 
tents,  etc. 

Leaving  Lyttelton  on  January  1,  1908,  the  Nimrod 


SHACKLETON'S  ACHIEVEMENT        39 

reached  the  ice-pack  on  the  15th,  and  arrived  in  the 
open  Ross  Sea  in  lat.  70°  43'  S.,  long.  178°  58'  E. 
The  Ross  Barrier  was  sighted  on  January  23.  The 
original  intention  was  to  follow  this,  and  try  to  land 
the  shore  party  in  Barrier  Inlet,  which  was  practically 
the  beginning  of  King  Edward  VII.  Land  ;  but  it  was 
found  that  Barrier  Inlet  had  disappeared,  owing  to 
miles  of  the  Barrier  having  calved  away.  In  its  place 
was  a  long,  wide  bay,  which  Shackleton  named  the 
Bay  of  Whales.  This  discovery  determined  him  not  to 
attempt  to  winter  on  the  Barrier,  but  on  solid  land. 
At  this  part  of  the  voyage  the  course  of  the  Nimrod 
coincided  very  nearly  with  that  of  the  Fram  on  her 
second  outward  trip. 

After  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  reach  King 
Edward  VII.  Land,  Shackleton  turned  to  the  west 
and  took  up  his  winter  quarters  on  Ross  Island  in 
McMurdo  Sound. 

The  southern  party,  composed  of  Shackleton,  Adams, 
Marshall,  and  Wild,  started  on  October  29,  1908, 
with  four  sledges,  four  ponies,  and  provisions  for  ninety- 
one  days.  On  November  26  Scott's  farthest  south, 
82°  17'  S.  was  passed.  By  the  time  lat.  84°  was  reached 
all  the  ponies  were  dead,  and  the  men  had  to  draw  the 
sledges  themselves.  They  were  then  faced  by  the  long 
and  difficult  ascent  of  Beardmore  Glacier,  and  it  was 
not  until  seventeen  days  later  that  they  came  out  on 
the  high  plateau  surrounding  the  Pole.  At  last,  on 


40     THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH  POLE 

January  9,  1909,  they  were  compelled  to  return  by 
shortness  of  provisions,  having  planted  Queen  Alexan- 
dra's flag  in  lat.  88°  23'  S.,  long.  162°  E. 

Everyone  who  reads  Shackleton's  diary  must  feel 
a  boundless  admiration  for  these  four  heroes.  History 
can  scarcely  show  a  clearer  proof  of  what  men  can 
accomplish  when  they  exert  their  full  strength  of  will 
and  body.  These  men  have  raised  a  monument,  not 
only  to  themselves  and  their  achievement,  but  also  to 
the  honour  of  their  native  land  and  the  whole  of  civi- 
lized humanity. 

Shackleton's  exploit  is  the  most  brilliant  incident  in 
the  history  of  Antarctic  exploration. 

The  distance  covered,  out  and  back,  was  1,530  geo- 
graphical miles.  The  time  occupied  was  127  days— 
73  days  out  and  54  days  back.  The  average  daily 
march  was  about  12  miles. 

Meanwhile  the  other  party,  composed  of  Professor 
David,  Mawson,  and  Mackay,  had  set  off  to  determine 
the  position  of  the  South  Magnetic  Pole.  They  had 
neither  ponies  nor  dogs,  and  had  therefore  to  depend 
solely  on  their  own  powers.  It  seems  almost  incredible, 
but  these  men  succeeded  in  working  their  way  on  foot 
over  sea-ice  and  land-ice,  cracks  and  crevasses,  hard 
snow  and  loose  snow,  to  the  Magnetic  Pole,  and  making 
observations  there.  What  was  better  still,  they  all  came 
back  safe  and  sound.  The  total  distance  covered  was 
1,260  geographical  miles. 


A  LITTLE  LEFT  41 

It  must  have  been  a  proud  day  for  the  two  parties 
of  the  expedition  when  they  met  again  on  the  deck  of 
the  Nimrod,  and  could  tell  each  other  of  their  ex- 
periences. More  than  any  of  their  predecessors,  these 
men  had  succeeded  in  raising  the  veil  that  lay  over 
"Antarctica." 

But  a  little  corner  remained. 


CHAPTER  II 

PLAN   AND    PREPARATIONS 

"  The  deity  of  success  is  a  woman,  and  she  insists  on  being  won,  not 
courted.  You've  got  to  seize  her  and  bear  her  off,  instead  of  standing 
under  her  window  with  a  mandolin." — REX  BEACH. 

"  THE  North  Pole  is  reached." 

In  a  flash  the  news  spread  over  the  world.  The  goal 
of  which  so  many  had  dreamed,  for  which  so  many  had 
laboured  and  suffered  and  sacrificed  their  lives,  was 
attained.  It  was  in  September,  1909,  that  the  news 
reached  us. 

At  the  same  instant  I  saw  quite  clearly  that  the 
original  plan  of  the  Prams  third  voyage— the  explora- 
tion of  the  North  Polar  basin — hung  in  the  balance. 
If  the  expedition  was  to  be  saved,  it  was  necessary  to 
act  quickly  and  without  hesitation.  Just  as  rapidly  as 
the  message  had  travelled  over  the  cables  I  decided  on 
my  change  of  front — to  turn  to  the  right-about,  and 
face  to  the  South. 

It  was  true  that  I  had  announced  in  my  plan  that 
the  Prams  third  voyage  would  be  in  every  way  a  scien- 
tific expedition,  and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 

42 


CHANGE  OF  PLAN  43 

record-breaking  ;  it  was  also  true  that  many  of  the 
contributors  who  had  so  warmly  supported  me  had 
done  so  with  the  original  plan  before  them  ;  but  in  view 
of  the  altered  circumstances,  and  the  small  prospect  I  now 
had  of  obtaining  funds  for  my  original  plan,  I  considered 
it  neither  mean  nor  unfair  to  my  supporters  to  strike 
a  blow  that  would  at  once  put  the  whole  enterprise  on 
its  feet,  retrieve  the  heavy  expenses  that  the  expedition 
had  already  incurred,  and  save  the  contributions  from 
being  wasted. 

It  was  therefore  with  a  clear  conscience  that  I 
decided  to  postpone  my  original  plan  for  a  year  or 
two,  in  order  to  try  in  the  meantime  to  raise  the 
funds  that  were  still  lacking.  The  North  Pole,  the 
last  problem  but  one  of  popular  interest  in  Polar 
exploration,  was  solved.  If  I  was  now  to  succeed  in 
arousing  interest  in  my  undertaking,  there  was  nothing 
left  for  me  but  to  try  to  solve  the  last  great  problem — 
the  South  Pole. 

I  know  that  I  have  been  reproached  for  not  having 
at  once  made  the  extended  plan  public,  so  that  not  only 
my  supporters,  but  the  explorers  who  were  preparing 
to  visit  the  same  regions  might  have  knowledge  of  it. 
I  was  well  aware  that  these  reproaches  would  come,  and 
had  therefore  carefully  weighed  this  side  of  the  matter. 
As  regards  the  former — the  contributors  to  my  expedi- 
tion— my  mind  was  soon  at  rest.  They  were  all  men 
of  position,  and  above  discussing  the  application  of  the 


44  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

sums  they  had  dedicated  to  the  enterprise.  I  knew 
that  I  enjoyed  such  confidence  among  these  people  that 
they  would  all  judge  the  circumstances  aright,  and  know 
that  when  the  time  came  their  contributions  would  be 
used  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  given.  And 
I  have  already  received  countless  proofs  that  I  was  not 
mistaken. 

Nor  did  I  feel  any  great  scruples  with  regard  to  the 
other  Antarctic  expeditions  that  were  being  planned  at 
the  time.  I  knew  I  should  be  able  to  inform  Captain 
Scott  of  the  extension  of  my  plans  before  he  left  civiliza- 
tion, and  therefore  a  few  months  sooner  or  later  could 
be  of  no  great  importance.  Scott's  plan  and  equipment 
were  so  widely  different  from  my  own  that  I  regarded 
the  telegram  that  I  sent  him  later,  with  the  information 
that  we  were  bound  for  the  Antarctic  regions,  rather  as 
a  mark  of  courtesy  than  as  a  communication  which  might 
cause  him  to  alter  his  programme  in  the  slightest  degree. 
The  British  expedition  was  designed  entirely  for  scien- 
tific research.  The  Pole  was  only  a  side-issue,  whereas 
in  my  extended  plan  it  was  the  main  object.  On  this 
little  detour  science  would  have  to  look  after  itself ;  but 
of  course  I  knew  very  well  that  we  could  not  reach  the 
Pole  by  the  route  I  had  determined  to  take  without 
enriching  in  a  considerable  degree  several  branches  of 
science. 

Our  preparations  were  entirely  different,  and  I  doubt 
whether  Captain  Scott,  with   his   great   knowledge  of 


REASONS  FOR  SECRECY  45 

Antarctic  exploration,  would  have  departed  in  any 
point  from  the  experience  he  had  gained  and  altered  his 
equipment  in  accordance  with  that  which  I  found  it 
best  to  employ.  For  I  came  far  short  of  Scott  both  in 
experience  and  means. 

As  regards  Lieutenant  Shirase  in  the  Kainan  Maru, 
I  understood  it  to  be  his  plan  to  devote  his  whole  atten- 
tion to  King  Edward  VII.  Land. 

After  thus  thoroughly  considering  these  questions, 
I  came  to  the  conclusions  I  have  stated,  and  my  plan 
was  irrevocably  fixed.  If  at  that  juncture  I  had  made 
my  intention  public,  it  would  only  have  given  occasion 
for  a  lot  of  newspaper  discussion,  and  possibly  have 
ended  in  the  project  being  stifled  at  its  birth.  Every- 
thing had  to  be  got  ready  quietly  and  calmly.  My 
brother,  upon  whose  absolute  silence  I  could  blindly 
rely,  was  the  only  person  I  let  into  the  secret  of  my 
change  of  plan,  and  he  did  me  many  important  services 
during  the  time  when  we  alone  shared  the  knowledge. 
Then  Lieutenant  Thorvald  Nilsen — at  that  time  first 
officer  of  the  Fram,  now  her  commander — returned 
home,  and  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  inform  him 
immediately  of  my  resolve.  The  way  in  which  he 
received  it  made  me  feel  safe  in  my  choice  of  him. 
I  saw  that  in  him  I  had  found  not  only  a  capable  and 
trustworthy  man,  but  a  good  comrade  as  well ;  and  this 
was  a  point  of  the  highest  importance.  If  the  relations 
between  the  chief  and  the  second  in  command  are  good, 


46  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

much  unpleasantness  and  many  unnecessary  worries  can 
be  avoided.  Besides  which,  a  good  understanding  in 
this  quarter  gives  an  example  to  the  whole  ship.  It 
was  a  great  relief  to  me  when  Captain  Nilsen  came 
home  in  January,  1910,  and  was  able  to  help — which  he 
did  with  a  good  will,  a  capability,  and  a  reliability  that  I 
have  no  words  to  commend. 

The  following  was  the  plan  of  the  Pram's  southern 
voyage :  Departure  from  Norway  at  latest  before  the 
middle  of  August.  Madeira  was  to  be  the  first  and 
only  place  of  call.  From  there  a  course  was  to  be  made 
on  the  best  route  for  a  sailing-ship — for  the  Fram  cannot 
be  regarded  as  anything  else — southward  through  the 
Atlantic,  and  then  to  the  east,  passing  to  the  south  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  Australia,  and  finally 
pushing  through  the  pack  and  into  Ross  Sea  about 
New  Year,  1911. 

As  a  base  of  operations  I  had  chosen  the  most 
southerly  point  we  could  reach  with  the  vessel — the  Bay 
of  Whales  in  the  great  Antarctic  Barrier.  We  hoped  to 
arrive  here  about  January  15.  After  having  landed  the 
selected  shore  party — about  ten  men — with  materials 
for  a  house,  equipment,  and  provisions  for  two  years, 
the  Fram  was  to  go  out  again  and  up  to  Buenos  Aires,  in 
order  to  carry  out  from  there  an  oceanographical  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  to  the  coast  of  Africa  and  back. 
In  October  she  was  to  return  to  the  Bay  of  Whales  and 
take  off  the  shore  party.  So  much,  but  no  more,  could 


CHOICE  OF  STATION  47 

be  settled  beforehand.  The  further  progress  of  the 
expedition  could  only  be  determined  later,  when  the 
work  in  the  South  was  finished. 

My  knowledge  of  the  Ross  Barrier  was  due  to  descrip- 
tions alone  ;  but  I  had  so  carefully  studied  all  the 
literature  that  treats  of  these  regions,  that,  on  first 
encountering  this  mighty  mass  of  ice,  I  felt  as  if  I 
had  known  it  for  many  years. 

After  thorough  consideration,  I  fixed  upon  the  Bay  of 
Whales  as  a  winter  station,  for  several  reasons.  In  the 
first  place,  because  we  could  there  go  farther  south  in  the 
ship  than  at  any  other  point — a  whole  degree  farther 
south  than  Scott  could  hope  to  get  in  McMurdo  Sound, 
where  he  was  to  have  his  station.  And  this  would  be 
of  very  great  importance  in  the  subsequent  sledge 
journey  toward  the  Pole.  Another  great  advantage 
was  that  we  came  right  on  to  our  field  of  work,  and 
could  see  from  our  hut  door  the  conditions  and  surface 
we  should  have  to  deal  with.  Besides  this,  I  was 
justified  in  supposing  that  the  surface  southward  from 
this  part  of  the  Barrier  would  be  considerably  better, 
and  offer  fewer  difficulties  than  the  piled-up  ice  along 
the  land.  In  addition,  animal  life  in  the  Bay  of  Whales 
was,  according  to  the  descriptions,  extraordinarily  rich, 
and  offered  all  the  fresh  meat  we  required  in  the  form 
of  seals,  penguins,  etc. 

Besides  these  purely  technical  and  material  advantages 
which  the  Barrier  seemed  to  possess  as  a  winter  station, 


48  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

it  offered  a  specially  favourable  site  for  an  investigation 
of  the  meteorological  conditions,  since  here  one  would  be 
unobstructed  by  land  on  all  sides.  It  would  be  possible 
to  study  the  character  of  the  Barrier  by  daily  observa- 
tions on  the  very  spot  better  than  anywhere  else.  Such 
interesting  phenomena  as  the  movement,  feeding,  and 
calving  of  this  immense  mass  of  ice  could,  of  course,  be 
studied  very  fully  at  this  spot. 

Last,  but  not  least,  there  was  the  enormous  advantage 
that  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  reach  in  the  vessel. 
No  expedition  had  yet  been  prevented  from  coming  in 
here. 

I  knew  that  this  plan  of  wintering  on  the  Barrier 
itself  would  be  exposed  to  severe  Criticism  as  reckless- 
ness, foolhardiness,  and  so  forth,  for  it  was  generally 
assumed  that  the  Barrier  was  afloat  here,  as  in  other 
places.  Indeed,  it  was  thought  to  be  so  even  by  those 
who  had  themselves  seen  it.  Shackleton's  description 
of  the  conditions  at  the  time  of  his  visit  did  not  seem 
very  promising.  Mile  after  mile  had  broken  away,  and 
he  thanked  God  he  had  not  made  his  camp  there. 
Although  I  have  a  very  great  regard  for  Shackleton,  his 
work  and  his  experience,  I  believe  that  in  this  case  his 
conclusion  was  too  hasty — fortunately,  I  must  add. 
For  if,  when  Shackleton  passed  the  Bay  of  Whales  on 
January  24, 1908,  and  saw  the  ice  of  the  bay  in  process  of 
breaking  up  and  drifting  out,  he  had  waited  a  few  hours, 
or  at  the  most  a  couple  of  days,  the  problem  of  the  South 


THE  BAY  OF  WHALES  49 

Pole  would  probably  have  been  solved  long  before 
December,  1911.  With  his  keen  sight  and  sound  judg- 
ment, it  would  not  have  taken  him  long  to  determine 
that  the  inner  part  of  the  bay  does  not  consist  of  floating 
barrier,  but  that  the  Barrier  there  rests  upon  a  good, 
solid  foundation,  probably  in  the  form  of  small  islands, 
skerries,  or  shoals,  and  from  this  point  he  and  his  able 
companions  would  have  disposed  of  the  South  Polar 
question  once  for  all.  But  circumstances  willed  it 
otherwise,  and  the  veil  was  only  lifted,  not  torn  away. 

I  had  devoted  special  study  to  this  peculiar  formation 
in  the  Barrier,  and  had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
the  inlet  that  exists  to-day  in  the  Ross  Barrier  under  the 
name  of  the  Bay  of  Whales  is  nothing  else  than  the  self- 
same bight  that  was  observed  by  Sir  James  Clark  Ross- 
no  doubt  with  great  changes  of  outline,  but  still  the  same. 
For  seventy  years,  then,  this  formation — with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  pieces  that  had  broken  away — had  persisted 
in  the  same  place.  I  therefore  concluded  that  it  could 
be  no  accidental  formation.  What,  once,  in  the  dawn 
of  time,  arrested  the  mighty  stream  of  ice  at  this  spot 
and  formed  a  lasting  bay  in  its  edge,  which  with  few 
exceptions  runs  in  an  almost  straight  line,  was  not 
merely  a  passing  whim  of  the  fearful  force  that  came 
crashing  on,  but  something  even  stronger  than  that— 
something  that  was  firmer  than  the  hard  ice — namely, 
the  solid  land.  Here  in  this  spot,  then,  the  Barrier 
piled  itself  up  and  formed  the  bay  we  now  call  the 

VOL.  i.  4 


50  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

Bay  of  Whales.  The  observations  we  made  during 
our  stay  there  confirm  the  correctness  of  this  theory. 
I  therefore  had  no  misgivings  in  placing  our  station  on 
this  part  of  the  Barrier. 

The  plan  of  the  shore  party  was,  as  soon  as  the  hut 
was  built  and  provisions  landed,  to  carry  supplies  into 
the  field,  and  lay  down  depots  as  far  to  the  south  as 
possible.  I  hoped  to  get  such  a  quantity  of  provisions 
brought  down  to  lat.  80°  S.,  that  we  should  be  able  to 
regard  this  latitude  as  the  real  starting-place  of  the 
actual  sledge  journey  to  the  Pole.  We  shall  see  later 
that  this  hope  was  more  than  fulfilled,  and  a  labour 
many  times  greater  than  this  was  performed.  By  the 
time  this  depot  work  was  accomplished  winter  would  be 
before  us,  and  with  the  knowledge  we  had  of  the  con- 
ditions in  the  Antarctic  regions,  every  precaution  would 
have  to  be  taken  to  meet  the  coldest  and  probably  the 
most  stormy  weather  that  any  Polar  expedition  had 
hitherto  encountered.  My  object  was,  when  winter  had 
once  set  in,  and  everything  in  the  station  was  in  good 
working  order,  to  concentrate  all  our  forces  upon  the 
one  object — that  of  reaching  the  Pole. 

I  intended  to  try  to  get  people  with  me  who  were 
specially  fitted  for  outdoor  work  in  the  cold.  Even 
more  necessary  was  it  to  find  men  who  were  experienced 
dog-drivers ;  I  saw  what  a  decisive  bearing  this  would 
have  on  the  result.  There  are  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages in  having  experienced  people  with  one  on 


HELMER   HANSSEN,    ICE    PILOT    (A   MEMBER   OF   THE    POLAR    PARTY). 


To  face  page  50,  Vol.  I. 


SELECTION  OF  SHORE  PARTY          51 

an  expedition  like  this.  The  advantages  are  obvious. 
If  a  variety  of  experiences  are  brought  together  and 
used  with  common  sense,  of  course  a  great  deal  can  be 
achieved.  The  experience  of  one  man  will  often  come 
in  opportunely  where  that  of  another  falls  short.  The 
experiences  of  several  will  supplement  each  other,  and 
form  something  like  a  perfect  whole ;  this  is  what  I 
hoped  to  obtain.  But  there  is  no  rose  without  a  thorn ; 
if  it  has  its  advantages,  it  also  has  its  .drawbacks.  The 
drawback  to  which  one  is  liable  in  this  case  is  that 
someone  or  other  may  think  he  possesses  so  much 
experience  that  every  opinion  but  his  own  is  worthless. 
It  is,  of  course,  regrettable  when  experience  takes 
this  turn,  but  with  patience  and  common  sense  it  can 
be  broken  of  it.  In  any  case,  the  advantages  are  so 
great  and  predominant  that  I  had  determined  to  have 
experienced  men  to  the  greatest  extent  possible.  It 
was  my  plan  to  devote  the  entire  winter  to  working  at 
our  outfit,  arid  to  get  it  as  near  to  perfection  as  possible. 
Another  thing  to  which  we  should  have  to  give  some 
time  was  the  killing  of  a  sufficient  number  of  seals  to 
provide  fresh  meat  both  for  ourselves  and  our  dogs  for 
the  whole  time.  Scurvy,  the  worst  enemy  of  Polar 
expeditions,  must  be  kept  off  at  all  costs,  and  to  achieve 
this  it  was  my  intention  to  use  fresh  meat  every  day. 
It  proved  easy  to  carry  out  this  rule,  since  everyone, 
without  exception,  preferred  seal  meat  to  tinned  foods. 
And  when  spring  came  I  hoped  that  my  companions 


52  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

and  I  would  be  ready,  fit  and  well,  with  an  outfit  com- 
plete in  every  way. 

The  plan  was  to  leave  the  station  as  early  in  the 
spring  as  possible.  If  we  had  set  out  to  capture  this 
record,  we  must  at  any  cost  get  there  first.  Everything 
must  be  staked  upon  this.  From  the  very  moment 
when  I  had  formed  the  plan,  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
that  our  course  from  the  Bay  of  Whales  must  be  set 
due  south,  and  follow  the  same  meridian,  if  possible, 
right  up  to  the  Pole.  The  effect  of  this  would  be  that 
we  should  traverse  an  entirely  new  region,  and  gain 
other  results  besides  beating  the  record. 

I  was  greatly  astonished  to  hear,  on  my  return  from 
the  South,  that  some  people  had  actually  believed  we 
had  set  our  course  from  the  Bay  of  Whales  for  Beard- 
more  Glacier — Shackleton's  route — and  followed  it  to 
the  south.  Let  me  hasten  to  assure  them  that  this  idea 
never  for  a  single  instant  crossed  my  mind  when  I  made 
the  plan.  Scott  had  announced  that  he  was  going  to 
take  Shackleton's  route,  and  that  decided  the  matter. 
During  our  long  stay  at  Framheim  not  one  of  us  ever 
hinted  at  the  possibility  of  such  a  course.  Without 
discussion  Scott's  route  was  declared  out  of  bounds. 

No ;  due  south  was  our  way,  and  the  country  would 
have  to  be  difficult  indeed  to  stop  our  getting  on  to  the 
plateau.  Our  plan  was  to  go  south,  and  not  to  leave 
the  meridian  unless  we  were  forced  to  do  so  by  insuper- 
able difficulties.  I  foresaw,  of  course,  that  there  would 


THE  PLAN  OUTLINED  53 

be  some  who  would  attack  me  and  accuse  me  of  "  shabby 
rivalry,"  etc.,  and  they  would  perhaps  have  had  some 
shadow  of  justification  if  we  had  really  thought  of 
taking  Captain  Scott's  route.  But  it  never  occurred  to 
us  for  a  moment.  Our  starting-point  lay  350  geograph- 
ical miles  from  Scott's  winter  quarters  in  McMurdo 
Sound,  so  there  could  be  no  question  of  encroaching 
upon  his  sphere  of  action.  Moreover,  Professor  Nansen, 
in  his  direct  and  convincing  way,  has  put  an  end  once 
for  all  to  this  twaddle,  so  that  I  need  not  dwell  upon  it 
any  longer. 

I  worked  out  the  plan,  as  here  given,  at  my  home  on 
Bundefjord,  near  Christiania,  in  September,  1909,  and 
as  it  was  laid,  so  was  it  carried  out  to  the  last  detail. 
That  my  estimate  of  the  time  it  would  take  was  not  so 
very  far  out  is  proved  by  the  final  sentence  of  the  plan  : 
"  Thus  we  shall  be  back  from  the  Polar  journey  on 
January  25."     It  was  on  January  25,  1912,  that  we  came 
into  Framheim  after  our  successful  journey  to  the  Pole. 
This  was  not  the  only  time  our  calculations  proved 
correct ;  Captain  Nilsen  showed  himself  to  be  a  veritable 
magician  in  this  way.     While  I  contented  myself  with 
reckoning  dates,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  go  into  hours. 
He  calculated   that  we  should   reach   the   Barrier   on 
January    15,  1911  ;   this  is  a  distance  of  16,000  geo- 
graphical miles  from  Norway.     We  were  at  the  Barrier 
on  January  14,  one  day  before  the  time.      There  was 
not  much  wrong  with  that  estimate. 


54  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

In  accordance  with  the  Storthing's  resolution  of 
February  9,  1909,  the  Fram  was  lent  for  the  use  of  the 
expedition,  and  a  sum  of  75,000  kroner  (£4,132)  was 
voted  for  repairs  and  necessary  alterations. 

The  provisions  were  chosen  with  the  greatest  care, 
and  packed  with  every  precaution.  All  groceries  were 
soldered  in  tin  boxes,  and  then  enclosed  in  strong  wooden 
cases.  The  packing  of  tinned  provisions  is  of  enormous 
importance  to  a  Polar  expedition  ;  it  is  impossible  to 
give  too  much  attention  to  this  part  of  the  supplies. 
Any  carelessness,  any  perfunctory  packing  on  the  part 
of  the  factory,  will  as  a  rule  lead  to  scurvy.  It  is 
an  interesting  fact  that  on  the  four  Norwegian  Polar 
expeditions — the  three  voyages  of  the  Fram  and  the 
Gjod's  voyage — not  a  single  case  of  scurvy  occurred. 
This  is  good  evidence  of  the  care  with  which  these 
expeditions  were  provisioned. 

In  this  matter  we  owe  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  above 
all  to  Professor  Sophus  Torup,  who  has  always  been  the 
supervising  authority  in  the  matter  of  provisioning,  this 
time  as  well  as  on  the  former  occasions. 

Great  praise  is  also  due  to  the  factories  that  supplied 
our  tinned  goods.  By  their  excellent  and  conscientious 
work  they  deserved  well  of  the  expedition.  In  this  case 
a  part  of  the  supplies  was  entrusted  to  a  Stavanger 
factory,  which,  in  addition  to  the  goods  supplied  to 
order,  with  great  generosity  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  expedition  provisions  to  the  value  of  2,000  kroner 


PROVISIONING  55 

(£110).  The  other  half  of  the  tinned  foods  required 
was  ordered  from  a  firm  at  Moss.  The  manager  of  this 
firm  undertook  at  the  same  time  to  prepare  the  neces- 
sary pemmican  for  men  and  dogs,  and  executed  this 
commission  in  a  way  that  I  cannot  sufficiently  praise. 
Thanks  to  this  excellent  preparation,  the  health  both  of 
men  and  dogs  on  the  journey  to  the  Pole  was  always 
remarkably  good.  The  pemmican  we  took  was  essen- 
tially different  from  that  which  former  expeditions  had 
used.  Previously  the  pemmican  had  contained  nothing 
but  the  desired  mixture  of  dried  meat  and  lard  ;  ours 
had,  besides  these,  vegetables  and  oatmeal,  an  addition 
which  greatly  improves  its  flavour,  and,  as  far  as  we 
could  judge,  makes  it  easier  to  digest. 

This  kind  of  pemmican  was  first  produced  for  the  use 
of  the  Norwegian  Army ;  it  was  intended  to  take  the 
place  of  the  "emergency  ration."  The  experiment  was 
not  concluded  at  the  time  the  expedition  left,  but  it 
may  be  hoped  that  the  result  has  proved  satisfactory. 
A  more  stimulating,  nourishing,  and  appetizing  food,  it 
would  be  impossible  to  find. 

But  besides  the  pemmican  for  ourselves,  that  for  our 
dogs  was  equally  important,  for  they  are  just  as  liable  to 
be  attacked  by  scurvy  as  we  men.  The  same  care  had 
therefore  to  be  devoted  to  the  preparation  of  their  food. 
We  obtained  from  Moss  two  kinds  of  pemmican,  one 
made  with  fish  and  the  other  with  meat.  Both  kinds 
contained,  besides  the  dried  fish  (or  meat)  and  lard,  a 


56  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

certain  proportion  of  dried  milk  and  middlings.  Both 
kinds  were  equally  excellent,  and  the  dogs  were  always 
in  splendid  condition.  The  pemmican  was  divided  into 
rations  of  1  pound  1J  ounces,  and  could  be  served  out 
to  the  dogs  as  it  was.  But  before  we  should  be  able  to 
use  this  pemmican  we  had  a  five  months'  voyage  before 
us,  and  for  this  part  of  the  expedition  I  had  to  look  for 
a  reliable  supply  of  dried  fish.  This  I  found  through 
the  agent  of  the  expedition  at  Tromso,  Mr.  Fritz  Zappfe. 
Two  well-known  firms  also  placed  large  quantities  of 
the  best  dried  fish  at  my  disposal.  With  all  this  ex- 
cellent fish  and  some  barrels  of  lard  we  succeeded  in 
bringing  our  dogs  through  in  the  best  of  condition. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  our  preparations  was 
to  find  good  dogs.  As  I  have  said,  I  had  to  act  with 
decision  and  promptitude  if  I  was  to  succeed  in  getting 
everything  in  order.  The  day  after  my  decision  was 
made,  therefore,  I  was  on  my  way  to  Copenhagen,  where 
the  Inspectors  for  Greenland,  Messrs.  Daugaard-Jensen 
and  Beritzen,  were  to  be  found  at  that  moment.  The 
director  of  the  Royal  Greenland  Trading  Company, 
Mr.  Rydberg,  showed,  as  before,  the  most  friendly 
interest  in  my  undertaking,  and  gave  the  inspectors  a 
free  hand.  I  then  negotiated  with  these  gentlemen, 
and  they  undertook  to  provide  100  of  the  finest  Green- 
land dogs  and  to  deliver  them  in  Norway  in  July,  1910. 
The  dog  question  was  thus  as  good  as  solved,  since  the 
choice  was  placed  in  the  most  expert  hands.  I  was 


CHOICE  OF  DRAUGHT  ANIMALS       57 

personally  acquainted  with  Inspector  Daugaard-Jensen 
from  former  dealings  with  him,  and  knew  that  whatever 
he  undertook  would  be  performed  with  the  greatest 
conscientiousness.  The  administration  of  the  Royal 
Greenland  Trading  Company  gave  permission  for  the 
dogs  to  be  conveyed  free  of  charge  on  board  the  Hans 
Egede  and  delivered  at  Christiansand. 

Before  I  proceed  to  our  further  equipment,  I  must 
say  a  few  more  words  about  the  dogs.  The  greatest 
difference  between  Scott's  and  my  equipment  lay  unr 
doubtedly  in  our  choice  of  draught  animals.  We  had 
heard  that  Scott,  relying  on  his  own  experience,  and 
that  of  Shackleton,  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
Manchurian  ponies  were  superior  to  dogs  on  the  Barrier. 
Among  those  who  were  acquainted  with  the  Eskimo 
dog,  I  do  not  suppose  I  was  the  only  one  who  was 
startled  on  first  hearing  this.  Afterwards,  as  I  read  the 
different  narratives  and  was  able  to  form  an  accurate 
opinion  of  the  conditions  of  surface  and  going,  my 
astonishment  became  even  greater.  Although  I  had 
never  seen  this  part  of  the  Antarctic  regions,  I  was  not 
long  in  forming  an  opinion  diametrically  opposed  to  that 
of  Shackleton  and  Scott,  for  the  conditions  both  of 
going  and  surface  were  precisely  what  one  would  desire 
for  sledging  with  Eskimo  dogs,  to  judge  from  the 
descriptions  of  these  explorers.  If  Peary  could  make 
a  record  trip  on  the  Arctic  ice  with  dogs,  one  ought, 
surely,  with  equally  good  tackle,  to  be  able  to  beat 


58  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

Peary's  record  on  the  splendidly  even  surface  of  the 
Barrier.  There  must  be  some  misunderstanding  or 
other  at  the  bottom  of  the  Englishmen's  estimate  of  the 
Eskimo  dog's  utility  in  the  Polar  regions.  Can  it  be 
that  the  dog  has  not  understood  his  master  ?  Or  is  it 
the  master  who  has  not  understood  his  dog  ?  The  right 
footing  must  be  established  from  the  outset ;  the  dog 
must  understand  that  he  has  to  obey  in  everything,  and 
the  master  must  know  how  to  make  himself  respected. 
If  obedience  is  once  established,  I  am  convinced  that 
the  dog  will  be  superior  to  all  other  draught  animals 
over  these  long  distances. 

Another  very  important  reason  for  using  the  dog  is 
that  this  small  creature  can  much  more  easily  cross  the 
numerous  slight  snow-bridges  that  are  not  to  be  avoided 
on  the  Barrier  and  on  the  glaciers.  If  a  dog  falls  into  a 
crevasse  there  is  no  great  harm  done  ;  a  tug  at  his  harness 
and  he  is  out  again ;  but  it  is  another  matter  with  a 
pony.-  This  comparatively  large  and  heavy  animal  of 
course  falls  through  far  more  easily,  and  if  this  happens, 
it  is  a  long  and  stiff  job  to  get  the  beast  hauled  up 
again  —  unless,  indeed,  the  traces  have  broken  and 
the  pony  lies  at  the  bottom  of  a  crevasse  1,000  feet 
deep. 

And  then  there  is  the  obvious  advantage  that  dog 
can  be  fed  on  dog.  One  can  reduce  one's  pack  little  by 
little,  slaughtering  the  feebler  ones  and  feeding  the 
chosen  with  them.  In  this  way  they  get  fresh  meat. 


SUPERIORITY  OF  DOGS  59 

Our  dogs  lived  on  dog's  flesh  and  pemmican  the  whole 
way,  and  this  enabled  them  to  do  splendid  work. 

And  if  we  ourselves  wanted  a  piece  of  fresh  meat  we  (s 
could  cut  off  a  delicate  little  fillet ;  it  tasted  to  us  as 
good  as  the  best  beef.  The  dogs  do  not  object  at  all ; 
as  long  as  they  get  their  share  they  do  not  mind  what 
part  of  their  comrade's  carcass  it  comes  from.  All  that 
was  left  after  one  of  these  canine  meals  was  the  teeth  of 
the  victim — and  if  it  had  been  a  really  hard  day,  these 
also  disappeared. 

If  we  take  a  step  farther,  from  the  Barrier  to  the 
plateau,  it  would  seem  that  every  doubt  of  the  dog's 
superiority  must  disappear.  Not  only  can  one  get  the 
dogs  up  over  the  huge  glaciers  that  lead  to  the  plateau, 
but  one  can  make  full  use  of  them  the  whole  way. 
Ponies,  on  the  other  hand,  have  to  be  left  at  the  foot  of 
the  glacier,  while  the  men  themselves  have  the  doubtful 
pleasure  of  acting  as  ponies.  As  I  understand  Shackle- 
ton's  account,  there  can  be  no  question  of  hauling  the 
ponies  over  the  steep  and  crevassed  glaciers.  It  must 
be  rather  hard  to  have  to  abandon  one's  motive  power 
voluntarily  when  only  a  quarter  of  the  distance  has 
been  covered.  I  for  my  part  prefer  to  use  it  all 
the  way. 

From  the  very  beginning  I  saw  that  the  first  part  of 
our  expedition,  from  Norway  to  the  Barrier,  would  be 
the  most  dangerous  section.  If  we  could  only  reach 
the  Barrier  with  our  dogs  safe  and  well,  the  future 


60  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

would  be  bright  enough.  Fortunately  all  my  comrades 
took  the  same  view  of  the  matter,  and  with  their  co- 
operation we  succeeded  not  only  in  bringing  the  dogs 
safely  to  our  field  of  operations,  but  in  landing  them  in 
far  better  condition  than  when  we  received  them.  Their 
number  was  also  considerably  increased  on  the  way, 
which  seems  to  be  another  proof  of  a  flourishing  state  of 
things.  To  protect  them  against  damp  and  heat  we 
laid  a  loose  deck  of  planed  boards  about  3  inches  above 
the  fixed  deck,  an  arrangement  by  which  all  the  rain 
and  spray  ran  underneath  the  dogs.  In  this  way  we 
kept  them  out  of  the  water,  which  must  always  be 
running  from  side  to  side  on  the  deck  of  a  deep-laden 
vessel  on  her  way  to  the  Antarctic  Ocean.  Going  through 
the  tropics  this  loose  deck  did  double  service.  It  always 
afforded  a  somewhat  cool  surface,  as  there  was  a  fresh 
current  of  air  between  the  two  decks.  The  main  deck, 
which  was  black  with  tar,  would  have  been  unbearably 
hot  for  the  animals ;  the  false  deck  was  high,  and  kept 
fairly  white  during  the  whole  voyage.  We  carried 
awnings  in  addition,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  dogs. 
These  awnings  could  be  stretched  over  the  whole  vessel 
and  give  the  dogs  constant  protection  from  the  burn- 
ing sun. 

I  still  cannot  help  smiling  when  I  think  of  the  com- 
passionate voices  that  were  raised  here  and  there — and 
even  made  their  way  into  print — about  the  "  cruelty  to 
animals  "  on  board  the  Fram.  Presumably  these  cries 


THE  "FRAMS     PIGSTY. 


THE    PIG  S    TOILET. 


To  face  page  GO,  Vol.  I. 


CLOTHING  61 

came  from  tender-hearted  individuals  who  themselves 
kept  watch-dogs  tied  up. 

Besides  our  four-footed  companions,  we  took  with  us 
a  two-footed  one,  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  serious 
work  in  the  Polar  regions  as  for  pleasant  entertainment 
on  the  way.  This  was  our^canary^"  Fridtjof."  It  was 
one  of  the  many  presents  made  to  the  expedition,  and 
not  the  least  welcome  of  them.  It  began  to  sing  as 
soon  as  it  came  on  board,  and  has  now  kept  it  going  on 
two  circumnavigations  through  the  most  inhospitable 
waters  of  the  earth.  It  probably  holds  the  record  as  a 
Polar  traveller  among  its  kind. 

Later  on  we  had  a  considerable  collection  of  various 
families :  pigs,  fowls,  sheep,  cats,  and — rats.  Yes,  un- 
fortunately, we  knew  what  it  was  to  have  rats  on  board, 
the  most  repulsive  of  all  creatures,  and  the  worst 
vermin  I  know  of.  But  we  have  declared  war  against 
them,  and  off  they  shall  go  before  the  Fram  starts  on 
her  next  voyage.  We  got  them  in  Buenos  Aires,  and 
the  best  thing  will  be  to  bury  them  in  their  native 
land. 

On  account  of  the  rather  straitened  circumstances  the 
expedition  had  to  contend  with,  I  had  to  look  twice  at 
every  shilling  before  I  spent  it.  Articles  of  clothing 
are  an  important  factor  in  a  Polar  expedition,  and  1 
consider  it  necessary  that  the  expedition  should  provide 
each  of  its  members  with  the  actual  "Polar  clothing." 
If  one  left  this  part  of  the  equipment  to  each  individual, 


62  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

I  am  afraid  things  would  look  badly  before  the  journey 
was  done.  I  must  admit  that  there  was  some  temptation 
to  do  this.  It  would  have  been  very  much  cheaper  if  I 
had  simply  given  each  man  a  list  of  what  clothes  he 
was  required  to  provide  for  himself.  But  by  so  doing 
I  should  have  missed  the  opportunity  of  personally 
supervising  the  quality  of  the  clothing  to  the  extent  I 
desired. 

It  was  not  an  outfit  that  cut  a  dash  by  its 
appearance,  but  it  was  warm  and  strong.  From  the 
commissariat  stores  at  Horten  I  obtained  many  excel- 
lent articles.  I  owe  Captain  Pedersen,  the  present 
chief  of  the  Commissariat  Department,  my  heartiest 
thanks  for  the  courtesy  he  always  showed  me  when  I 
came  to  get  things  out  of  him.  Through  him  I  had 
about  200  blankets  served  out  to  me.  Now,  the  reader 
must  not  imagine  a  bed  and  bedding,  such  as  he  may 
see  exhibited  in  the  windows  of  furniture  shops,  with 
thick,  white  blankets,  so  delicate  that  in  spite  of  their 
thickness  they  look  as  if  they  might  float  away  of  their 
own  accord,  so  light  and  fine  do  they  appear.  It  was 
not  blankets  like  these  that  Captain  Pedersen  gave  us  ; 
we  should  not  have  known  what  to  do  with  them  if  he 
had.  The  blankets  the  commissariat  gave  us  were  of 
an  entirely  different  sort.  As  to  their  colour — well,  I 
can  only  call  it  indeterminable — and  they  did  not  give 
one  the  impression  that  they  would  float  away  either,  if 
one  let  go  of  them.  No,  they  would  keep  on  the 


NEW  USE  FOR  NAVY  BLANKETS       63 

ground  right  enough  ;  they  were  felted  and  pressed 
together  into  a  thick,  hard  mass.  From  the  dawn  of 
time  they  had  served  our  brave  warriors  at  sea,  and  it 
is  by  no  means  impossible  that  some  of  them  had 
gruesome  stories  to  tell  of  the  days  of  Tordenskjold. 
The  first  thing  I  did,  on  obtaining  possession  of  these 
treasures,  was  to  get  them  into  the  dyeing-vat.  They 
were  unrecognizable  when  I  got  them  back — in  ultra- 
marine blue,  or  whatever  it  was  called.  The  metamor- 
phosis was  complete  :  their  warlike  past  was  wiped  out. 
My  intention  was  to  have  these  two  hundred  blankets 
made  into  Polar  clothing,  and  I  took  counsel  with  myself 
how  I  might  get  this  done.  To  disclose  the  origin  of 
the  stuff  would  be  an  unfortunate  policy.  No  tailor  in 
the  world  would  make  clothes  out  of  old  blankets,  I  was 
pretty  sure  of  that.  I  had  to  hit  upon  some  stratagem. 
I  heard  of  a  man  who  was  a  capable  worker  at  his  trade, 
and  asked  him  to  come  and  see  me.  My  office  looked 
exactly  like  a  woollen  warehouse,  with  blankets  every- 
where. The  tailor  arrived.  "  Was  that  the  stuff?" 
"  Yes,  that  was  it.  Just  imported  from  abroad.  A 
great  bargain.  A  lot  of  samples  dirt  cheap."  I  had 
put  on  my  most  innocent  and  unconcerned  expression. 
I  saw  the  tailor  glance  at  me  sideways ;  I  suppose  he 
thought  the  samples  were  rather  large.  "A  closely 
woven  stuff,"  said  he,  holding  it  up  to  the  light.  "  I 
could  almost  swear  it  was  '  felted.' '  We  went  care- 
fully through  every  single  sample,  and  took  the  number. 


64  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

It  was  a  long  and  tedious  business,  and  I  was  glad 
when  I  saw  that  at  last  we  were  nearing  the  end.  Over 
in  a  corner  there  lay  a  few  more  ;  we  had  reached  the 
one  hundred  and  ninety-third,  so  there  could  not  be 
many  in  the  pile.  I  was  occupied  with  something  else, 
and  the  tailor  went  through  the  remainder  by  himself. 
I  was  just  congratulating  myself  on  the  apparently 
fortunate  result  of  the  morning's  work  when  I  was 
startled  by  an  exclamation  from  the  man  in  the  corner. 
It  sounded  like  the  bellow  of  a  mad  bull.  Alas  !  there 
stood  the  tailor  enveloped  in  ultramarine,  and  swinging 
over  his  head  a  blanket,  the  couleur  changeante  of 
which  left  no  doubt  as  to  the  origin  of  the  "  directly 
imported"  goods.  With  a  look  of  thunder  the  man 
quitted  me,  and  I  sank  in  black  despair.  I  never  saw 
him  again.  The  fact  was  that  in  my  hurry  I  had  for- 
gotten the  sample  blanket  that  Captain  Pedersen  had 
sent  me.  That  was  the  cause  of  the  catastrophe. 

Well,  I  finally  succeeded  in  getting  the  work  exe- 
cuted, and  it  is  certain  that  no  expedition  has  ever  had 
warmer  and  stronger  clothing  than  this.  It  was  in  great 
favour  on  board. 

I  also  thought  it  best  to  provide  good  oilskins,  and 
especially  good  sea-boots  for  every  man.  The  sea- 
boots  were  therefore  made  to  measure,  and  of  the  very 
best  material.  I  had  them  made  by  the  firm  I  have 
always  regarded  as  the  best  in  that  branch.  How, 
then,  shall  I  describe  our  grief  when,  on  the  day  we 


PERSONAL  OUTFIT  65 

were  to  wear  our  beautiful  sea-boots,  we  discovered  that 
most  of  them  were  useless  ?  Some  of  the  men  could 
dance  a  hornpipe  in  theirs  without  taking  the  boots  off 
the  deck.  Others,  by  exerting  all  their  strength,  could 
not  squeeze  their  foot  through  the  narrow  way  and 
reach  paradise.  The  leg  was  so  narrow  that  even  the 
most  delicate  little  foot  could  not  get  through  it,  and 
to  make  up  for  this  the  foot  of  the  boot  was  so  huge 
that  it  could  comfortably  accommodate  twice  as  much 
as  its  owner  could  show.  Very  few  were  able  to  wear 
their  boots.  We  tried  changing,  but  that  was  no  use  ; 
the  boots  were  not  made  for  any  creatures  of  this  planet. 
But  sailors  are  sailors  wherever  they  may  be ;  it  is  not 
easy  to  beat  them.  Most  of  them  knew  the  proverb 
that  one  pair  of  boots  that  fit  is  better  than  ten  pairs 
that  you  can't  put  on,  and  had  brought  their  own  with 
them.  And  so  we  got  out  of  that  difficulty. 

We  took  three  sets  of  linen  underclothing  for  every 
man,  to  wear  in  the  warm  regions.  This  part  of  the 
equipment  was  left  to  each  individual :  most  men  possess 
a  few  old  shirts,  and  not  much  more  is  wanted  through 
the  tropics.  For  the  cold  regions  there  were  two  sets 
of  extra  thick  woollen  underclothing,  two  thick  hand- 
knitted  woollen  jerseys,  six  pairs  of  knitted  stockings, 
Iceland  and  other  lighter  jackets,  socks  and  stockings 
from  the  penitentiary. 

Besides  these  we  had  a  quantity  of  clothing  from  the 
army  depots.  I  owe  many  thanks  to  General  Keilhau 

VOL.   I.  5 


66  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

for  the  kind  way  in  which  he  fell  in  with  all  my  wishes. 
From  this  quarter  we  obtained  outer  clothing  for  both 
cold  and  warm  climates,  underclothes,  boots,  shoes, 
wind- clothing,  and  cloths  of  different  kinds. 

As  the  last  item  of  our  personal  equipment  I  may 
mention  that  each  man  had  a  suit  of  sealskin  from 
Greenland.  Then  there  were  such  things  as  darning- 
wool,  sewing-yarn,  needles  of  all  possible  sizes,  buttons, 
scissors,  tapes — broad  and  narrow,  black  and  white, 
blue  and  red.  I  may  safely  assert  that  nothing  was 
forgotten ;  we  were  well  and  amply  equipped  in  every 
way. 

Another  side  of  our  preparations  which  claimed  some 
attention  was  the  fitting  up  of  the  quarters  we  were  to 
inhabit,  the  saloons  and  cabins.  What  an  immense 
difference  it  makes  if  one  lives  in  comfortable  surround- 
ings. For  my  part,  I  can  do  twice  the  amount  of  work 
when  I  see  tidiness  and  comfort  around  me.  The  saloons 
on  the  Fram  were  very  handsomely  and  tastefully 
fitted.  Here  we  owe,  in  the  first  place,  our  respectful 
thanks  to  King  Haakon  and  Queen  Maud  for  the 
photographs  they  presented  to  us ;  they  were  the  most 
precious  of  our  gifts.  The  ladies  of  Horten  gave  us 
a  number  of  pretty  things  for  decorating  the  cabins,  and 
they  will  no  doubt  be  glad  to  hear  of  the  admiration 
they  aroused  wherever  we  went.  "  Is  this  really  a  Polar 
ship  ?"  people  asked ;  "  we  expected  to  see  nothing  but 
wooden  benches  and  bare  walls."  And  they  began  to 


MISCELLANEOUS  SUPPLIES  67 

talk  about  "  boudoirs  "  and  things  of  that  sort.  Besides 
splendid  embroideries,  our  walls  were  decorated  with  the 
most  wonderful  photographs ;  it  would  have  rejoiced 
the  giver  of  these  to  hear  all  the  words  of  praise  that 
have  been  bestowed  upon  them. 

The  sleeping  quarters  I  left  to  individual  taste :  every 
man  could  take  a  bit  of  his  home  in  his  own  little 
compartment.  The  bedclothes  came  from  the  naval 
factory  at  Horten ;  they  were  first-class  work,  like 
everything  else  that  came  from  there.  We  owe  our 
best  thanks  to  the  giver  of  the  soft  blankets  that  have 
so  often  been  our  joy  and  put  warmth  into  us  after 
a  bitter  day ;  they  came  from  a  woollen  mill  at 
Trondhjem. 

I  must  also  mention  our  paper-supply,  which  was  in 
all  respects  as  fine  and  elegant  as  it  could  possibly  be : 
the  most  exquisite  notepaper,  stamped  with  a  picture 
of  the  Pram  and  the  name  of  the  expedition,  in  large 
and  small  size,  broad  and  narrow,  old  style  and  new 
style — every  kind  of  notepaper,  in  fact.  Of  pens  and 
penholders,  pencils,  black  and  coloured,  india-rubber, 
Indian  ink,  drawing-pins  and  other  kinds  of  pins,  ink 
and  ink-powder,  white  chalk  and  red  chalk,  gum  arabic 
and  other  gums,  date-holders  and  almanacs,  ship's  logs 
and  private  diaries,  notebooks  and  sledging  diaries,  and 
many  other  things  of  the  same  sort,  we  have  such  a 
stock  that  we  shall  be  able  to  circumnavigate  the  earth 
several  times  more  before  running  short.  This  gift  does 


68  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

honour  to  the  firm  which  sent  it ;  every  time  I  have 
sent  a  letter  or  written  in  my  diary,  I  have  had  a  grate- 
ful thought  for  the  givers. 

From  one  of  the  largest  houses  in  Christiania  we  had 
a  complete  set  of  kitchen  utensils  and  breakfast  and 
dinner  services,  all  of  the  best  kind.  The  cups,  plates, 
knives,  forks,  spoons,  jugs,  glasses,  etc.,  were  all  marked 
writh  the  ship's  name. 

We  carried  an  extraordinarily  copious  library ;  presents 
of  books  were  showered  upon  us  in  great  quantities.  I 
suppose  the  Frames  library  at  the  present  moment 
contains  at  least  3,000  volumes. 

For  our  entertainment  we  also  had  a  good  many 
different  games.  One  of  these  became  our  favourite 
pastime  in  leisure  evenings  down  in  the  South.  Packs 
of  cards  we  had  by  the  dozen,  and  many  of  them  have 
already  been  well  used.  A  gramophone  with  a  large 
supply  of  records  was,  I  think,  our  best  friend.  Of 
musical  instruments  we  had  a  piano,  a  violin,  a  flute, 
mandolins,  not  forgetting  a  mouth-organ  and  an 
accordion.  All  the  publishers  had  been  kind  enough  to 
send  us  music,  so  that  we  could  cultivate  this  art  as 
much  as  we  wished. 

Christmas  presents  streamed  in  from  all  sides;  I 
suppose  we  had  about  five  hundred  on  board.  Christmas- 
trees  and  decorations  for  them,  with  many  other  things 
to  amuse  us  at  Christmas,  were  sent  with  us  by  friends 
and  acquaintances.  People  have  indeed  been  kind  to 


THE  QUESTION  OF  ALCOHOL  69 

us,  and  I  can  assure  the  givers  that  all  their  presents 
have  been,  and  are  still,  much  appreciated. 

We  were  well  supplied  with  wines  and  spirits,  thanks 
to  one  of  the  largest  firms  of  wine-merchants  in 
Christiania.  An  occasional  glass  of  wine  or  a  tot  of 
spirits  were  things  that  we  all,  without  exception,  were 
very  glad  of.  The  question  of  alcohol  on  Polar  expedi- 
tions has  often  been  discussed.  Personally,  I  regard 
alcohol,  used  in  moderation,  as  a  medicine  in  the  Polar 
regions — I  mean,  of  course,  so  long  as  one  is  in  winter 
quarters.  It  is  another  matter  on  sledge  journeys : 
there  we  all  know  from  experience  that  alcohol  must  be 
banished — not  because  a  drink  of  spirits  can  do  any 
harm,  but  on  account  of  the  weight  and  space.  On 
sledging  journeys  one  has,  of  course,  to  save  weight  as 
much  as  possible,  and  to  take  only  what  is  strictly 
necessary ;  and  I  do  not  include  alcohol  under  the  head 
of  strictly  necessary  things.  Nor  was  it  only  in  winter 
quarters  that  we  had  use  for  alcohol,  but  also  on  the 
long,  monotonous  voyage  through  raw,  cold,  and  stormy 
regions.  A  tot  of  spirits  is  often  a  very  good  thing 
when  one  goes  below  after  a  bitter  watch  on  deck  and  is 
just  turning  in.  A  total  abstainer  will  no  doubt  turn  up 
his  nose  and  ask  whether  a  cup  of  good  warm  coffee 
would  not  do  as  well.  For  my  part,  I  think  the  quantity  * 
of  coffee  people  pour  into  themselves  at  such  times  '" 
is  far  more  harmful  than  a  little  Lysholmer  snaps.  And 
think  of  the  important  part  a  glass  of  wine  or  toddy 


70  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

plays  in  social  gatherings  on  such  a  voyage.  Two  men 
who  have  fallen  out  a  little  in  the  course  of  the  week  are 
reconciled  at  once  by  the  scent  of  rum ;  the  past  is 
forgotten,  and  they  start  afresh  in  friendly  co-operation. 
Take  alcohol  away  from  these  little  festivities,  and  you 
will  soon  see  the  difference.  It  is  a  sad  thing,  someone 
will  say,  that  men  absolutely  must  have  alcohol  to  put 
them  in  a  good  humour — and  I  am  quite  ready  to  agree. 
But  seeing  that  our  nature  is  what  it  is,  we  must  try  to 
make  the  best  of  it.  It  seems  as  though  we  civilized 
human  beings  must  have  stimulating  drinks,  and  that 
being  so,  we  have  to  follow  our  own  convictions.  I  am 
for  a  glass  of  toddy.  Let  who  will  eat  plum-cake  and 
swill  hot  coffee — heartburn  and  other  troubles  are  often 
the  result  of  this  kind  of  refreshment.  A  little  toddy 
doesn't  hurt  anybody. 

The  consumption  of  alcohol  on  the  Frairis  third 
voyage  was  as  follows :  One  dram  and  fifteen  drops  at 
dinner  on  Wednesdays  and  Sundays,  and  a  glass  of 
toddy  on  Saturday  evenings.  On  holidays  there  was  an 
additional  allowance. 

We  were  all  well  supplied  with  tobacco  and  cigars 
from  various  firms  at  home  and  abroad.  We  had 
enough  cigars  to  allow  us  one  each  on  Saturday  evenings 
and  after  dinner  on  Sundays. 

Two  Christiania  manufacturers  sent  us  their  finest 
bonbons  and  drops,  and  a  foreign  firm  gave  us  "  Gala 
Peter,"  so  that  it  was  no  rare  thing  to  see  the  Polar 


GROCERIES  AND  MEDICAL  STORES     71 

explorers  helping  themselves  to  a  sweetmeat  or  a  piece 
of  chocolate.  An  establishment  at  Drammen  gave  us 
as  much  fruit  syrup  as  we  could  drink,  and  if  the  giver  ^ 
only  knew  how  many  times  we  blessed  the  excellent 
product  he  supplied,  I  am  sure  he  would  be  pleased. 
On  the  homeward  march  from  the  Pole  we  looked 
forward  every  day  to  getting  nearer  to  our  supply  of 
syrup. 

From  three  different  vfirms  in  Christiania  we  received 
all  our  requirements  in  the  way  of  cheese,  biscuits,  tea, 
sugar,  and  coffee.  The  packing  of  the  last-named  was 
so  efficient  that,  although  the  coffee  was  roasted,  it  is 
still  as  fresh  and  aromatic  as  the  day  it  left  the  ware- 
house. Another  firm  sent  us  soap  enough  for  five 
years,  and  one  uses  a  good  deal  of  that  commodity  even 
on  a  Polar  voyage.  A  man  in  Christiania  had  seen  to 
the  care  of  our  skin,  hair,  and  teeth,  and  it  is  not  his 
fault  if  we  have  not  delicate  skins,  abundant  growth 
of  hair,  and  teeth  like  pearls,  for  the  outfit  was  certainly 
complete  enough. 

An  important  item  of  the  equipment  is  the  medical 
department,  and  here  my  advisers  were  Dr.  Jacob  Roll 
and  Dr.  Holth  ;  therefore  nothing  was  wanting.  A 
chemist  in  Christiania  supplied  all  the  necessary  medi- 
cines as  a  contribution,  carefully  chosen,  and  beautifully 
arranged.  Unfortunately  no  doctor  accompanied  the  .., 
expedition,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  take  all  the  responsi- 
bility myself. 


72  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

Lieutenant  Gjertsen,  who  had  a  pronounced  aptitude 
both  for  drawing  teeth  and  amputating  legs,  went 
through  a  "  lightning  course  "  at  the  hospital  and  the 
dental  hospital.  He  clearly  showed  that  much  may  be 
learnt  in  a  short  time  by  giving  one's  mind  to  it.  With 
surprising  rapidity  and  apparent  confidence  Lieutenant 
Gjertsen  disposed  of  the  most  complicated  cases — 
whether  invariably  to  the  patient's  advantage  is  another 
question,  which  I  shall  leave  undecided.  He  drew  teeth 
with  a  dexterity  that  strongly  reminded  one  of  the 
conjurer's  art ;  one  moment  he  showed  an  empty  pair 
of  forceps,  the  next  there  was  a  big  molar  in  their  grip. 
The  yells  one  heard  while  the  operation  was  in  progress 
seemed  to  indicate  that  it  was  not  entirely  painless. 

A  match  factory  gave  us  all  the  safety  matches  we 
wanted.  They  were  packed  so  securely  that  we  could 
quite  well  have  towed  the  cases  after  us  in  the  sea  all 
the  way,  and  found  the  matches  perfectly  dry  on  arrival. 
We  had  a  quantity  of  ammunition  and  explosives.  As 
the  whole  of  the  lower  hold  was  full  of  petroleum,  the 
Pram  had  a  rather  dangerous  cargo  on  board.  We 
therefore  took  all  possible  precautions  against  fire ; 
extinguishing  apparatus  was  fitted  in  every  cabin  and 
wherever  practicable,  and  pumps  with  hose  were  always 
in  readiness  on  deck. 

The  necessary  ice -tools,  such  as  saws  from  2  to 
6  metres  long,  ice-drills,  etc.,  were  not  forgotten. 

We  had  a  number  of  scientific  instruments  with  us. 


BUILDING  THE  HUT  73 

Professors  Nansen  and  Helland-Hansen  had  devoted 
many  an  hour  to  our  oceanographical  equipment,  which 
was  therefore  a  model  of  what  such  an  equipment 
should  be.  Lieutenants  Prestrud  and  Gjertsen  had 
both  gone  through  the  necessary  course  in  oceanog- 
raphy under  Helland  -  Hansen  at  the  Bergen  bio- 
logical station.  I  myself  had  spent  a  summer  there, 
and  taken  part  in  one  of  the  oceanographical  courses. 
Professor  Helland-Hansen  was  a  brilliant  teacher ;  I  am 
afraid  I  cannot  assert  that  I  was  an  equally  brilliant 
pupil. 

Professor  Mohn  had  given  us  a  complete  meteoro- 
logical outfit.  Among  the  instruments  belonging  to  the 
Fram  I  may  mention  a  pendulum  apparatus,  an  excel- 
lent astronomical  theodolite,  and  a  sextant.  Lieutenant 
Prestrud  studied  the  use  of  the  pendulum  apparatus 
under  Professor  Schiotz  and  the  use  of  the  astronomical 
theodolite  under  Professor  Geelmuyden.  We  had  in 
addition  several  sextants  and  artificial  horizons,  both 
glass  and  mercury.  We  had  binoculars  of  all  sizes, 
from  the  largest  to  the  smallest. 

So  far  I  have  been  dealing  with  our  general  outfit, 
and  shall  now  pass  to  the  special  equipment  of  the 
shore  party.  The  hut  we  took  out  was  built  on  my 
property  on  Bundefjord,  so  that  I  was  able  to  watch  the 
work  as  it  progressed.  It  was  built  by  the  brothers 
Hans  and  Jorgen  Stubberud,  and  was  throughout  a 
splendid  piece  of  work,  which  did  honour  to  both  the 


74  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

brothers.     The  materials  proved  excellent  in  every  way. 
The  hut  was  26  feet  long  by  13  feet  wide  ;  its  height 
from   the   floor   to   the   ridge   of  the   roof  was  about 
12  feet.     It  was  built  as  an  ordinary  Norwegian  house, 
with  pointed  gable,  and  had  two  rooms.     One  of  these 
was  19 J  feet  long,  and  was  to  serve  as  our  dormitory, 
dining-room,   and   sitting-room ;   the  other  room   was 
6j  feet  long,  and  was  to  be  Lindstrom's  kitchen.    From 
the  kitchen  a  double  trap-door  led  to  the  loft,  where  we 
intended  to  keep  a  quantity  of  provisions  and  outfit. 
The  walls   consisted  of  3-inch  planks,  with  air  space 
between ;    panels    outside   and  inside,   with   air   space 
between  them  and  the  plank  walling.     For  insulation 
we  used  cellulose  pulp.     The  floor  and  the  ceiling  be- 
tween the  rooms  and  the  loft  were  double,  while  the 
upper  roof  was  single.     The  doors  were  extraordinarily 
thick  and  strong,  and  fitted  into  oblique  grooves,  so 
that  they  closed  very  tightly.    There  were  two  windows 
— a  triple  one  in  the  end  wall  of  the  main  room,  and 
a  double  one  in  the  kitchen.     For  the  covering  of  the 
roof  we  took  out  roofing-paper,  and  for  the  floor  lino- 
leum.    In  the  main  room  there  were  two  air-pipes,  one 
to  admit  fresh  air,  the  other  for  the  exhaust.     There 
were  bunks  for  ten  men  in  two  stages,  six  on  one  wall 
and  four  on  the  other.     The   furniture   of  the   room 
consisted  of  a  table,  a  stool  for  each  man,  and  a  Lux 
lamp. 

One  half  of  the  kitchen  was  occupied  by  the  range, 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  HUT  75 

the  other  by  shelves  and  cooking  utensils.  The  hut 
was  tarred  several  times,  and  every  part  was  care- 
fully marked,  so  that  it  could  easily  be  set  up. 
To  fasten  it  to  the  ground  and  prevent  the  Antarctic 
storms  from  blowing  it  away  I  had  strong  eyebolts 
screwed  into  each  end  of  the  roof-ridge  and  the  four 
corners  of  the  roof;  we  carried  six  strong  eyebolts, 
a  metre  long,  to  be  rammed  into  the  barrier  ;  between 
these  bolts  and  those  on  the  hut,  steel  wires  were  to  be 
stretched,  which  could  be  drawn  quite  tight.  We  also 
had  two  spare  cables,  which  could  be  stretched  over  the 
roof  if  the  gales  were  too  severe.  The  two  ventilating 
pipes  and  the  chimney  were  secured  outside  with  strong 
stays. 

As  will  be  seen,  every  precaution  was  taken  to  make 
the  hut  warm  and  comfortable,  and  to  hold  it  down  on 
the  ground.  We  also  took  on  board  a  quantity  of  loose 
timber,  boards  and  planks. 

Besides  the  hut  we  took  with  us  fifteen  tents  for 
sixteen  men  each.  Ten  of  these  were  old,  but  good  ; 
they  were  served  out  to  us  from  the  naval  stores ;  the 
other  five  were  new,  and  we  bought  them  from  the 
army  depots.  It  was  our  intention  to  use  the  tents  as 
temporary  houses  ;  they  were  easily  and  quickly  set  up, 
and  were  strong  and  warm.  On  the  voyage  to  the  South 
Ronne  sewed  new  floors  of  good,  strong  canvas  to  the 
five  new  tents. 

All  cases  of  provisions  that  were  intended  for  winter 


76  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

quarters  were  marked  and  stowed  separately  in  the 
hold  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  be  put  out  on  to 
the  ice  at  once. 

We  had  ten  sledges  made  by  a  firm  of  sporting 
outfitters  in  Christiania.  They  were  built  like  the  old 
Nansen  sledges,  but  rather  broader,  and  were  12  feet 
i  long.  The  runners  were  of  the  best  American  hickory, 
shod  with  steel.  The  other  parts  were  of  good,  tough 
Norwegian  ash.  To  each  sledge  belonged  a  pair  of 
spare  runners,  which  could  easily  be  fitted  underneath 
by  means  of  clamps,  and  as  easily  removed  when  not 
required.  The  steel  shoeing  of  the  runners  was  well 
coated  with  red  lead,  and  the  spare  runners  with  tar. 
These  sledges  were  extremely  strongly  built,  and  could 
stand  all  kinds  of  work  on  every  sort  of  surface.  At 
that  time  I  did  not  know  the  conditions  on  the  Barrier 
as  I  afterwards  came  to  know  them.  Of  course,  these 
sledges  were  very  heavy. 

We  took  twenty  pairs  of  ski,  all  of  the  finest  hickory ; 
they  were  8  feet  long,  and  proportionately  narrow.  I 
chose  them  of  this  length  with  a  view  to  being  able 
to  cross  the  numerous  cracks  in  the  glaciers  ;  the  greater 
the  surface  over  which  the  weight  could  be  distributed, 
the  better  prospect  we  should  have  of  slipping  over  the 
snow-bridges.  We  had  forty  ski-poles,  with  ebonite 
points.  The  ski-bindings  were  a  combination  of  the 
Huitfeldt  and  the  Hoyer  Ellefsen  bindings.  We  also 
had  quantities  of  loose  straps. 


TENTS  77 

We  had  six  three-man  tents,  all  made  in  the  navy 
workshops.  The  workmanship  could  not  have  been 
better;  they  were  the  strongest  and  most  practical 
tents  that  have  ever  been  used.  They  were  made  of 
the  closest  canvas,  with  the  floor  in  one  piece.  One 
man  was  sufficient  to  set  up  the  tent  in  the  stiffest 
breeze  ;  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  fewer 
poles  a  tent  has,  the  easier  it  is  to  set  up,  which  seems 
quite  natural.  These  tents  have  only  one  pole.  How 
often  one  reads  in  narratives  of  Polar  travel  that 
it  took  such  and  such  a  time — often  hours — to  set  up 
the  tent,  and  then,  when  at  last  it  was  up,  one  lay 
expecting  it  to  be  blown  down  at  any  moment.  There 
was  no  question  of  this  with  our  tents.  They  were  up 
in  a  twinkling,  and  stood  against  all  kinds  of  wind  ;  we 
could  lie  securely  in  our  sleeping-bags,  and  let  it  blow. 

The  arrangement  of  the  door  was  on  the  usual  sack 
principle,  which  is  now  recognized  as  the  only  serviceable 
one  for  the  Polar  regions.  The  sack  patent  is  quite 
simple,  like  all  patents  that  are  any  good.  You  cut  an 
opening  in  the  tent  of  the  size  you  wish ;  then  you  take 
a  sack,  which  you  leave  open  at  both  ends,  and  sew  one 
end  fast  round  the  opening  of  the  tent.  The  funnel 
formed  by  the  open  sack  is  then  the  entrance.  When 
you  have  come  in,  you  gather  up  the  open  end  of  the 
funnel  or  sack,  and  tie  it  together.  Not  a  particle  of 
snow  can  get  into  a  tent  with  the  floor  sewed  on  and  an 
entrance  of  this  kind,  even  in  the  worst  storm. 


78  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

The  cases  for  sledging  provisions  were  made  of  fairly 
thin,  tough  ash,  which  came  from  the  estate  of  Pals- 
gaard  in  Jutland,  and  the  material  did  all  it  promised. 
These  cases  were  1  foot  square  and  15 \  inches  high. 
They  had  only  a  little  round  opening  on  the  top,  closed 
with  an  aluminium  lid,  which  fitted  exactly  like  the  lid 
of  a  milk-can.  Large  lids  weaken  the  cases,  and  I  had 
therefore  chosen  this  form.  We  did  not  have  to  throw 
off  the  lashing  of  the  case  to  get  the  lid  off,  and  this  is 
a  very  great  advantage  ;  we  could  always  get  at  it.  A 
case  with  a  large  lid,  covered  by  the  lashing,  gives  con- 
stant trouble  ;  the  whole  lashing  has  to  be  undone  for 
every  little  thing  one  wants  out  of  the  case.  This  is 
not  always  convenient ;  if  one  is  tired  and  slack,  it  may 
sometimes  happen  that  one  will  put  off  till  to-morrow 
what  ought  to  be  done  to-day,  especially  when  it  is 
bitterly  cold.  The  handier  one's  sledging  outfit,  the 
sooner  one  gets  into  the  tent  and  to  rest,  and  that  is  no 
small  consideration  on  a  long  journey. 

Our  outfit  of  clothing  was  abundant  and  more 
complete,  I  suppose,  than  that  of  any  former  Polar 
expedition.  We  may  divide  it  into  two  classes,  the 
outfit  for  specially  low  temperatures  and  that  for  more 
moderate  temperatures.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
no  one  had  yet  wintered  on  the  Barrier,  so  we  had  to 
be  prepared  for  anything.  In  order  to  be  able  to 
grapple  with  any  degree  of  cold,  we  were  supplied  with 
the  richest  assortment  of  reindeer-skin  clothing ;  we 


REINDEER-SKIN  CLOTHING  79 

had  it  specially  thick,  medium,  and  quite  light.  It 
took  a  long  time  to  get  these  skin  clothes  prepared. 
First  the  reindeer-skins  had  to  be  bought  in  a  raw  state, 
and  this  was  done  for  me  by  Mr.  Zappfe  at  Tromso, 
Karasjok,  and  Kaatokeino.  Let  me  take  the  oppor- 
tunity of  thanking  this  man  for  the  many  and  great 
services  he  has  rendered  me,  not  only  during  my  prepar- 
ations for  the  third  voyage  of  the  Pram,  but  in  the 
fitting  out  of  the  G-joa  expedition  as  well.  With  his 
help  I  have  succeeded  in  obtaining  things  that  I  should 
otherwise  never  have  been  able  to  get.  He  shrank 
from  no  amount  of  work,  but  went  on  till  he  had  found 
what  I  wanted.  This  time  he  procured  nearly  two 
hundred  and  fifty  good  reindeer -skins,  dressed  by  the 
Lapps,  and  sent  them  to  Christiania.  Here  I  had  great 
trouble  in  finding  a  man  who  could  sew  skins,  but  at 
last  I  found  one.  We  then  went  to  work  to  make 
clothes  after  the  pattern  of  the  Netchelli  Eskimo,  and 
the  sewing  went  on  early  and  late — thick  anoraks  and 
thin  ones,  heavy  breeches  and  light,  winter  stockings 
and  summer  stockings.  We  also  had  a  dozen  thin 
sleeping-bags,  which  I  thought  of  using  inside  the  big 
thick  ones  if  the  cold  should  be  too  severe.  Everything 
was  finished,  but  not  until  the  last  moment.  The  outer 
sleeping-bags  were  made  by  Mr.  Brandt,  furrier,  of 
Bergen,  and  they  were  so  excellent,  both  in  material 
and  making-up,  that  no  one  in  the  world  could  have 
done  better ;  it  was  a  model  piece  of  work.  To  save 


80  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

this  outer  sleeping-bag,  we  had  it  provided  with  a  cover 
of  the  lightest  canvas,  which  was  a  good  deal  longer 
than  the  bag  itself.  It  was  easy  to  tie  the  end  of  the 
cover  together  like  the  mouth  of  the  sack,  and  this  kept 
the  snow  out  of  the  bag  during  the  day's  march.  In 
this  way  we  always  kept  ourselves  free  from  the  annoy- 
ance of  drifting  snow.  We  attached  great  importance 
to  having  the  bags  made  of  the  very  best  sort  of  skin,  and 
took  care  that  the  thin  skin  of  the  belly  was  removed. 
I  have  seen  sleeping-bags  of  the  finest  reindeer-skin 
spoilt  in  a  comparatively  short  time  if  they  contained  a 
few  patches  of  this  thin  skin,  as  of  course  the  cold  pene- 
trates more  easily  through  the  thin  skin,  and  gives  rise 
to  dampness  in  the  form  of  rime  on  meeting  the  warmth 
of  the  body.  These  thin  patches  remain  damp  when- 
ever one  is  in  the  bag,  and  in  a  short  time  they  lose 
their  hair.  The  damp  spreads,  like  decay  in  wood,  and 
continually  attacks  the  surrounding  skin,  with  the  result 
that  one  fine  day  you  find  yourself  with  a  hairless 
sleeping-bag.  One  cannot  be  too  careful  in  the  choice 
of  skins.  For  the  sake  of  economy,  the  makers  of 
reindeer-skin  sleeping-bags  are  in  the  habit  of  sewing 
them  hi  such  a  way  that  the  direction  of  the  hair  is 
towards  the  opening  of  the  bag.  Of  course  this  suits 
the  shape  of  the  skins  best,  but  it  does  not  suit  the 
man  who  is  going  to  use  the  bag.  For  it  is  no  easy 
matter  to  crawl  into  a  sleeping-bag  which  is  only  just 
wide  enough  to  allow  one  to  get  in,  and  if  the  way  of 


WIND-CLOTHING  81 

the  hair  is  against  one  it  is  doubly  difficult.  I  had 
them  all  made  as  one-man  bags,  with  lacing  round  the 
neck ;  this  did  not,  of  course,  meet  with  the  approval  of 
all,  as  will  be  seen  later.  The  upper  part  of  this  thick 
sleeping-bag  was  made  of  thinner  reindeer-skin,  so  that 
we  might  be  able  to  tie  it  closely  round  the  neck ;  the 
thick  skin  will  not  draw  so  well  and  fit  so  closely  as  the 
thin. 

Our  clothing  in  moderate  temperatures  consisted  of 
thick  woollen  underclothing  and  Burberry  windproof 
overalls.  This  underclothing  was  specially  designed  for 
the  purpose ;  I  had  myself  watched  the  preparation  of 
the  material,  and  knew  that  it  contained  nothing  but 
pure  wool.  We  had  overalls  of  two  different  materials  : 
Burberry  "  gabardine  "  and  the  ordinary  green  kind  that 
is  used  in  Norway  in  the  winter.  For  sledge  journeys, 
where  one  has  to  save  weight,  and  to  work  in  loose, 
easy  garments,  I  must  unhesitatingly  recommend  Bur- 
berry. It  is  extraordinarily  light  and  strong,  and  keeps 
the  wind  completely  out.  For  hard  work  I  prefer  the 
green  kind.  It  keeps  out  the  wind  equally  well,  but  is 
heavier  and  more  bulky,  and  less  comfortable  to  wear 
on  a  long  march.  Our  Burberry  wind-clothes  were 
made  in  the  form  of  anorak  (blouse)  and  trousers,  both 
very  roomy.  The  others  consisted  of  trousers  and 
jacket  with  hood. 

Our  mits  were  for  the  most  part  such  as  one  can  buy 
in  any  shop;  we  wanted  nothing  else  in  and  around 

VOL.  i.  6 


82  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

winter  quarters.  Outside  the  mits  we  wore  an  outer 
covering  of  windproof  material,  so  as  not  to  wear  them 
out  too  quickly.  These  mits  are  not  very  strong, 
though  they  are  good  and  warm.  Besides  these,  we 
had  ten  pairs  of  ordinary  kid  mits,  which  were  bought 
at  a  glove-shop  in  Christiania,  and  were  practically  im- 
possible to  wear  out.  I  wore  mine  from  Framheim  to 
the  Pole  and  back  again,  and  afterwards  on  the  voyage 
to  Tasmania.  The  lining,  of  course,  was  torn  in  places, 
but  the  seams  of  the  mits  were  just  as  perfect  as  the 
day  I  bought  them.  Taking  into  consideration  the  fact 
that  I  went  on  ski  the  whole  way  and  used  two  poles, 
it  will  be  understood  that  the  mits  were  strongly  made. 
We  also  had  a  number  of  woollen  gloves,  which, 
curiously  enough,  the  others  greatly  prized.  For  my- 
self, I  was  never  able  to  wear  such  things  ;  they  simply 
freeze  the  fingers  off  me. 

But  most  important  of  all  is  the  covering  of  the  feet, 
for  the  feet  are  the  most  exposed  members  and  the 
most  difficult  to  protect.  One  can  look  after  the  hands ; 
if  they  grow  cold  it  is  easy  to  beat  them  into  warmth 
again.  Not  so  with  the  feet ;  they  are  covered  up  in 
the  morning,  and  this  is  a  sufficiently  troublesome  piece 
of  work  to  make  one  disinclined  to  undo  it  again  until 
one  is  turning  in.  They  cannot  be  seen  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  and  one  has  to  depend  entirely  on  feeling ; 
but  feeling  in  this  case  often  plays  curious  tricks.  How 
often  has  it  happened  that  men  have  had  their  feet 


THE  QUESTION  OF  BOOTS  83 

frozen  off  without  knowing  it !  For  if  they  had  known 
it,  they  could  not  possibly  have  let  it  go  so  far.  The 
fact  is  that  in  this  case  sensation  is  a  somewhat  doubtful 
guide,  for  the  feet  lose  all  sensation.  It  is  true  that 
there  is  a  transitional  stage,  when  one  feels  the  cold 
smarting  in  one's  toes,  and  tries  to  get  rid  of  it  by 
stamping  the  feet.  As  a  rule  this  is  successful;  the 
warmth  returns,  or  the  circulation  is  restored  ;  but  it 
occasionally  happens  that  sensation  is  lost  at  the  very 
moment  when  these  precautions  are  taken.  And  then 
one  must  be  an  old  hand  to  know  what  has  happened. 
Many  men  conclude  that,  as  they  no  longer  feel  the 
unpleasant  smarting  sensation,  all  is  well ;  and  at  the 
evening  inspection  a  frozen  foot  of  tallow-like  appearance 
presents  itself.  An  event  of  this  kind  may  ruin  the 
most  elaborately  prepared  enterprise,  and  it  is  therefore 
advisable  in  the  matter  of  feet  to  carry  one's  caution  to 
lengths  which  may  seem  ridiculous. 

Now,  it  is  a  fact  that  if  one  can  wear  soft  foot-gear 
exclusively  the  risk  of  frost-bite  is  far  less  than  if  one 
is  compelled  to  wear  stiff  boots  ;  in  soft  foot-gear,  of 
course,  the  foot  can  move  far  more  easily  and  keep 
warm.  But  we  were  to  take  ski  and  to  get  full  use  out 
of  them,  so  that  in  any  case  we  had  to  have  a  stiff  sole 
for  the  sake  of  the  bindings.  It  is  of  no  use  to  have  a 
good  binding  unless  you  can  use  it  in  the  right  way. 
In  my  opinion,  on  a  long  journey  such  as  that  we  had 
before  us,  the  ski  must  be  perfectly  steady.  I  do  not 


84  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

know  anything  that  tires  me  more  than  a  bad  fastening 
— that  is,  one  that  allows  the  foot  to  shift  in  the  bind- 
ing. I  want  the  ski  to  be  a  part  of  oneself,  so  that 
one  always  has  full  command  of  them.  I  have  tried 
many  patents,  for  I  have  always  been  afraid  of  a  stiff 
fastening  in  cold  temperatures ;  but  all  these  patents, 
without  exception,  are  worthless  in  the  long-run.  1 
decided  this  time  to  try  a  combination  of  stiff  and  soft 
foot-gear,  so  that  we  could  use  the  splendid  Huitfeldt- 
Hoyer  Ellefsen  bindings ;  but  this  was  no  easy  matter. 
Of  our  whole  outfit  nothing  caused  me  more  worry  or 
gave  us  all  more  work  in  the  course  of  the  expedition 
than  the  stiff  outer  covering  which  we  had  to  have  ;  but 
we  solved  the  problem  at  last.  I  applied  to  one  of 
the  leading  makers  of  ski-boots  in  Christiania,  and  ex- 
plained the  difficulty  to  him  ;  fortunately  I  had  found  a 
man  who  was  evidently  interested  in  the  question.  We 
agreed  that  he  should  make  a  sample  pair  after  the 
pattern  of  ski-boots.  The  sole  was  to  be  thick  and 
stiff — for  we  had  to  be  prepared  to  use  crampons — but 
the  uppers  as  soft  as  possible.  In  order  to  avoid  leather, 
which  usually  becomes  stiff  and  easily  cracked  in  the 
cold,  he  was  to  use  a  combination  of  leather  and  thin 
canvas  for  the  uppers — leather  nearest  the  sole,  and 
canvas  above  it. 

The  measurements  were  taken  from  my  foot,  which 
is  not  exactly  a  child's  foot,  with  two  pairs  of  reindeer- 
skin  stockings  on,  and  ten  pairs  were  made.  I  well 


COOKING  APPARATUS  85 

remember  seeing  these  boots  in  civilized  Christiania.  ^. 
They  were  exhibited  in  the  bootmaker's  windows — I 
used  to  go  a  long  way  round  to  avoid  coming  face  to 
face  with  these  monsters  in  public.  We  are  all  a  trifle  I 
vain?  and  dislike  having  our  own  shortcomings  shown 
up  in  electric  light.  If  I  had  ever  cherished  any  illu- 
sions on  the  subject  of  "  a  dainty  little  foot,"  I  am  sure 
the  last  trace  of  such  vanity  died  out  on  the  day  I 
passed  the  shoemaker's  window  and  beheld  my  own 
boots.  I  never  went  that  way  again  until  I  was  certain 
that  the  exhibition  was  closed.  One  thing  is  certain, 
that  the  boots  were  a  fine  piece  of  workmanship.  We 
shall  hear  later  on  of  the  alterations  they  had  to  undergo 
before  we  at  last  made  them  as  large  as  we  wanted, 
for  the  giant  boots  turned  out  much  too  small ! 

Among  other  equipment  I  must  mention  our  excel- 
lent Primus  cooking  apparatus.  This  all  came  com- 
plete from  a  firm  in  Stockholm.  For  cooking  on  sledge 
journeys  the  Primus  stove  ranks  above  all  others ;  it 
gives  a  great  deal  of  heat,  uses  little  oil,  and  requires  no 
attention — advantages  which  are  important  enough  any- 
where, but  especially  when  sledging.  There  is  never 
any  trouble  with  this  apparatus  ;  it  has  come  as  near 
perfection  as  possible.  We  took  five  Nansen  cookers 
with  us.  This  cooker  utilizes  the  heat  more  completely 
than  any  other ;  but  I  have  one  objection  to  make  to  it 
—it  takes  up  space.  We  used  it  on  our  depot  journeys, 
but  were  unfortunately  obliged  to  give  it  up  on  the 


86  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

main  southern  journey.  We  were  so  many  in  a  tent, 
and  space  was  so  limited,  that  I  dared  not  risk  using  it. 
If  one  has  room  enough,  it  is  ideal  in  my  opinion. 

We  had  with  us  ten  pairs  of  snow-shoes  and  one 
hundred  sets  of  dog-harness  of  the  Alaska  Eskimo 
pattern.  The  Alaska  Eskimo  drive  their  dogs  in  tandem ; 
the  whole  pull  is  thus  straight  ahead  in  the  direction  the 
sledge  is  going,  and  this  is  undoubtedly  the  best  way  of 
utilizing  the  power.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  adopt 
the  same  system  in  sledging  on  the  Barrier.  Another 
great  advantage  it  had  was  that  the  dogs  would  pass 
singly  across  fissures,  so  that  the  danger  of  falling  through 
was  considerably  reduced.  The  exertion  of  pulling  is 
also  less  trying  with  Alaska  harness  than  with  the 
Greenland  kind,  as  the  Alaska  harness  has  a  shallow, 
padded  collar,  which  is  slipped  over  the  animal's  head 
and  makes  the  weight  of  the  pull  come  on  his  shoulders, 
whereas  the  Greenland  harness  presses  on  his  chest. 
Raw  places,  which  occur  rather  frequently  with  the 
Greenland  harness,  are  almost  entirely  avoided  with  the 
other.  All  the  sets  of  harness  were  made  in  the  navy 
workshops,  and  after  their  long  and  hard  use  they  are 
as  good  as  ever.  There  could  be  no  better  recommenda- 
tion than  this. 

Of  instruments  and  apparatus  for  the  sledge  journeys 
we  carried  two  sextants,  three  artificial  horizons,  of 
which  two  were  glass  horizons  with  dark  glasses,  and 
one  a  mercury  horizon,  and  four  spirit  compasses,  made 


SNOW-GOGGLES  87 

in  Christiania.  They  were  excellent  little  compasses, 
but  unfortunately  useless  in  cold  weather — that  is  to 
say,  when  the  temperature  went  below  -  40°  F.  ;  at 
this  point  the  liquid  froze.  I  had  drawn  the  maker's 
attention  to  this  beforehand  and  asked  him  to  use  as 
pure  a  spirit  as  possible.  What  his  object  was  I  still 
do  not  know,  but  the  spirit  he  employed  was  highly 
dilute.  The  best  proof  of  this  was  that  the  liquid  in 
our  compasses  froze  before  the  spirits  in  a  flask.  We 
were  naturally  inconvenienced  by  this.  Besides  these 
we  had  an  ordinary  little  pocket-compass,  two  pairs  of 
binoculars,  one  by  Zeiss  and  the  other  by  Goertz,  and 
snow-goggles  from  Dr.  Schanz.  We  had  various  kinds 
of  glasses  for  these,  so  that  we  could  change  when  we 
were  tired  of  one  colour.  During  the  whole  stay  on 
the  Barrier  I  myself  wore  a  pair  of  ordinary  spectacles 
with  yellow  glasses  of  quite  a  light  tint.  These  are 
prepared  by  a  chemical  process  in  such  a  way  that  they 
nullify  the  harmful  colours  in  the  sun's  rays.  How 
excellent  these  glasses  are  appears  clearly  enough  from 
the  fact  that  I  never  had  the  slightest  touch  of  snow- 
blindness  on  the  southern  journey,  although  the  spec- 
tacles were  perfectly  open  and  allowed  the  light  to  enter 
freely  everywhere.  It  will  perhaps  be  suggested  that  I 
am  less  susceptible  to  this  ailment  than  others,  but  I 
know  from  personal  experience  that  such  is  not  the 
case.  I  have  previously  had  several  severe  attacks  of 
s.now-blindness,. 


88  PLAN  AND  PREPARATIONS 

We  had  two  photographic  cameras,  an  air  ther- 
mometer, two  aneroids  with  altitude  scale  to  15,000  feet, 
and  two  hypsometers.  The  hypsometer  is  only  an 
instrument  for  determining  the  boiling-point,  which 
gives  one  the  height  above  the  sea.  The  method  is 
both  simple  and  reliable. 

The  medical  stores  for  sledging  were  given  by  a 
London  firm,  and  the  way  in  which  the  things  were 
packed  speaks  for  the  whole  outfit.  There  is  not  a  speck 
of  rust  on  needles,  scissors,  knives,  or  anything  else, 
although  they  have  been  exposed  to  much  damp.  Our 
own  medical  outfit,  which  was  bought  in  Christiania,  and 
according  to  the  vendor's  statement  unusually  well 
packed,  became  in  a  short  time  so  damaged  that  the 
whole  of  it  is  now  entirely  spoilt. 

The  sledging  provisions  must  be  mentioned  briefly. 
I  have  already  spoken  of  the  pemmican.  I  have  never 
considered  it  necessary  to  take  a  whole  grocer's  shop 
with  me  when  sledging  ;  the  food  should  be  simple  and 
nourishing,  and  that  is  enough — a  rich  and  varied  menu 
is  for  people  who  have  no  work  to  do.  Besides  the 
pemmican,  we  had  biscuits,  milk-powder,  and  chocolate. 
The  biscuits  were  a  present  from  a  well-known  Nor- 
wegian factory,  and  did  all  honour  to  their  origin.  They 
were  specially  baked  for  us,  and  were  made  of  oatmeal 
with  the  addition  of  dried  milk  and  a  little  sugar; 
they  were  extremely  nourishing  and  pleasant  to  the 
taste.  Thanks  to  efficient  packing,  they  kept  fresh  and 


SLEDGING  PROVISIONS  89 

crisp  all  the  time.  These  biscuits  formed  a  great  part 
of  our  daily  diet,  and  undoubtedly  contributed  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  successful  result.  Milk-powder  is  a 
comparatively  new  commodity  with  us,  but  it  deserves 
to  be  better  known.  It  came  from  the  district  of 
Jsederen.  Neither  heat  nor  cold,  dryness  nor  wet,  could 
hurt  it ;  we  had  large  quantities  of  it  lying  out  in  small, 
thin  linen  bags  in  every  possible  state  of  the  weather : 
the  powder  was  as  good  the  last  day  as  the  first.  We 
also  took  dried  milk  from  a  firm  in  Wisconsin;  this 
milk  had  an  addition  of  malt  and  sugar,  and  was,  in  my 
opinion,  excellent ;  it  also  kept  good  the  whole  time. 
The  chocolate  came  from  a  world-renowned  firm,  and 
was  beyond  all  praise.  The  whole  supply  was  a  very 
acceptable  gift. 

We  are  bringing  all  the  purveyors  of  our  sledging 
provisions  samples  of  their  goods  that  have  made  the 
journey  to  the  South  Pole  and  back,  in  gratitude  for  the 
kind  assistance  they  afforded  us. 


CHAPTER  III 

ON   THE   WAY   TO    THE   SOUTH 

THE  month  of  May,  1910,  ran  its  course,  beautiful  as 
only  a  spring  month  in  Norway  can  be — a  lovely  dream 
of  verdure  and  flowers.  But  unfortunately  we  had  little 
time  to  admire  all  the  splendour  that  surrounded  us  ; 
our  watchword  was  "Away  "—away  from  beautiful  sights, 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  month  the  Fram  lay 
moored  to  her  buoy  outside  the  old  walls  of  Akershus. 
Fresh  and  trim  she  came  from  the  yard  at  Horten ;  you 
could  see  the  shine  on  her  new  paint  a  long  way  off. 
Involuntarily  one  thought  of  holidays  and  yachting 
tours  at  the  sight  of  her ;  but  the  thought  was  soon 
banished.  The  first  day  after  her  arrival,  the  vessel's 
deck  assumed  the  most  everyday  appearance  that  could 
be  desired  :  the  loading  had  begun. 

A  long  procession  of  cases  of  provisions  made  its  way 
unceasingly  from  the  basement  of  the  Historical  Museum 
down  into  the  roomy  hold  of  the  Fram,  where  Lieutenant 
Nilsen  and  the  three  Nordlanders  were  ready  to  receive 
them.  This  process  was  not  an  altogether  simple  one  ; 

90 


HOISTING    THE    FLAG. 


A    PATIENT. 


To  face  page  90,  Vol.  I. 


LOADING  THE  "  FRAM  "  91 

on  the  contrary,  it  was  a  very  serious  affair.  It  was  not 
enough  to  know  that  all  the  cases  were  duly  on  board  ; 
the  problem  was  to  know  exactly  where  each  particular 
case  was  placed,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  stow  them 
all  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  easily  be  got  at  in 
future.  This  was  a  difficult  piece  of  work,  and  it  was 
not  rendered  any  more  easy  by  the  attention  that  had  to 
be  paid  to  the  numerous  hatches  leading  down  into  the 
lower  hold,  where  the  big  petroleum  tanks  stood.  All 
these  hatches  had  to  be  left  accessible,  otherwise  we 
should  have  been  cut  off  from  pumping  the  oil  into  the 
engine-room. 

However,  Nilsen  and  his  assistants  accomplished  their 
task  with  brilliant  success.  Among  the  hundreds  of 
cases  there  was  not  one  that  was  misplaced  ;  not  one 
that  was  stowed  so  that  it  could  not  instantly  be  brought 
into  the  light  of  day. 

While  the  provisioning  was  going  on,  the  rest  of  the 
equipment  was  also  being  taken  on  board.  Each 
member  of  the  expedition  was  busily  engaged  in  looking 
after  the  needs  of  his  own  department  in  the  best  way 
possible.  Nor  was  this  a  question  of  trifles  :  one  may 
cudgel  one's  brains  endlessly  in  advance,  but  some  new 
requirement  will  constantly  be  cropping  up — until  one 
puts  a  full  stop  to  it  by  casting  off  and  sailing.  This 
event  was  becoming  imminent  with  the  arrival  of  June. 

The  day  before  leaving  Christiania  we  had  the  honour 
and  pleasure  of  receiving  a  visit  from  the  King  and 


92          ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

Queen  of  Norway  on  board  the  Fram.  Having  been 
informed  beforehand  of  their  Majesties'  coming,  we 
endeavoured  as  far  as  possible  to  bring  some  order  into 
the  chaos  that  reigned  on  board.  I  do  not  know  that  we 
were  particularly  successful,  but  I  am  sure  that  every 
one  of  the  Pram's  crew  will  always  remember  with 
respectful  gratitude  King  Haakon's  cordial  words  of 
farewell. 

On  the  same  occasion  the  expedition  received  from 
their  Majesties  the  gift  of  a  beautiful  silver  jug,  which 
afterwards  formed  the  most  handsome  ornament  of  our 
table  on  every  festive  occasion. 

On  June  3,  early  in  the  forenoon,  the  Fram  left 
Christiania,  bound  at  first  for  my  home  on  Bundefjord. 
The  object  of  her  call  there  was  to  take  on  board  the 
house  for  the  winter  station,  which  stood  ready  built  in 
the  garden.  Our  excellent  carpenter  Jorgen  Stubberud 
had  superintended  the  construction  of  this  strong 
building.  It  was  now  rapidly  taken  to  pieces,  and  every 
single  plank  and  beam  was  carefully  numbered.  We 
had  quite  an  imposing  pile  of  materials  to  get  aboard, 
where  even  before  there  was  not  much  room  to  spare. 
The  bulk  of  it  was  stowed  forward,  and  the  remainder 
in  the  hold. 

The  more  experienced  among  the  members  of  the 
expedition  were  evidently  absorbed  in  profound  con- 
jectures as  to  the  meaning  of  this  "  observation  house," 
as  the  newspapers  had  christened  it.  It  may  willingly  be 


LINDSTROM. 
XUDVIG   HANSEN. 


KRISTENSEN. 
STUBBERUD. 
BECK. 


OLSEN, 

JOHANSEN. 

NODXVEDT. 


To  face  page  93,  Vol.  L 


FAREWELL  TO  CHR1STIANIA  93 

admitted  that  they  had  good  reason  for  their  specula- 
tions. By  an  observation  house  is  usually  meant  a 
comparatively  simple  construction,  sufficient  to  provide 
the  necessary  shelter  from  wind  and  weather.  Our 
house,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  model  of  solidity,  with 
three  double  walls,  double  roof  and  floor.  Its  arrange- 
ments included  ten  inviting  bunks,  a  kitchener,  and 
a  table ;  the  latter,  moreover,  had  a  brand-new  American- 
cloth  cover.  "  I  can  understand  that  they  want  to  keep 
themselves  warm  when  they're  making  observations," 
said  Helmer  Hanssen  ;  "  but  what  they  want  with  a 
cloth  on  the  table  I  can't  make  out." 

On  the  afternoon  of  June  6  it  was  announced  that 
everything  was  ready,  and  in  the  evening  we  all  assem- 
bled at  a  simple  farewell  supper  in  the  garden.  I  took 
the  opportunity  of  wishing  good  luck  to  every  man  in 
turn,  and  finally  we  united  in  a 

"  God  preserve  the  King  and  Fatherland  !" 

Then  we  broke  up.  The  last  man  to  get  into  the  boat  was 
the  second  in  command  ;  he  arrived  armed  with  a  horse- 
shoe. In  his  opinion  it  is  quite  incredible  what  luck  an 
old  horseshoe  will  bring.  Possibly  he  is  right.  Any- 
how, the  horseshoe  was  firmly  nailed  to  the  mast  in  the 
Frams  saloon,  and  there  it  still  hangs. 

When  on  board,  we  promptly  set  to  work  to  get  up 
the  anchor.  The  Bolinder  motor  hummed,  and  the 
heavy  cable  rattled  in  through  the  hawse-hole.  Precisely 


94          ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

at  midnight  the  anchor  let  go  of  the  bottom,  and  just  as 
the  Seventh  of  June*  rolled  in  over  us,  the  Fram  stood 
out  of  Christiania  Fjord  for  the  third  time.  Twice 
already  had  a  band  of  stout-hearted  men  brought  this 
ship  back  with  honour  after  years  of  service.  Would  it 
be  vouchsafed  to  us  to  uphold  this  honourable  tradition  ? 
Such  were,  no  doubt,  the  thoughts  with  which  most  of 
us  were  occupied  as  our  vessel  glided  over  the  motion- 
less fjord  in  the  light  summer  night.  The  start  was  made 
under  the  sign  of  the  Seventh  of  June,  and  this  was  taken 
as  a  promising  omen ;  but  among  our  bright  and  confident 
hopes  there  crept  a  shadow  of  melancholy.  The  hill- 
sides, the  woods,  the  fjord — all  were  so  bewitchingly 
fair  and  so  dear  to  us.  They  called  to  us  with  their 
allurement,  but  the  Diesel  motor  knew  no  pity.  Its 
tuff-tuff  went  on  brutally  through  the  stillness.  A 
little  boat,  in  which  were  some  of  my  nearest  relations, 
dropped  gradually  astern.  There  was  a  glimpse  of 
white  handkerchiefs  in  the  twilight,  and  then — farewell ! 
The  next  morning  we  were  moored  in  the  inner 
harbour  at  Horten.  An  apparently  innocent  lighter 
came  alongside  at  once,  but  the  lighter's  cargo  was  not 
quite  so  innocent  as  its  appearance.  It  consisted  of  no 
less  than  half  a  ton  of  gun-cotton  and  rifle  ammunition, 
a  somewhat  unpleasant,  but  none  the  less  necessary, 
item  of  our  equipment.  Besides  taking  on  board  the 
ammunition,  we  availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunity  of 

*  Anniversary  of  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  with  Sweden. — TR. 


PRELIMINARY  CRUISE  95 

completing  our  water-supply.  When  this  was  done,  we 
lost  no  time  in  getting  away.  As  we  passed  the  war- 
ships lying  in  the  harbour  they  manned  ship,  and  the 
bands  played  the  National  Anthem.  Outside  Vealos 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  waving  a  last  farewell  to  a  man 
to  wrhom  the  expedition  will  always  owe  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude, Captain  Christian  Blom,  Superintendent  of  the 
dockyard,  who  had  supervised  the  extensive  repairs  to 
the  Fram  with  unrelaxing  interest  and  obligingness.  He 
slipped  past  us  in  his  sailing-boat ;  I  do  not  remember 
if  he  got  a  cheer.  If  he  did  not,  it  was  a  mistake. 

Now  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  South,  as  the  heading 
of  this  chapter  announces,  though  not  yet  in  earnest. 
We  had  an  additional  task  before  us :  the  oceano- 
graphical  cruise  in  the  Atlantic.  This  necessitated 
a  considerable  detour  on  the  way.  The  scientific 
results  of  this  cruise  will  be  dealt  with  by  specialists 
in  due  course ;  if  it  is  briefly  referred  to  here,  this 
is  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  continuity.  After  consultation 
with  Professor  Nansen,  the  plan  was  to  begin  investiga- 
tions in  the  region  to  the  south  of  Ireland,  and  thence 
to  work  our  way  westward  as  far  as  time  and  circum- 
stances permitted.  The  work  was  to  be  resumed  on 
the  homeward  voyage  in  the  direction  of  the  North  of 
Scotland.  For  various  reasons  this  programme  after- 
wards had  to  be  considerably  reduced. 

For  the  first  few  days  after  leaving  Norway  we  were 
favoured  with  the  most  splendid  summer  weather.  The 


96          ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

North  Sea  was  as  calm  as  a  millpond ;  the  Fram  had 
little  more  motion  than  when  she  was  lying  in  Bunde- 
fjord.  This  was  all  the  better  for  us,  as  we  could  hardly 
be  said  to  be  absolutely  ready  for  sea  when  we  passed 
Fasrder,  and  came  into  the  capricious  Skagerak.  Hard 
pressed  as  we  had  been  for  time,  it  had  not  been  possible 
to  lash  and  stow  the  last  of  our  cargo  as  securely  as  was 
desirable  ;  a  stiff  breeze  at  the  mouth  of  the  fjord  would 
therefore  have  been  rather  inconvenient.  As  it  was, 
everything  was  arranged  admirably,  but  to  do  this  we 
had  to  work  night  and  day.  1  have  been  told  that  on 
former  occasions  sea-sickness  made  fearful  ravages  on 
board  the  Fram,  but  from  this  trial  we  also  had  an  easy 
escape.  Nearly  all  the  members  of  the  expedition  were 
used  to  the  sea,  and  the  few  who,  perhaps,  were  not 
so  entirely  proof  against  it  had  a  whole  week  of  fine 
weather  to  get  into  training.  So  far  as  I  know,  not 
a  single  case  occurred  of  this  unpleasant  and  justly 
dreaded  complaint. 

After  passing  the  Dogger  Bank  we  had  a  very 
welcome  north-east  breeze ;  with  the  help  of  the  sails 
we  could  now  increase  the  not  very  reckless  speed 
that  the  motor  was  capable  of  accomplishing.  Before 
we  sailed,  the  most  contradictory  accounts  were  current 
of  the  Fram's  sailing  qualities.  There  were  some  who 
asserted  that  the  ship  could  not  be  got  through  the 
water  at  all,  while  with  equal  force  the  contrary  view 
was  maintained — that  she  was  a  notable  fast  sailer. 


DOWN  CHANNEL  97 

As  might  be  supposed,  the  truth  as  usual  lay  about 
half-way  between  these  two  extremes.  The  ship  was  no 
racer,  nor  was  she  an  absolute  log.  We  ran  before  the 
north-east  wind  towards  the  English  Channel  at  a  speed 
of  about  seven  knots,  and  with  that  we  were  satisfied 
for  the  time  being.  The  important  question  for  us  was 
whether  we  should  keep  the  favourable  wind  till  we 
were  well  through  the  Straits  of  Dover,  and,  preferably, 
a  good  way  down  Channel.  Our  engine  power  was  far 
too  limited  to  make  it  of  any  use  trying  to  go  against 
the  wind,  and  we  should  have  been  obliged  in  that  case 
to  have  recourse  to  the  sailing-ship's  method — beating. 
Tacking  in  the  English  Channel — the  busiest  part  of 
the  world's  seas — is  in  itself  no  very  pleasant  work ;  for 
us  it  would  be  so  much  the  worse,  as  it  would  greatly 
encroach  on  the  time  that  could  be  devoted  to  oceano- 
graphical  investigations.  But  the  east  wind  held  with 
praiseworthy  steadiness.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days 
we  were  through  the  Channel,  and  about  a  week  after 
leaving  Norway  we  were  able  to  take  the  first  oceano- 
graphical  station  at  the  point  arranged  according  to  the 
plan.  Hitherto  everything  had  gone  as  smoothly  as  we 
could  wish,  but  now,  for  a  change,  difficulties  began 
to  appear,  first  in  the  form  of  unfavourable  weather 
When  the  north-wester  begins  to  blow  in  the  North 
Atlantic,  it  is  generally  a  good  while  before  it  drops 
again,  and  this  time  it  did  not  belie  its  reputation. 
Far  from  getting  to  the  westward,  we  were  threatened 
VOL.  i.  7 


98          ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

for  a  time  with  being  driven  on  to  the  Irish  coast. 
It  was  not  quite  so  bad  as  that,  but  we  soon  found 
ourselves  obliged  to  shorten  the  route  originally  laid 
down  very  considerably.  A  contributing  cause  of  this 
determination  was  the  fact  that  the  motor  was  out  of 
order.  Whether  it  was  the  fault  of  the  oil  or  a  defect 
in  the  engine  itself  our  engineer  was  not  clear.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  to  make  for  home  in  good  time,  in 
case  of  extensive  repairs  being  required.  In  spite  of 
these  difficulties,  we  had  a  quite  respectable  collection 
of  samples  of  water  and  temperatures  at  different  depths 
before  we  set  our  course  for  Norway  at  the  beginning  of 
July,  with  Bergen  as  our  destination. 

During  the  passage  from  the  Pentland  Firth  we  had 
a  violent  gale  from  the  north,  which  gave  us  an  oppor- 
tunity of  experiencing  how  the  Pram  behaved  in  bad 
weather.  The  trial  was  by  no  means  an  easy  one.  It 
was  blowing  a  gale,  with  a  cross  sea ;  we  kept  going 
practically  under  full  sail,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  our  ship  make  over  nine  knots.  In  the  rather 
severe  rolling  the  collar  of  the  mast  in  the  fore-cabin 
was  loosened  a  little ;  this  let  the  water  in,  and  there 
was  a  slight  flooding  of  Lieutenant  Nilsen's  cabin  and 
mine.  The  others,  whose  berths  were  to  port,  were  on 
the  weather  side,  and  kept  dry.  We  came  out  of  it  all 
with  the  loss  of  a  few  boxes  of  cigars,  which  were  wet 
through.  They  were  not  entirely  lost  for  all  that ;  Ronne 
took  charge  of  them,  and  regaled  himself  with  salt  and 


ARRIVAL  AT  BERGEN  99 

mouldy  cigars  for  six  months  afterwards.  Going  eight 
or  nine  knots  an  hour,  we  did  not  make  much  of  the 
distance  between  Scotland  and  Norway.  On  the  after- 
noon of  Saturday,  July  9,  the  wind  dropped,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  lookout  reported  land  in  sight.  This 
was  Siggen  on  Bommelo.  In  the  course  of  the  night 
we  came  under  the  coast,  and  on  Sunday  morning, 
July  10,  we  ran  into  Saslbjornsfjord.  We  had  no  de- 
tailed chart  of  this  inlet,  but  after  making  a  great  noise 
with  our  powerful  air-siren,  we  at  last  roused  the  inmates 
of  the  pilot-station,  and  a  pilot  came  aboard.  He  showed 
visible  signs  of  surprise  when  he  found  out,  by  reading 
the  name  on  the  ship's  side,  that  it  was  the  Pram  he 
had  before  him.  "  Lord,  I  thought  you  were  a 
Russian  !"  he  exclaimed.  This  supposition  was  pre- 
sumably intended  to  serve  as  a  sort  of  excuse  for  his 
small  hurry  in  coming  on  board. 

It  was  a  lovely  trip  through  the  fjords  to  Bergen, 
as  warm  and  pleasant  in  here  as  it  had  been  bitter  and 
cold  outside.  We  had  a  dead  calm  all  day,  and  with 
the  four  knots  an  hour,  which  was  all  the  motor  could 
manage,  it  was  late  in  the  evening  when  we  anchored 
off  the  naval  dockyard  in  Solheimsvik.  Our  stay  in 
Bergen  happened  at  the  time  of  the  exhibition,  and  the 
committee  paid  the  expedition  the  compliment  of  giving 
all  its  members  free  passes. 

Business  of  one  kind  and  another  compelled  me  to  go 
to  Christiania,  leaving  the  Fram  in  charge  of  Lieutenant 


100        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

Nilsen.  They  had  their  hands  more  than  full  on  board. 
Diesel's  firm  in  Stockholm  sent  their  experienced  fitter, 
Aspelund,  who  at  once  set  to  work  to  overhaul  the 
motor  thoroughly.  The  work  that  had  to  be  done  was 
executed  gratis  by  the  Laxevaag  engineering  works. 
After  going  into  the  matter  thoroughly,  it  was  decided 
to  change  the  solar  oil  we  had  on  board  for  refined  petro- 
leum. Through  the  courtesy  of  the  West  of  Norway 
Petroleum  Company,  we  got  this  done  on  very  favour- 
able terms  at  the  company's  storage  dock  in  Skaalevik. 
This  was  troublesome  work,  but  it  paid  in  the  future. 

The  samples  of  water  from  our  trip  were  taken  to  the 
biological  station,  where  Kutschin  at  once  went  to  work 
with  the  filtering  (determination  of  the  proportion  of 
chlorine). 

Our  German  shipmate,  the  oceanographer  Schroer, 
left  us  at  Bergen.  On  July  23  the  Fram  left  Bergen, 
and  arrived  on  the  following  day  at  Christiansand, 
where  I  met  her.  Here  we  again  had  a  series  of  busy 
days.  In  one  of  the  Custom-house  warehouses  were 
piled  a  quantity  of  things  that  had  to  go  on  board : 
no  less  than  400  bundles  of  dried  fish,  all  our  ski  and 
sledging  outfit,  a  waggon-load  of  timber,  etc.  At 
Fredriksholm,  out  on  Flekkero,  we  had  found  room  for 
perhaps  the  most  important  of  all — the  passengers,  the 
ninety-seven  Eskimo  dogs,  which  had  arrived  from 
Greenland  in  the  middle  of  July  on  the  steamer  Hans 
Egede.  The  ship  had  had  a  rather  long  and  rough 


SVERRE    HASSEL. 


To  face  page  101,  Vol.1. 


DOG  CAMP  ON  FLEKKERO  101 

passage,  and  the  dogs  were  not  in  very  good  condition 
on  their  arrival,  but  they  had  not  been  many  days  on 
the  island  under  the  supervision  of  Hassel  and  Lindstrom 
before  they  were  again  in  full  vigour.  A  plentiful 
supply  of  fresh  meat  worked  wonders.  The  usually 
peaceful  island,  with  the  remains  of  the  old  fortress, 
resounded  day  by  day,  and  sometimes  at  night,  with  the 
most  glorious  concerts  of  howling.  These  musical  per- 
formances attracted  a  number  of  inquisitive  visitors, 
who  were  anxious  to  submit  the  members  of  the  chorus 
to  a  closer  examination,  and  therefore,  at  certain  times, 
the  public  were  admitted  to  see  the  animals.  It  soon 
turned  out  that  the  majority  of  the  dogs,  far  from  being 
ferocious  or  shy,  were,  on  the  contrary,  very  appreciative 
of  these  visits.  They  sometimes  came  in  for  an  extra 
tit-bit  in  the  form  of  a  sandwich  or  something  of  the 
sort.  Besides  which,  it  was  a  little  diversion  in  their  life 
of  captivity,  so  uncongenial  to  an  Arctic  dog ;  for  every 
one  of  them  was  securely  chained  up.  This  was  necessary, 
especially  to  prevent  fighting  among  themselves.  It 
happened  not  infrequently  that  one  or  more  of  them 
got  loose,  but  the  two  guardians  were  always  ready  to 
capture  the  runaways.  One  enterprising  rascal  started 
to  swim  over  the  sound  to  the  nearest  land — the  object 
of  his  expedition  was  undoubtedly  certain  unsuspecting 
sheep  that  were  grazing  by  the  shore — but  his  swim  was 
interrupted  in  time. 

After  the  Frarrfs  arrival  Wisting  took  over  the  posi- 


102        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

tion  of  dog-keeper  in  Hassel's  place.  He  and  Lindstrom 
stayed  close  to  the  island  where  the  dogs  were.  Wisting 
had  a  way  of  his  own  with  his  four-footed  subjects,  and 
was  soon  on  a  confidential  footing  with  them.  He  also 
showed  himself  to  be  possessed  of  considerable  veterinary 
skill — an  exceedingly  useful  qualification  in  this  case, 
where  there  was  often  some  injury  or  other  to  be 
attended  to.  As  I  have  already  mentioned,  up  to  this 
time  no  member  of  the  expedition,  except  Lieutenant 
Nilsen,  knew  anything  of  the  extension  of  plan  that  had 
been  made.  Therefore,  amongst  the  things  that  came 
on  board,  and  amongst  the  preparations  that  were  made 
during  our  stay  at  Christiansand,  there  must  have  been 
a  great  deal  that  appeared  very  strange  to  those  who,  for 
the  present,  were  only  looking  forward  to  a  voyage 
round  Cape  Horn  to  San  Francisco.  What  was  the 
object  of  taking  all  these  dogs  on  board  and  transporting 
them  all  that  long  way  ?  And  if  it  came  to  that,  would 
any  of  them  survive  the  voyage  round  the  formidable 
promontory  ?  Besides,  were  there  not  dogs  enough,  and 
good  dogs  too,  in  Alaska  ?  Why  was  the  whole  after- 
deck  full  of  coal  ?  What  was  the  use  of  all  these  planks 
and  boards  ?  Would  it  not  have  been  much  more  con- 
venient to  take  all  that  kind  of  goods  on  board  in  'Frisco  ? 
These  and  .many  similar  questions  began  to  pass  from 
man  to  man  ;  indeed,  their  very  faces  began  to  resemble 
notes  of  interrogation.  Not  that  anyone  asked  me — far 
from  it ;  it  was  the  second  in  command  who  had  to  bear 


OSCAR   WISTING. 


To  face  page  102,  Vol.  I. 


REPAIRS  TO  ENGINE  103 

the  brunt  and  answer  as  well  as  he  could — an  extremely 
thankless  and  unpleasant  task  for  a  man  who  already 
had  his  hands  more  than  full. 

In  order  to  relieve  his  difficult  situation,  I  resolved, 
shortly  before  leaving  Christiansand,  to  inform  Lieu- 
tenants Prestrud  and  Gjertsen  of  the  true  state  of  affairs. 
After  having  signed  an  undertaking  of  secrecy,  they 
received  full  information  of  the  intended  dash  to  the 
South  Pole,  and  an  explanation  of  the  reasons  for 
keeping  the  whole  thing  secret.  When  asked  whether 
they  wished  to  take  part  in  the  new  plan,  they  both 
answered  at  once  in  the  affirmative,  and  that  settled  it. 

There  were  now  three  men  on  board — all  the  officers— 
who  were  acquainted  with  the  situation,  and  were  thus 
in  a  position  to  parry  troublesome  questions  and  remove 
possible  anxieties  on  the  part  of  the  uninitiated. 

Two  of  the  members  of  the  expedition  joined  during 
the  stay  at  Christiansand — Hassel  and  Lindstrom — and 
one  change  was  made :  the  engineer  Eliassen  was  dis- 
charged. It  was  no  easy  matter  to  find  a  man  who 
possessed  the  qualifications  for  taking  over  the  post 
of  engineer  to  the  Pram.  Few,  or  perhaps  no  one, 
in  Norway  could  be  expected  to  have  much  knowledge 
of  motors  of  the  size  of  ours.  The  only  thing  to  be  done 
was  to  go  to  the  place  where  the  engine  was  built— 
to  Sweden.  Diesel's  firm  in  Stockholm  helped  us  out 
of  the  difficulty;  they  sent  us  the  man,  and  it  afterwards 
turned  out  that  he  was  the  right  man.  KnutSundbeckwas 


104        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

his  name.  A  chapter  might  be  written  on  the  good 
work  that  man  did,  and  the  quiet,  unostentatious  way  in 
which  he  did  it.  From  the  very  beginning  he  had 
assisted  in  the  construction  of  the  Pram's  motor,  so  that 
he  knew  his  engine  thoroughly.  He  treated  it  as  his 
darling ;  therefore  there  was  never  anything  the  matter 
with  it.  It  may  truly  be  said  that  he  did  honour  to  his 
firm  and  the  nation  to  which  he  belongs. 

Meanwhile  we  were  hard  at  work,  getting  ready  to 
sail.  We  decided  to  leave  before  the  middle  of  August — 
the  sooner  the  better. 

The  Fram  had  been  in  dry  dock,  where  the  hull  was 
thoroughly  coated  with  composition.  Heavily  laden  as 
the  ship  was,  the  false  keel  was  a  good  deal  injured  by 
the  severe  pressure  on  the  blocks,  but  with  the  help  of 
a  diver  the  damage  was  quickly  made  good. 

The  many  hundred  bundles  of  dried  fish  were  squeezed 
into  the  main  hold,  full  as  it  was.  All  sledging  and  ski 
outfit  was  carefully  stowed  away,  so  as  to  be  protected 
as  far  as  possible  from  damp.  These  things  had  to 
be  kept  dry,  otherwise  they  would  become  warped  and 
useless.  Bjaaland  had  charge  of  this  outfit,  and  he  knew 
how  it  should  be  treated. 

As  is  right  and  proper,  when  all  the  goods  had  been 
shipped,  it  was  the  turn  of  the  passengers.  The  Fram 
was  anchored  off  Fredriksholm,  and  the  necessary 
preparations  were  immediately  made  for  receiving  our 
four-footed  friends.  Under  the  expert  direction  of 


THE  DOGS  COME  ABOARD  105 

Bjaaland  and  Stubberud,  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
crew  were  set  to  work  with  axe  and  saw3  and  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours  the  Fram  had  got  a  new  deck. 
This  consisted  of  loose  pieces  of  decking,  which  could 
easily  be  raised  and  removed  for  flushing  and  cleaning. 
This  false  deck  rested  on  three-inch  planks  nailed  to  the 
ship's  deck ;  between  the  latter  and  the  loose  deck  there 
was  therefore  a  considerable  space,  the  object  of  which 
was  a  double  one — namely,  to  let  the  water,  which 
would  unavoidably  be  shipped  on  such  a  voyage,  run  off 
rapidly,  and  to  allow  air  to  circulate,  and  thus  keep  the 
space  below  the  animals  as  cool  as  possible.  The 
arrangement  afterwards  proved  very  successful. 

The  bulwarks  on  the  fore-part  of  the  Frams  deck 
consisted  of  an  iron  railing  covered  with  wire-netting. 
In  order  to  provide  both  shade  and  shelter  from  the 
wind,  a  lining  of  boards  was  now  put  up  along  the  inside 
of  the  railing,  and  chains  were  fastened  in  all  possible 
and  impossible  places  to  tie  the  dogs  up  to.  There 
could  be  no  question  of  letting  them  go  loose — to  begin 
with,  at  any  rate  ;  possibly,  we  might  hope  to  be  able  to 
set  them  free  later  on,  when  they  knew  their  masters 
better  and  were  more  familiar  with  their  surroundings 
generally. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  August  9  we  were  ready  to 
receive  our  new  shipmates,  and  they  were  conveyed 
across  from  the  island  in  a  big  lighter,  twenty  at  a  time. 
Wisting  and  Lindstrom  superintended  the  work  of 


106        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

transport,  and  maintained  order  capitally.  They  had 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  dogs'  confidence,  and  at  the 
same  time  their  complete  respect — just  what  was  wanted, 
in  fact.  At  the  Prams  gangway  the  dogs  came  in  for 
an  active  and  determined  reception,  and  before  they 
had  recovered  from  their  surprise  and  fright,  they  were 
securely  fastened  on  deck  and  given  to  understand  with 
all  politeness  that  the  best  thing  they  could  do  for 
the  time  being  was  to  accept  the  situation  with  calmness. 
The  whole  proceeding  went  so  rapidly  that  in  the  course 
of  a  couple  of  hours  we  had  all  the  ninety-seven  dogs  on 
board  and  had  found  room  for  them  ;  but  it  must  be 
added  that  the  Frams  deck  was  utilized  to  the  utmost. 
We  had  thought  we  should  be  able  to  keep  the  bridge 
free,  but  this  could  not  be  done  if  we  were  to  take  them 
all  with  us.  The  last  boat- load,  fourteen  in  number, 
had  to  be  accommodated  there.  All  that  was  left  was 
a  little  free  space  for  the  man  at  the  wheel.  As  for  the 
officer  of  the  watch,  it  looked  as  if  he  would  be  badly 
off  for  elbow-room  ;  there  was  reason  to  fear  that  he 
would  be  compelled  to  kill  time  by  standing  stock-still 
in  one  spot  through  the  whole  watch ;  but  just  then 
there  was  no  time  for  small  troubles  of  this  sort.  No 
sooner  was  the  last  dog  on  board  than  we  set  about 
putting  all  visitors  ashore,  and  then  the  motor  began 
working  the  windlass  under  the  forecastle.  "  The 
anchor's  up !"  Full  speed  ahead,  and  the  voyage 
towards  our  goal,  16,000  miles  away,  was  begun. 


DEPARTURE  FROM  NORWAY          107 

Quietly  and  unobserved  we  went  out  of  the  fjord  at 
dusk  ;  a  few  of  our  friends  accompanied  us  out. 

After  the  pilot  had  left  us  outside  Flekkero,  it  was 
not  long  before  the  darkness  of  the  August  evening  hid 
the  outlines  of  the  country  from  our  view  ;  but  Oxo 
and  Ryvingen  flashed  their  farewells  to  us  all  through 
the  night. 

We  had  been  lucky  with  wind  and  weather  at  the 
commencement  of  our  Atlantic  cruise  in  the  early 
summer ;  this  time  we  were,  if  possible,  even  more 
favoured.  It  was  perfectly  calm  when  we  sailed,  and 
the  North  Sea  lay  perfectly  calm  for  several  days  after. 
What  we  had  to  do  now  was  to  become  familiar  with^ 
and  used  to,  all  these  dogs,  and  this  was  enormously 
facilitated  by  the  fact  that  for  the  first  week  we  experi- 
enced nothing  but  fine  weather. 

Before  we  sailed  there  was  no  lack  of  all  kinds  of 
prophecies  of  the  evil  that  would  befall  us  with  our 
dogs.  We  heard  a  number  of  these  predictions  ;  pre- 
sumably a  great  many  more  were  whispered  about,  but 
did  not  reach  our  ears.  The  unfortunate  beasts  were 
to  fare  terribly  badly.  The  heat  of  the  tropics  would 
make  short  work  of  the  greater  part  of  them.  If  any 
were  left,  they  would  have  but  a  miserable  respite  before 
being  washed  overboard  or  drowned  in  the  seas  that 
would  come  on  deck  in  the  west  wind  belt.  To 
keep  them  alive  with  a  few  bits  of  dried  fish  was  an 
impossibility,  etc. 


108        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

As  everyone  knows,  all  these  predictions  were  very 
far  from  being  fulfilled  ;  the  exact  opposite  happened. 
Since  then  I  expect  most  of  us  who  made  the  trip  have 
been  asked  the  question — Was  not  ^that  voyage  to  the 
South  an  excessively  wearisome  and  tedious  business  ? 
Didn't  you  get  sick  of  all  those  dogs  ?  How  on  earth 
did  you  manage  to  keep  them  alive  ? 

It,  goes  without  saying  that  a  five  months'  voyage 
in  such  waters  as  we  were  navigating  must  necessarily 
present  a  good  deal  of  monotony  ;  how  much  will  depend 
on  what  resources  one  has  for  providing  occupation. 
In  this  respect  we  had  in  these  very  dogs  just  what  was 
wanted.  No  doubt  it  was  work  that  very  often  called 
for  the  exercise  of  patience  ;  nevertheless,  like  any  other 
work,  it  furnished  diversion  and  amusement,  and  so 
much  the  more  since  we  here  had  to  deal  with  living 
creatures  that  had  sense  enough  fully  to  appreciate  and 
reciprocate  in  their  own  way  any  advance  that  was 
made  to  them. 

From  the  very  first  I  tried  in  every  way  to  insist  upon 
the  paramount  importance  to  our  whole  enterprise  of 
getting  our  draught  animals  successfully  conveyed  to 
our  destination.  If  we  had  any  watchword  at  this  time 
it  was  :  "  Dogs  first,  and  dogs  all  the  time."  The  result 
speaks  best  for  the  way  in  which  this  watchword  was 
followed.  The  following  was  the  arrangement  we  made  : 
The  dogs,  who  at  first  were  always  tied  up  on  the  same 
spot,  were  divided  into  parties  of  ten ;  to  each  party  one 


ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  DOGS  109 

or  two  keepers  were  assigned,  with  full  responsibility 
for  their  animals  and  their  treatment.  For  my  own 
share  I  took  the  fourteen  that  lived  on  the  bridge. 
Feeding  the  animals  was  a  manoeuvre  that  required  the 
presence  of  all  hands  on  deck ;  it  therefore  took  place 
when  the  watch  was  changed.  The  Arctic  dog's  greatest 
enjoyment  in  life  is  putting  away  his  food ;  it  may  be 
safely  asserted  that  the  way  to  his  heart  lies  through  his 
dish  of  meat.  We  acted  on  this  principle,  and  the 
result  did  not  disappoint  us.  After  the  lapse  of  a  few 
days  the  different  squads  were  the  best  of  friends  with 
their  respective  keepers. 

As  may  be  supposed,  it  was  not  altogether  to  the 
taste  of  the  dogs  to  stand  chained  up  all  the  time  ;  their 
temperament  is  far  too  lively  for  that.  We  would 
gladly  have  allowed  them  the  pleasure  of  running  about 
and  thus  getting  healthy  exercise,  but  for  the  present 
we  dared  not  run  the  risk  of  letting  the  whole  pack 
loose.  A  little  more  education  was  required  first.  It 
was  easy  enough  to  win  their  affection  ;  to  provide  them 
with  a  good  education  was  of  course  a  more  difficult 
matter.  It  was  quite  touching  to  see  their  joy  and 
gratitude  when  one  gave  up  a  little  time  to  their  enter- 
tainment. One's  first  meeting  with  them  in  the  morn- 
ing was  specially  cordial.  Their  feelings  were  then  apt 
to  find  vent  in  a  chorus  of  joyful  howls  ;  this  was  called 
forth  by  the  very  sight  of  their  masters,  but  they  asked 
more  than  that.  They  were  not  satisfied  until  we  had 


110        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

gone  round,  patting  and  talking  to  every  one.  If  by 
chance  one  was  so  careless  as  to  miss  a  dog,  he  at  once 
showed  the  most  unmistakable  signs  of  disappointment. 
There  can  hardly  be  an  animal  that  is  capable  of 
expressing  its  feelings  to  the  same  extent  as  the  dog. 
Joy,  sorrow,  gratitude,  scruples  of  conscience,  are  all 
reflected  as  plainly  as  could  be  desired  in  his  behaviour, 
and  above  all  in  his  eyes.  We  human  beings  are  apt 
to  cherish  the  conviction  that  we  have  a  monopoly  of 
what  is  called  a  living  soul ;  the  eyes,  it  is  said,  are  the 
mirror  of  this  soul.  That  is  all  right  enough  ;  but  now 
take  a  look  at  a  dog's  eyes,  study  them  attentively. 
How  often  do  we  see  something  "  human "  in  their 
expression,  the  same  variations  that  we  meet  with  in 
human  eyes.  This,  at  all  events,  is  something  that 
strikingly  resembles  "  soul."  We  will  leave  the  ques- 
tion open  for  those  who  are  interested  in  its  solution, 
and  will  here  only  mention  another  point,  which  seems 
to  show  that  a  dog  is  something  more  than  a  mere 
machine  of  flesh  and  blood — his  pronounced  indivi- 
duality. There  were  about  a  hundred  dogs  on  board 
the  Fram.  Gradually,  as  we  got  to  know  each  one  of 
them  by  daily  intercourse,  they  each  revealed  some 
characteristic  trait,  some  peculiarity.  Hardly  two  of 
them  were  alike,  either  in  disposition  or  in  appearance. 
To  an  observant  eye  there  was  here  ample  opportunity 
for  the  most  amusing  exercise.  If  now  and  then  one 
grew  a  little  tired  of  one's  fellow-men — which,  I  must 


IN  THE  DOWNS  111 

admit,  seldom  happened — there  was,  as  a  rule,  diversion 
to  be  found  in  the  society  of  the  animals.  I  say,  as  a 
rule ;  there  were,  of  course,  exceptions.  It  was  not  an 
unmixed  pleasure  having  the  whole  deck  full  of  dogs 
for  all  those  months  ;  our  patience  was  severely  tested 
many  a  time.  But  in  spite  of  all  the  trouble  and  incon- 
venience to  which  the  transport  of  the  dogs  necessarily 
gave  rise,  I  am  certainly  right  in  saying  that  these 
months  of  sea  voyage  would  have  seemed  far  more 
monotonous  and  tedious  if  we  had  been  without  our 
passengers. 

During  the  first  four  or  five  days  we  had  now  been 
making  our  way  towards  the  Straits  of  Dover,  and  the 
hope  began  to  dawn  within  us  that  this  time,  as  last,  we 
should  slip  through  without  any  great  difficulty.  There 
had  been  five  days  of  absolute  calm  ;  why  should  it  not 
last  out  the  week  ?  But  it  did  not.  As  we  passed  the 
lightship  at  the  western  end  of  the  Goodwins  the  fine 
weather  left  us,  and  in  its  place  came  the  south-west 
wind  with  rain,  fog,  and  foul  weather  in  its  train.  In 
the  course  of  half  an  hour  it  became  so  thick  that  it  was 
impossible  to  see  more  than  two  or  three  ship's  lengths 
ahead  ;  but  if  we  could  see  nothing,  we  heard  all  the 
more.  The  ceaseless  shrieks  of  many  steam-whistles 
and  sirens  told  us  only  too  plainly  what  a  crowd  of 
vessels  we  were  in.  It  was  not  exactly  a  pleasant  situa- 
tion ;  our  excellent  ship  had  many  good  points,  but  they 
did  not  prevent  her  being  extraordinarily  slow  and  awk- 


112        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

ward  in  turning.  This  is  an  element  of  great  danger  in 
these  waters.  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  possible 
accident — whether  our  own  fault  or  not — would  to  us 
be  absolutely  fatal.  We  had  so  little  time  to  spare  that 
the  resulting  delay  might  ruin  the  whole  enterprise. 
An  ordinary  trading  vessel  can  take  the  risk  ;  by  careful 
manoeuvring  a  skipper  can  almost  always  keep  out  of 
the  way.  Collisions  are,  as  a  rule,  the  result  of  rashness 
or  carelessness  on  one  side  or  the  other.  The  rash  one 
has  to  pay ;  the  careful  one  may  perhaps  make  money 
out  of  it.  Carefulness  on  our  part  was  a  matter  of 
course  ;  it  would  have  been  a  poor  consolation  to  us  if 
another  ship  had  had  to  pay  for  her  carelessness.  We 
could  not  take  that  risk ;  therefore,  little  as  we  liked 
doing  so,  we  put  into  the  Downs  and  anchored  there. 

Right  opposite  to  us  we  had  the  town  of  Deal,  then 
in  the  height  of  its  season.  The  only  amusement  we 
had  was  to  observe  all  these  apparently  unconcerned 
people,  who  passed  their  time  in  bathing,  or  walking 
about  the  white,  inviting  sands.  They  had  no  need  to 
worry  themselves  much  about  what  quarter  the  wind 
blew  from.  Our  only  wish  was  that  it  would  veer,  or 
in  any  case  drop.  Our  communication  with  the  land 
was  limited  to  sending  ashore  telegrams  and  letters  for 
home. 

By  the  next  morning  our  patience  was  already  quite 
exhausted,  but  not  so  with  the  south-wester.  It  kept 
going  as  steadily  as  ever,  but  it  was  clear  weather,  and 


CARRIER  PIGEONS  113 

therefore  we  decided  at  once  to  make  an  attempt  to  get 
to  the  west.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to 
have  recourse  to  the  ancient  method  of  beating.  We 
cleared  one  point,  and  then  another,  but  more  than  that 
we  could  not  manage  for  the  time  being.  We  took 
one  bearing  after  another ;  no,  there  was  no  visible 
progress.  Off  Dungeness  we  had  to  anchor  again,  and 
once  more  console  ourselves  with  the  much-vaunted 
balm  of  patience.  This  time  we  escaped  with  passing 
the  night  there.  The  wind  now  thought  fit  to  veer 
sufficiently  to  let  us  get  out  at  daybreak,  but  it  was 
still  a  contrary  wind,  and  we  had  to  beat  almost  all  the 
way  down  the  English  Channel.  A  whole  week  was 
spent  in  doing  these  three  hundred  miles ;  that  was 
rather  hard,  considering  the  distance  we  had  to  go. 

I  fancy  most  of  us  gave  a  good  sigh  of  relief  when 
at  last  we  were  clear  of  the  Scilly  Isles.  The  everlast- 
ing south-west  wind  was  still  blowing,  but  that  did  not 
matter  so  much  now.  The  main  thing  was  that  we 
found  ourselves  in  open  sea  with  the  whole  Atlantic 
before  us.  Perhaps  one  must  have  sailed  in  the  Fram 
to  be  able  fully  to  understand  what  a  blessing  it  was  to 
feel  ourselves  altogether  clear  of  the  surrounding  land 
and  the  many  sailing-ships  in  the  Channel — to  say 
nothing  of  constantly  working  the  ship  with  a  deck 
swarming  with  dogs.  On  our  first  voyage  through  the 
Channel  in  June  we  had  caught  two  or  three  carrier 
pigeons,  which  had  come  to  rest  in  the  rigging  utterly 

VOL.   I.  8 


114        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

tired  out.  On  the  approach  of  darkness  we  were  able 
to  get  hold  of  them  without  difficulty.  Their  numbers 
and  marks  were  noted,  and  after  they  had  been  taken 
care  of  for  a  couple  of  days  and  had  recovered  their 
strength,  we  let  them  go.  They  circled  once  or  twice 
round  the  mast-heads,  and  then  made  for  the  English 
coast. 

I  think  this  episode  led  to  our  taking  a  few 
carrier  pigeons  with  us  when  we  left  Christiansand  ; 
Lieutenant  Nilsen,  as  a  former  owner  of  pigeons,  was 
to  take  charge  of  them.  Then  a  nice  house  was  made 
for  them,  and  the  pigeons  lived  happily  in  their  new 
abode  on  the  top  of  the  whale-boat  amidships.  Now, 
in  some  way  or  other  the  second  in  command  found 
out  that  the  circulation  of  air  in  the  pigeon-house  was 
faulty ;  to  remedy  this  defect,  he  one  day  set  the  door 
a  little  ajar.  Air  certainly  got  into  the  house,  but  the 
pigeons  came  out.  A  joker,  on  discovering  that  the 
birds  had  flown,  wrote  up  "  To  Let "  in  big  letters  on 
the  wall  of  the  pigeon-house.  The  second  in  command 
was  not  in  a  very  gentle  frame  of  mind  that  day. 

As  far  as  I  know,  this  escape  took  place  in  the 
Channel.  The  pigeons  found  their  way  home  to 
Norway. 

The  Bay  of  Biscay  has  a  bad  name  among  seamen, 
and  it  fully  deserves  it ;  that  tempestuous  corner  of  the 
sea  conceals  for  ever  in  its  depths  so  many  a  stout  ship 
and  her  crew.  We  for  our  part,  however,  had  good 


IN  THE  BAY  115 

hopes  of  escaping  unharmed,  considering  the  time  of 
year,  and  our  hopes  were  fulfilled.  We  had  better  luck 
than  we  dared  to  anticipate.  Our  stubborn  opponent, 
the  south-west  wind,  got  tired  at  last  of  trying  to  stop 
our  progress ;  it  was  no  use.  We  went  slowly,  it  was 
true,  but  still  we  got  along.  Of  the  meteorological 
lessons  of  our  youth,  we  especially  recalled  at  that 
moment  the  frequent  northerly  winds  off  the  coast  of 
Portugal,  and  as  a  pleasant  surprise  we  already  had 
them  far  up  in  the  Bay.  This  was  an  agreeable  change 
after  all  our  close-hauled  tacking  in  the  Channel.  The 
north  wind  held  almost  as  bravely  as  the  south-west 
had  done  before,  and  at  what  was  to  our  ideas  quite 
a  respectable  rate,  we  went  southward  day  after  day 
towards  the  fine-weather  zone,  where  we  could  be  sure 
of  a  fair  wind,  and  where  a  sailor's  life  is,  as  a  rule,  a 
pleasant  one. 

For  that  matter,  as  far  as  seamanship  was  concerned, 
our  work  had  gone  on  smoothly  enough,  even  during 
these  first  difficult  weeks.  There  were  always  willing 
and  practised  hands  enough  for  what  was  wanted,  even 
though  the  work  to  be  done  was  frequently  of  a  not 
very  pleasant  kind.  Take  washing  decks,  for  instance. 
Every  seaman  will  have  something  to  say  about  what 
this  is  like  on  board  ships  that  carry  live  animals, 
especially  when  these  are  carried  on  deck,  in  the  way  of 
all  work  that  has  to  be  done.  I  have  always  held  the 
opinion  that  a  Polar  ship  ought  not,  any  more  than  any 


116        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

other  vessel,  to  be  a  wholesale  establishment  for  dirt 
and  filth,  however  many  dogs  there  may  be  on  board. 
On  the  contrary,  I  should  say  that  on  voyages  of  this 
kind  it  is  more  than  ever  vitally  necessary  to  keep  one's 
surroundings  as  clean  and  sweet  as  possible.  The  im- 
portant thing  is  to  get  rid  of  anything  that  may  have  a 
demoralizing  and  depressing  effect.  The  influence  of 
uncleanliness  in  this  way  is  so  well  known  that  it  is 
needless  to  preach  about  it  here. 

My  views  were  shared  by  everyone  on  board  the 
Fram,  and  everything  was  done  to  act  in  accordance 
with  them,  in  spite  of  what  may  be  considered  great 
difficulties.  Twice  a  day  the  whole  deck  was  thoroughly 
washed  down,  besides  all  the  extra  turns  at  odd  times 
with  bucket  and  scrubber.  At  least  once  a  week  the 
whole  of  the  loose  deck  was  taken  up,  and  each  separate 
part  of  it  thoroughly  washed,  until  it  was  as  clean  as 
when  it  was  laid  down  at  Christiansand.  This  was  a 
labour  that  required  great  patience  and  perseverance  on 
the  part  of  those  who  had  to  perform  it,  but  I  never 
saw  any  shortcomings.  "  Let's  just  see  and  get  it 
clean,"  they  said. 

At  night,  when  it  was  not  always  easy  to  see  what 
one  was  doing,  it  might  often  happen  that  one  heard 
some  more  or  less  heated  exclamations  from  those  who 
had  to  handle  coils  of  rope  in  working  the  ship.  I  need 
not  hint  more  explicitly  at  the  cause  of  them,  if  it  is 
remembered  that  there  were  dogs  lying  about  every- 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  WATCHES        117 

where,  who  had  eaten  and  drunk  well  in  the  course  of 
the  day.  But  after  a  time  the  oaths  gave  way  to  jokes. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  custom  does  not 
help  us  to  get  over. 

It  is  the  universal  practice  on  board  ship  to  divide 
the  day  and  night  into  watches  of  four  hours  ;  the  two 
watches  into  which  the  crew  is  divided  relieve  each 
other  every  four  hours.  But  on  vessels  that  sail  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean,  it  is  customary  to  have  watches  of  six 
hours.  We  adopted  the  latter  plan,  which,  on  its  being 
put  to  the  vote,  proved  to  have  a  compact  majority  in 
its  favour.  By  this  arrangement  of  watches  we  only 
had  to  turn  out  twice  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours, 
and  the  watch  below  had  had  a  proper  sleep  whenever 
it  turned  out.  If  one  has  to  eat,  smoke,  and  perhaps 
chat  a  little  during  four  hours'  watch  below,  it  does  not 
leave  much  time  for  sleeping  ;  and  if  there  should  be  a 
call  for  all  hands  on  deck,  it  means  no  sleep  at  all. 

To  cope  with  the  work  of  the  engine-room,  we  had 
from  the  beginning  the  two  engineers,  Sundbeck  and 
Nodtvedt ;  they  took  watch  and  watch,  four  hours  each. 
When  the  motor  was  in  use  for  a  long  time  continu- 
ously, this  was  a  rather  severe  duty,  and  on  the  whole 
it  was  just  as  well  to  have  a  man  in  reserve.  I  therefore 
decided  to  have  a  third  man  trained  as  reserve  engineer. 
Kristensen  applied  for  this  post,  and  it  may  be  said  in 
his  praise  that  he  accomplished  the  change  remarkably 
well.  Thorough  deck-hand  as  he  was,  there  might  have 


118        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

been  reason  to  fear  that  he  would  repent  of  the  transfer ; 
but  no,  he  quickly  became  life  and  soul  an  engineer. 
This  did  not  prevent  our  seeing  him  on  deck  again 
many  a  time  during  the  passage  through  the  west  wind 
belt,  when  there  was  need  of  a  good  man  during  a  gale. 

The  motor,  which  during  the  Atlantic  cruise  had  been 
a  constant  source  of  uneasiness  and  anxiety,  regained 
our  entire  confidence  under  Sundbeck's  capable  com- 
mand ;  it  hummed  so  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  hear  it.  To 
judge  from  the  sound  of  the  engine-room,  one  would  have 
thought  the  Pram  was  moving  through  the  water  with 
the  speed  of  a  torpedo-boat.  If  this  was  not  the  case, 
the  engine  was  not  to  blame  ;  possibly,  the  screw  had 
a  share  of  it.  The  latter  ought  probably  to  have  been 
somewhat  larger,  though  experts  are  not  agreed  about 
this  ;  in  any  case,  there  was  something  radically  wrong 
with  our  propeller.  Whenever  there  was  a  little  sea- 
way, it  was  apt  to  work  loose  in  the  brasses.  This  dis- 
advantage is  of  very  common  occurrence  in  vessels  which 
have  to  be  fitted  with  lifting  propellers  on  account  of 
the  ice,  and  we  did  not  escape  it.  The  only  remedy 
was  to  lift  the  whole  propeller-frame  and  renew  the 
brasses — an  extremely  difficult  work  when  it  had  to  be 
done  in  the  open  sea  and  on  as  lively  a  ship  as  the 
Pram. 

Day  by  day  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  how 
the  dogs  found  themselves  more  and  more  at  home  on 
board.  Perhaps,  even  among  ourselves,  there  were  one 


FEEDING  THE  DOGS  119 

or  two  who  had  felt  some  doubt  at  first  of  what  the 
solution  of  the  dog  question  would  be,  but  in  any 
case  all  such  doubts  were  soon  swept  away.  Even  at 
an  early  stage  of  the  voyage  we  had  every  reason  to 
hope  that  we  should  land  our  animals  safe  and  sound. 
What  we  had  to  see  to  in  the  first  place  was  to  let 
them  have  as  much  and  as  good  food  as  circumstances 
permitted.  As  already  mentioned,  we  had  provided 
ourselves  with  dried  fish  for  their  consumption.  Eskimo 
dogs  do  not  suffer  very  greatly  from  daintiness,  but  an 
exclusive  diet  of  dried  fish  would  seem  rather  mono- 
tonous in  the  long-run,  even  to  their  appetites,  and  a 
certain  addition  of  fatty  substances  was  necessary, 
otherwise  we  should  have  some  trouble  with  them. 
We  had  on  board  several  great  barrels  of  tallow  or  fat, 
but  our  store  was  not  so  large  that  we  did  not  have  to 
economize.  In  order  to  make  the  supply  of  fat  last, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  induce  our  boarders  to  take  as 
much  dried  fish  as  possible,  we  invented  a  mixture  which 
was  called  by  a  sailor's  term — dcenge.  This  must  not 
be  confused  with  "thrashing,"*  which  was  also  served 
out  liberally  from  time  to  time,  but  the  dcenge  was 
more  in  demand.  It  consisted  of  a  mixture  of  chopped- 
up  fish,  tallow,  and  maize-meal,  all  boiled  together  into 
a  sort  of  porridge.  This  dish  was  served  three  times 
a  week,  and  the  dogs  were  simply  mad  for  it.  They 
very  soon  learned  to  keep  count  of  the  days  when  this 

*  Dcenge  also  means  "  thrash." — TR. 


120        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

mess  was  to  be  expected,  and  as  soon  as  they  heard  the 
rattling  of  the  tin  dishes  in  which  the  separate  portions 
were  carried  round,  they  set  up  such  a  noise  that  it  was 
impossible  to  hear  oneself  speak.  Both  the  prepara- 
tion and  the  serving  out  of  this  extra  ration  were  at 
times  rather  troublesome,  but  it  was  well  worth  it. 
It  is  quite  certain  that  our  complement  of  dogs  would 
have  made  a  poor  show  on  arrival  at  the  Bay  of  Whales 
if  we  had  shrunk  from  the  trouble. 

The  dried  fish  was  not  nearly  so  popular  as  the  dcenge, 
but  to  make  up  for  that  there  was  plenty  of  it.  Not 
that  the  dogs  themselves  ever  thought  they  could  have 
enough  ;  indeed,  they  were  always  stealing  from  their 
neighbours,  perhaps  more  for  the  sake  of  the  sport  than 
for  anything  else.  In  any  case,  as  a  sport  it  was  ex- 
tremely popular,  and  it  took  many  a  good  hiding  to  get 
the  rascals  to  understand  that  it  could  not  be  allowed. 
I  am  afraid,  though,  that  they  kept  up  their  thieving 
even  after  they  knew  very  well  that  it  was  wrong ;  the 
habit  was  too  old  to  be  corrected.  Another  habit,  and 
a  very  bad  one,  that  these  Eskimo  dogs  have  fallen  into 
in  the  course  of  ages,  and  of  which  we  tried  to  break 
them,  at  all  events  during  the  sea  voyage,  is  their  ten- 
dency to  hold  howling  concerts.  What  the  real  mean- 
ing of  these  performances  may  be,  whether  they  are 
a  pastime,  or  an  expression  of  gratification  or  the  reverse, 
we  could  never  decide  to  our  satisfaction.  They  began 
suddenly  and  without  warning.  The  whole  pack  might 


DOG  CONCERTS  121 

be  lying  perfectly  still  and  quiet,  when  a  single  indi- 
vidual, who  for  that  occasion  had  taken  upon  himself 
the  part  of  leader  of  the  chorus,  would  set  up  a  long, 
blood-curdling  yowl.  If  they  were  left  to  themselves, 
it  was  not  long  before  the  whole  pack  joined  in,  and 
this  infernal  din  was  kept  going  at  full  steam  for  two  or 
three  minutes.  The  only  amusing  thing  about  the  enter- 
tainment was  its  conclusion.  They  all  stopped  short  at 
the  same  instant,  just  as  a  well-trained  chorus  obeys  the 
baton  of  its  conductor.  Those  of  us,  however,  who 
happened  to  be  in  our  bunks,  found  nothing  at  all 
amusing  in  these  concerts,  either  in  the  finale  or  any- 
thing else,  for  they  were  calculated  to  tear  the  soundest 
sleeper  from  his  slumbers.  But  if  one  only  took  care 
to  stop  the  leader  in  his  efforts  the  whole  affair  was 
nipped  in  the  bud,  and  we  usually  succeeded  in  doing 
this.  If  there  were  some  who  at  first  were  anxious 
about  their  night's  rest,  these  fears  were  soon  dispersed. 
On  leaving  Norway  we  had  ninety- seven  dogs  in  all, 
and  of  these  no  less  than  ten  were  bitches.  This  fact 
justified  us  in  expecting  an  increase  of  the  canine  popu- 
lation on  our  voyage  to  the  South,  and  our  expectations 
were  very  soon  fulfilled.  The  first  "happy  event" 
occurred  when  we  had  been  no  more  than  three  weeks 
at  sea.  An  incident  of  this  kind  may  seem  in  itself  of 
no  great  importance  ;  to  us,  living  under  conditions  in 
which  one  day  was  almost  exactly  like  another,  it  was 
more  than  enough  to  be  an  object  of  the  greatest 


122        ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

interest.  Therefore,  when  the  report  went  round  that 
"  Camilla  "  had  got  four  shapely  youngsters,  there  was 
general  rejoicing.  Two  of  the  pups,  who  happened  to 
be  of  the  male  sex,  were  allowed  to  live ;  the  females 
were  sent  out  of  this  world  long  before  their  eyes  were 
opened  to  its  joys  and  sorrows.  It  might  be  thought 
that,  seeing  we  had  nearly  a  hundred  grown-up  dogs  on 
board,  there  would  be  little  opportunity  for  looking  after 
puppies  ;  that  this  was  done,  nevertheless,  with  all  the 
care  that  could  be  wished,  is  due  in  the  first  instance  to 
the  touching  affection  of  the  second  in  command  for  the 
little  ones.  From  the  very  first  moment  he  was  their 
avowed  protector.  Gradually,  as  the  numbers  increased, 
there  was  a  difficulty  in  finding  room  on  the  already 
well-occupied  deck.  "  I'll  take  them  in  my  bunk,"  said 
the  second  in  command.  It  did  not  come  to  that,  but 
if  it  had  been  necessary  he  would  certainly  have  done 
so.  The  example  was  catching.  Later  on,  when  the 
little  chaps  were  weaned,  and  had  begun  to  take  other 
nourishment,  one  might  see  regularly,  after  every  meal, 
one  after  another  of  the  crew  coming  on  deck  with 
some  carefully  scraped-up  bits  of  food  on  his  plate ; 
the  little  hungry  mouths  were  to  have  what  was  left 
over. 

Something  more  than  patience  and  punctual  per- 
formance of  duty  is  displayed  in  such  things  as  those 
of  which  I  have  been  speaking ;  it  is  love  of,  and 
a  living  interest  in,  one's  wrork.  From  what  I  saw  and 


CONFIDENCE  IN  THE  CREW          123 

heard  every  day,  I  was  certain  that  these  necessary 
incentives  were  present ;  although,  as  far  as  most  of  the 
men  were  concerned,  our  object  was  still  the  protracted 
one  of  drifting  for  years  in  the  Arctic  ice.  The  ex- 
tension of  the  plan — the  far  more  imminent  battle  with 
the  ice-floes  of  the  South — was  still  undreamt  of  by  the 
majority  of  the  ship's  company.  I  considered  it  neces- 
sary to  keep  it  to  myself  for  a  little  while  yet — until 
our  departure  from  the  port  we  were  now  making  for  : 
Funchal,  Madeira.  It  may  possibly  appear  to  many 
people  that  I  was  running  a  pretty  big  risk  in  thus  put- 
ting off  till  the  last  moment  the  duty  of  informing  my 
comrades  of  the  very  considerable  ddtour  we  were  to 
make.  Suppose  some,  or  perhaps  all,  of  them  had 
objected !  It  must  be  admitted  that  it  was  a  big  risk, 
but  there  were  so  many  risks  that  had  to  be  taken  at 
that  time. 

However,  as  I  got  to  know  each  man  during  these 
first  few  weeks  of  our  long  voyage,  I  soon  arrived  at  the 
conviction  that  there  was  nobody  on  board  the  Fram 
who  would  try  to  put  difficulties  in  the  way.  On  the 
contrary,  I  had  more  and  more  reason  to  hope  that  they 
would  all  receive  the  news  with  joy  when  they  heard  it ; 
for  then  their  whole  prospect  would  be  so  different. 
Everything  had  gone  with  surprising  ease  up  to  this 
time ;  in  future  it  would  go  even  better. 

It  was  not  without  a  certain  longing  that  I  looked 
forward  to  our  arrival  at  Madeira :  it  would  be  grand  to 


124       ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

be  able  to  speak  out !  No  doubt  the  others  who  knew  of 
the  plan  were  equally  eager.  Secrets  are  neither  amus- 
ing nor  easy  to  carry  about — least  of  all  on  board  a  ship, 
where  one  has  to  live  at  such  close  quarters  as  we  had. 
We  were  chatting  together  every  day,  of  course,  and 
the  uninitiated  could  not  be  deterred  from  leading  the 
conversation  round  to  the  ugly  difficulties  that  would 
embitter  our  lives  and  hinder  our  progress  when  round- 
ing the  Horn.  It  was  likely  enough  that  we  should 
manage  to  bring  the  dogs  safely  through  the  tropics 
once,  but  whether  we  should  succeed  in  doing  so  twice 
was  more  doubtful ;  and  so  on  to  infinity.  It  is  easier 
to  imagine  than  to  describe  how  awkward  all  this  was, 
and  how  cunningly  one  had  to  choose  one's  words  to 
avoid  saying  too  much.  Among  inexperienced  men 
there  would  have  been  no  great  difficulty,  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  on  the  Fram  pretty  nearly  every 
second  man  had  spent  years  of  his  life  in  Polar  voyages : 
a  single  slight  hint  to  them  would  have  been  enough  to 
expose  the  whole  plan.  That  neither  those  on  board 
nor  anyone  else  discovered  it  prematurely  can  only  be 
explained  by  its  being  so  obvious. 

Our  ship  was  a  good  deal  too  dependent  on  wind  and 
weather  to  enable  us  to  make  any  accurate  estimate  of 
the  time  our  voyage  would  occupy,  especially  as  regards 
those  latitudes  in  which  the  winds  are  variable.  The 
estimate  for  the  whole  voyage  was  based  on  an  average 
speed  of  four  knots,  and  at  this  very  modest  rate,  as  it  may 


MADEIRA  SIGHTED  125 

seem,  we  ought  to  arrive  at  the  Ice  Barrier  about  the 
middle  of  January,  1911.  As  will  be  seen  later,  this 
was  realized  with  remarkable  exactness.  For  reaching 
Madeira  we  had  allowed  a  month  as  a  reasonable  time. 
We  did  a  good  deal  better  than  this,  as  we  were  able  to 
leave  Funchal  a  month  to  the  day  after  our  departure 
from  Christiansand.  We  were  always  ready  to  forgive 
the  estimate  when  it  was  at  fault  in  this  way. 

The  delay  to  which  we  had  been  subjected  in  the 
English  Channel  was  fortunately  made  up  along  the 
coast  of  Spain  and  to  the  south  of  it.  The  north  wind 
held  until  we  were  in  the  north-east  trade,  and  then  we 
were  all  right.  On  September  5  our  observations  at 
noon  told  us  that  we  might  expect  to  see  the  lights  that 
evening,  and  at  10  p.m.  the  light  of  San  Lorenzo  on  the 
little  island  of  Fora,  near  Madeira,  was  reported  from 
the  rigging. 


CHAPTER  IV 

FROM    MADEIRA    TO    THE    BARRIER 

ON  the  following  morning  we   anchored  in  Fimchal 
Roads.    My  brother  was  to  arrive  at  Funchal,  by  arrange- 
ment, early  enough  to  be  sure  of  preceding  us  there. 
It  was,  however,  a  good  while  before  we  saw  anything 
of  him,  and  we  were  already  flattering  ourselves  that  we 
had  arrived   first  when   he  was   suddenly  observed  in 
a  boat  coming  under  our  stern.     We  were  able  to  tell 
him  that  all  was  well  on  board,  and  he  brought  us  a  big 
packet  of  letters  and  newspapers  that  gave  us  news  of 
home.     A  little  officious  gentleman,  who  said  he  was 
a  doctor,  and  as  such  had  come  in  an  official  capacity  to 
inquire  as  to  the  state  of  our  health,  was  in  an  amazing 
hurry  to  leave  the  ship  again  when,  at  the  top  of  the 
gangway,  he  found  himself  confronted  with  a  score  of 
dogs'  jaws,  which  at  the  moment  were  opened  wide  on 
account  of  the  heat.     The  learned  man's  interest  in  our 
health  had  suddenly  vanished  ;  his  thoughts  flew  to  the 
safety  of  his  own  life  and  limbs. 

As  Funchal  was  the  last  place  where  we  could  com- 
municate with   the  outside  world,  arrangements  were 

126 


A  RUN  ASHORE  127 

made  for  completing  our  supplies  in  every  possible  way, 
and  in  particular  we  had  to  take  on  board  all  the  fresh 
water  we  could.  The  consumption  of  this  commodity 
would  be  very  large,  and  the  possibility  of  running  short 
had  to  be  avoided  at  any  price.  For  the  time  being  we 
could  do  no  more  than  fill  all  our  tanks  and  every 
imaginable  receptacle  with  the  precious  fluid,  and  this 
was  done.  We  took  about  1,000  gallons  in  the  long- 
boat that  was  carried  just  above  the  main  hatch.  This 
was  rather  a  risky  experiment,  which  might  have  had 
awkward  consequences  in  the  event  of  the  vessel  rolling  ; 
but  we  consoled  ourselves  with  the  hope  of  fine  weather 
and  a  smooth  sea  during  the  next  few  weeks.  During 
the  stay  at  Funchal  the  dogs  had  two  good  meals  of 
fresh  meat  as  a  very  welcome  variety  in  their  diet ;  a 
fair-sized  carcass  of  a  horse  disappeared  with  impressive 
rapidity  at  each  of  these  banquets.  For  our  own  use  we 
naturally  took  a  plentiful  supply  of  vegetables  and  fruits, 
which  wrere  here  to  be  had  in  abundance  ;  it  was  the 
last  opportunity  we  should  have  of  regaling  ourselves 
with  such  luxuries. 

Our  stay  at  Funchal  was  somewhat  longer  than  was 
intended  at  first,  as  the  engineers  found  it  necessary  to 
take  up  the  propeller  and  examine  the  brasses.  This 
work  would  occupy  two  days,  and  while  the  three 
mechanics  were  toiling  in  the  heat,  the  rest  of  the 
ship's  company  took  the  opportunity  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  town  and  its  surroundings ;  the 


128     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

crew  had  a  day's  leave,  half  at  a  time.  An  excursion 
was  arranged  to  one  of  the  numerous  hotels  that  are 
situated  on  the  heights  about  the  town.  The  ascent  is 
easily  made  by  means  of  a  funicular  railway,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  half-hour  it  takes  to  reach  the  top  one 
is  able  to  get  an  idea  of  the  luxuriant  fertility  of  the 
island.  At  the  hotels  one  finds  a  good  cuisine,  and, 
of  course,  still  better  wine.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
add  that  we  did  full  justice  to  both. 

For  the  descent  a  more  primitive  means  of  transport 
was  employed :  we  came  down  on  sledges.  It  may  be 
startling  to  hear  of  sledging  in  Madeira,  but  I  must 
explain  that  the  sledges  had  wooden  runners,  and  that 
the  road  was  paved  with  a  black  stone  that  was  very 
smooth.  We  went  at  a  creditable  pace  down  the 
steep  inclines,  each  sledge  being  drawn  or  pushed  by 
three  or  four  swarthy  natives,  who  seemed  to  be 
possessed  of  first-rate  legs  and  lungs. 

It  may  be  mentioned  as  a  curiosity  that  the  news- 
papers of  Funchal  did  not  hesitate  to  connect  our  expedi- 
tion with  the  South  Pole.  The  native  journalists  had  no 
idea  of  the  value  of  the  startling  piece  of  news  they  were 
circulating.  It  was  a  canard  invented  on  the  supposi- 
tion that  when  a  Polar  ship  steers  to  the  south,  she 
must,  of  course,  be  making  for  the  South  Pole.  In  this 
case  the  canard  happened  to  be  true.  Fortunately  for 
us,  it  did  not  fly  beyond  the  shores  of  Madeira. 

By  the  afternoon  of  September  9  we  could  begin  to 


THE  PLAN  DISCLOSED  129 

make  our  preparations  for  departure.  The  engineers 
had  replaced  the  propeller  and  tested  it ;  all  supplies 
were  on  board,  and  the  chronometers  had  been  checked. 
All  that  remained  was  to  get  rid  of  the  importunate 
bumboat-men  who  swarmed  round  the  vessel  in  their 
little  craft,  each  looking  like  a  small  floating  shop. 
These  obtrusive  fellows  were  quickly  sent  off  down  the 
gangway :  besides  ourselves  only  my  brother  was  left  on 
board.  Now  that  we  were  thus  completely  isolated 
from  the  outer  world,  the  long-expected  moment  had 
arrived  when  I  could  proceed  to  inform  all  my  comrades 
of  my  decision,  now  a  year  old,  to  make  for  the  South. 
I  believe  all  who  were  on  board  will  long  remember  that 
sultry  afternoon  in  Funchal  Roads.  All  hands  were 
called  on  deck :  what  they  thought  of  I  do  not  know, 
but  it  was  hardly  Antarctica  and  the  South  Pole. 
Lieutenant  Nilsen  carried  a  big  rolled-up  chart ;  I  could 
see  that  this  chart  was  the  object  of  many  interrogative 
glances. 

Not  many  words  were  needed  before  everyone  could 
see  where  the  wind  lay,  and  what  course  we  should  steer 
henceforward.  The  second  in  command  unrolled  his 
big  chart  of  the  southern  hemisphere,  and  I  briefly  ex- 
plained the  extended  plan,  as  well  as  my  reasons  for 
keeping  it  secret  until  this  time.  Now  and  again  I  had 
to  glance  at  their  faces.  At  first,  as  might  be  expected, 
they  showed  the  most  unmistakable  signs  of  surprise ; 
but  this  expression  swiftly  changed,  and  before  I  had 

VOL.  i.  9 


130    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

finished  they  were  all  bright  with  smiles.  I  was  now 
sure  of  the  answer  I  should  get  when  I  finally  asked 
each  man  whether  he  was  willing  to  go  on,  and  as  the 
names  were  called,  every  single  man  had  his  "  Yes  "  ready. 
Although,  as  I  have  said,  I  had  expected  it  to  turn  out 
as  it  did,  it  is  difficult  to  express  the  joy  I  felt  at  seeing 
how  promptly  my  comrades  placed  themselves  at  my 
service  on  this  momentous  occasion.  It  appeared,  how- 
ever, that  I  was  not  the  only  one  who  was  pleased. 
There  was  so  much  life  and  good  spirits  on  board 
that  evening  that  one  would  have  thought  the  work 
was  successfully  accomplished  instead  of  being  hardly 
begun. 

For  the  present,  however,  there  was  not  much  time 
to  spare  for  discussing  the  news.  We  had  first  to  see 
about  getting  away ;  afterwards  there  would  be  many 
months  before  us.  Two  hours7  grace  was  allowed,  in 
which  every  man  could  write  to  his  people  at  home 
about  what  had  just  passed.  The  letters  were  probably 
not  very  long  ones ;  at  all  events,  they  were  soon 
finished.  The  mail  was  handed  over  to  my  brother 
to  take  to  Christiania,  from  whence  the  letters  were 
sent  to  their  respective  destinations ;  but  this  did  not 
take  place  until  after  the  alteration  of  our  plans  had 
been  published  in  the  Press. 

It  had  been  easy  enough  to  tell  my  comrades  the 
news,  and  they  could  not  have  given  it  a  better  recep- 
tion ;  it  was  another  question  what  people  at  home 


IN    THE    NORTH-EAST    TRADES. 


To  face  payc  130,  Vol.  1. 


SATISFACTION  ON  BOARD  131 

would  say  when  the  intelligence  reached  their  ears. 
We  afterwards  heard  that  both  favourable  and  un- 
favourable opinions  were  expressed.  For  the  moment 
we  could  not  trouble  ourselves  very  greatly  with  that 
side  of  the  matter;  my  brother  had  undertaken  to 
announce  the  way  we  had  taken,  and  I  cannot  say  that 
I  envied  him  the  task.  After  we  had  all  given  him 
a  final  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  he  left  us,  and  thereby 
our  communication  with  the  busy  world  was  broken  off. 
We  were  left  to  our  own  resources.  No  one  can  say 
that  the  situation  oppressed  us  greatly.  Our  long 
voyage  was  entered  upon  as  though  it  were  a  dance ; 
there  was  not  a  trace  of  the  more  or  less  melancholy 
feeling  that  usually  accompanies  any  parting.  The  men 
joked  and  laughed,  while  witticisms,  both  good  and  bad, 
were  bandied  about  on  the  subject  of  our  original  situa- 
tion. The  anchor  came  up  more  quickly  than  usual, 
and  after  the  motor  had  helped  us  to  escape  from  the 
oppressive  heat  of  the  harbour,  we  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  every  sail  filled  with  the  fresh  and  cooling 
north-east  trade. 

The  dogs,  who  must  have  found  the  stay  at  Funchal 
rather  too  warm  for  their  taste,  expressed  their  delight 
at  the  welcome  breeze  by  getting  up  a  concert.  We 
felt  we  could  not  grudge  them  the  pleasure  this  time. 

It  was  pure  enjoyment  to  come  on  deck  the  morning 
after  leaving  Madeira ;  there  was  an  added  note  of 
friendliness  in  every  man's  "  Good-morning,"  and  a  smile 


132    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

twinkled  in  the  corner  of  every  eye.  The  entirely  new 
turn  things  had  taken,  and  the  sudden  change  to  fresh 
fields  for  thought  and  imagination,  acted  as  a  beneficent 
stimulus  to  those  who,  the  day  before,  had  contemplated 
a  trip  round  the  Horn.  I  think  what  chiefly  amused 
them  was  their  failure  to  smell  a  rat  before.  "  How 
could  I  have  been  such  an  ass  as  not  to  think  of  it  long 
ago  ?"  said  Beck,  as  he  sent  a  nearly  new  quid  into  the 
sea.  "  Of  course,  it  was  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff.  Here 
we  are  with  all  these  dogs,  this  fine  '  observation  house,' 
with  its  big  kitchen-range  and  shiny  cloth  on  the  table, 
and  everything  else.  Any  fool  might  have  seen  what 
it  meant."  I  consoled  him  with  the  remark  that  it  is 
always  easy  to  be  wise  after  the  event,  and  that  I 
thought  it  very  lucky  no  one  had  discovered  our 
destination  prematurely. 

Those  of  us  who  had  been  obliged  hitherto  to  keep  to 
themselves  what  they  knew,  and  to  resort  to  all  kinds 
of  stratagems  to  avoid  making  any  disclosure,  were  cer- 
tainly no  less  pleased  at  being  rid  of  the  secret ;  now 
they  could  talk  freely  to  their  heart's  content.  If  we 
had  previously  had  to  resort  to  mystification,  there  was 
now  nothing  to  prevent  our  laying  our  cards  on  the 
table.  So  many  a  conversation  had  come  to  a  standstill 
because  those  who  had  a  number  of  questions  to  ask 
did  not  dare  to  put  them,  and  those  who  could  have 
told  held  their  tongues.  Hereafter  it  would  be  a  very 
long  time  before  we  were  at  a  loss  for  subjects  of  con- 


WORK  IN  THE  TRADE-WINDS        133 

versation  ;  a  theme  had  suddenly  presented  itself,  so 
varied  and  comprehensive  that  it  was  difficult  at  first  to 
know  where  to  begin.  There  were  many  men  on  board 
the  Fram  with  a  wealth  of  experience  gained  during 
years  spent  within  the  Arctic  Circle,  but  to  almost  all 
of  us  the  great  Antarctic  continent  was  a  terra  incognita. 
I  myself  was  the  only  man  on  board  who  had  seen 
Antarctica ;  perhaps  one  or  two  of  my  companions 
had  in  former  days  passed  in  the  vicinity  of  an  Ant- 
arctic iceberg  on  a  voyage  round  Cape  Horn,  but  that 
was  all. 

What  had  previously  been  accomplished  in  the  way 
of  exploration  in  the  South,  and  the  narratives  of  the 
men  who  had  endeavoured  to  extend  our  knowledge  of 
that  inhospitable  continent,  were  also  things  that  very 
few  of  the  ship's  company  had  had  time  or  opportunity 
to  study,  nor  had  they  perhaps  had  any  reason  to  do  so. 
Now  there  was  every  possible  reason.  I  considered  it 
an  imperative  necessity  that  every  man  should  acquaint 
himself  as  far  as  possible  with  the  work  of  previous  ex- 
peditions ;  this  was  the  only  way  of  becoming  in  some 
measure  familiar  with  the  conditions  in  which  we  should 
have  to  work.  For  this  reason  the  Fram  carried  a 
whole  library  of  Antarctic  literature,  containing  every- 
thing that  has  been  written  by  the  long  succession  of 
explorers  in  these  regions,  from  James  Cook  and  James 
Clark  Ross  to  Captain  Scott  and  Sir  Ernest  Shackleton. 
And,  indeed,  good  use  was  made  of  this  library.  The 


134    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

works  of  the  two  last-named  explorers  were  in  chief 
request ;  they  were  read  from  cover  to  cover  by  all  who 
could  do  so,  and,  well  written  and  excellently  illustrated 
as  these  narratives  are,  they  were  highly  instructive. 
But  if  ample  time  was  thus  devoted  to  the  theoretical 
study  of  our  problem,  the  practical  preparations  were 
not  neglected.  As  soon  as  we  were  in  the  trade-winds, 
where  the  virtually  constant  direction  and  force  of  the 
wind  permitted  a  reduction  of  the  watch  on  deck,  the 
various  specialists  went  to  work  to  put  our  extensive 
wintering  outfit  in  the  best  possible  order.  It  is  true 
that  every  precaution  had  been  taken  beforehand  to 
have  every  part  of  the  equipment  as  good  and  as  well 
adapted  to  its  purpose  as  possible,  but  the  whole  of  it, 
nevetheless,  required  a  thorough  overhauling.  With  so 
complicated  an  outfit  as  ours  was,  one  is  never  really  at 
the  end  of  one's  work  ;  it  will  always  be  found  that 
some  improvement  or  other  can  be  made.  It  will 
appear  later  that  we  had  our  hands  more  than  full  of 
the  preparations  for  the  sledge  journey,  not  only  during 
the  long  sea  voyage,  but  also  during  the  still  longer 
Antarctic  winter. 

Our  sailmaker,  Ronne,  was  transformed  into  a — well, 
let  us  call  it  tailor.  Ronne's  pride  was  a  sewing- 
machine,  which  he  had  obtained  from  the  yard  at 
Horten  after  considerable  use  of  his  persuasive  tongue. 
His  greatest  sorrow  on  the  voyage  was  that,  on  arriving 
at  the  Barrier,  he  would  be  obliged  to  hand  over 


IN    THE    RIGGING. 


TAKING    AN    OBSERVATION. 


To  face  page  134,  Vol.  I. 


THE  SAILMAKER  BUSY  135 

his  treasure  to  the  shore  party.  He  could  not  under- 
stand what  we  wanted  with  a  sewing-machine  at  Fram- 
heim.  The  first  thing  he  did  when  the  Fram  reached 
Buenos  Aires  was  to  explain  to  the  local  representative 
of  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Company  how  absolutely 
necessary  it  was  to  have  his  loss  made  good.  His  gift 
of  persuasion  helped  him  again,  and  he  got  a  new 
machine. 

For  that  matter,  it  was  not  surprising  that  Ronne 
was  fond  of  his  machine.  He  could  use  it  for  all  sorts 
of  things — sailmaker's,  shoemaker's,  saddler's,  and  tailor's 
work  was  all  turned  out  with  equal  celerity.  He  estab- 
lished his  workshop  in  the  chart-house,  and  there  the 
machine  hummed  incessantly  through  the  tropics,  the 
west  wind  belt,  and  the  ice-floes  too ;  for,  quick  as  our 
sailmaker  was  with  his  fingers,  the  orders  poured  in 
even  more  quickly.  Ronne  was  one  of  those  men 
whose  ambition  it  is  to  get  as  much  work  as  possible 
done  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  and  with  increasing 
astonishment  he  saw  that  here  he  would  never  be 
finished ;  he  might  go  at  it  as  hard  as  he  liked — there 
was  always  something  more.  To  reckon  up  all  that 
he  delivered  from  his  workshop  during  these  months 
would  take  us  too  long ;  it  is  enough  to  say  that  all  the 
work  was  remarkably  well  done,  and  executed  with 
admirable  rapidity.  Perhaps  one  of  the  things  he 
personally  prided  himself  most  on  having  made  was 
the  little  three-man  tent  which  was  afterwards  left  at 


136     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

the  South  Pole.  It  was  a  little  masterpiece  of  a  tent, 
made  of  thin  silk,  which,  when  folded  together,  would 
easily  have  gone  into  a  fair- sized  pocket,  and  weighed 
hardly  a  kilogram. 

At  this  time  we  could  not  count  with  certainty  on 
the  possibility  of  all  those  who  made  the  southern 
journey  reaching  latitude  90°.  On  the  contrary,  we 
had  to  be  prepared  for  the  probability  of  some  of  the 
party  being  obliged  to  turn  back.  It  was  intended  that 
we  should  use  the  tent  in  question,  in  case  it  might  be 
decided  to  let  two  or  three  men  make  the  final  dash, 
and  therefore  it  was  made  as  small  and  light  as  possible. 
Fortunately  we  had  no  need  to  use  it,  as  every  man 
reached  the  goal ;  and  we  then  found  that  the  best  way 
of  disposing  of  Ronne's  work  of  art  was  to  let  it  stay 
there  as  a  mark. 

Our  sailmaker  had  no  dogs  of  his  own  to  look  after ; 
he  had  no  time  for  that.  On  the  other  hand,  he  often 
assisted  me  in  attending  to  my  fourteen  friends  up  on 
the  bridge  ;  but  he  seemed  to  have  some  difficulty  in 
getting  on  terms  of  familiarity  with  the  dogs  and  all 
that  belonged  to  them.  It  did  not  quite  agree  with 
his  idea  of  life  on  board  ship  to  have  a  deck  swarming 
with  dogs.  He  regarded  this  abnormal  state  of  things 
with  a  sort  of  scornful  compassion.  "  So  you  carry 
dogs,  too,  aboard  this  ship,"  he  would  say,  every  time 
he  came  on  deck  and  found  himself  face  to  face  with 
the  "brutes."  The  poor  brutes,  I  am  sure,  made  no 


RuNNE    FELT    SAFER   WHEN    THE    DOGS 
WERE    MUZZLED. 


STARBOARD    WATCH    ON    THE    BRIDGE. 


TofacipcHje  136,  Vol.  1. 


OLAV   BJAALAND,   A   MEMBER   OF   THE    POLAR   PARTY. 


To  face  page  13(5,  Vol.  I. 


WORK  FOR  BJAALAND  137 

attempt  to  attack  R  dime's  person  more  than  anyone 
else's,  but  he  seemed  for  a  long  time  to  have  great 
doubts  about  it.  I  don't  think  he  felt  perfectly  safe 
until  the  dogs  had  been  muzzled. 

A  part  of  our  equipment  to  which  we  gave  special 
care  was,  of  course,  the  ski ;  in  all  probability  they 
would  be  our  chief  weapon  in  the  coming  fight.  How- 
ever much  we  might  have  to  learn  from  Scott's  and 
Shacldeton's  narratives,  it  was  difficult  for  us  to  under- 
stand their  statements  that  the  use  of  ski  on  the  Barrier 
was  not  a  success.  From  the  descriptions  that  were 
given  of  the  nature  of  the  surface  and  the  general  con- 
ditions, we  were  forced  to  the  opposite  conclusion,  that 
ski  were  the  only  means  to  employ.  Nothing  was 
spared  to  provide  a  good  skiing  outfit,  and  we  had  an 
experienced  man  in  charge  of  it — Olav  Bjaaland.  It 
is  sufficient  to  mention  his  name.  When,  on  leaving 
Norway,  it  was  a  question  of  finding  a  good  place  for 
our  twenty  pairs  of  ski,  we  found  we  should  have  to 
share  our  own  quarters  with  them ;  they  were  all  dis- 
posed under  the  ceiling  of  the  fore-cabin.  At  any  rate, 
we  had  no  better  place  to  put  them.  Bjaaland,  who 
during  the  last  month  or  two  had  tried  his  hand  at  the 
unaccustomed  work  of  a  seaman,  went  back  to  his  old 
trade  of  ski-maker  and  carpenter  when  we  came  into 
the  trade -winds.  Both  ski  and  bindings  were  de- 
livered ready  for  use  by  Hagen  and  Co.,  of  Christiania ; 
it  remained  to  adapt  them,  and  fit  the  backstraps 


138     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

to  each  man's  boots,  so  that  all  might  be  ready  for  use 
on  arrival  at  the  Barrier.  A  full  skiing  outfit  had  been 
provided  for  every  man,  so  that  those  who  were  to  be 
left  on  board  might  also  have  a  run  now  and  then 
during  their  stay  at  the  ice  edge. 

For  each  of  ou^  ten  sledges,  Bjaaland  made  during 
the  voyage  a  pair  of  loose  runners,  which  it  was  in- 
tended to  use  in  the  same  way  as  the  Eskimo  use  theirs. 
These  primitive  people  have — or,  at  all  events,  had — no 
material  that  was  suited  for  shoeing  sledge-runners. 
They  get  over  the  difficulty  by  covering  the  runners 
with  a  coating  of  ice.  No  doubt  it  requires  a  great  deal 
of  practice  and  patience  to  put  on  this  kind  of  shoeing 
properly,  but  when  it  is  once  on  there  can  be  no 
question  that  this  device  throws  all  others  into  the 
shade.  As  I  say,  we  had  intended  to  try  this  on  the 
Barrier ;  we  found,  however,  that  the  pulling  power  of 
our  teams  was  so  good  as  to  allow  us  to  retain  our 
steel-shod  runners  with  an  easy  conscience. 

For  the  first  fourteen  days  after  leaving  Madeira  the 
north-east  trade  was  fresh  enough  to  enable  us  to  keep 
up  our  average  rate,  or  a  little  more,  with  the  help  of 
the  sails  alone.  The  engine  was  therefore  allowed  a 
rest,  and  the  engineers  had  an  opportunity  of  cleaning 
and  polishing  it ;  this  they  did  early  and  late,  till  it 
seemed  as  if  they  could  never  get  it  bright  enough. 
Nddtvedt  now  had  a  chance  of  devoting  himself  to  the 
occupation  which  is  his  delight  in  this  world — that  of 


THE  "FRAM'S"  SEAWORTHINESS     139 

the  blacksmith ;  and,  indeed,  there  was  opportunity 
enough  for  his  use  of  the  hammer  and  anvil.  If  Ronne 
had  plenty  of  sewing,  Nodtvedt  had  no  less  forging— 
sledge-fittings,  knives,  pickaxes,  bars  and  bolts,  patent 
hooks  by  the  hundred  for  dogs,  chains,  and  so  on  to 
infinity.  The  clang  and  sparks  of  the  anvil  were  going 
all  day  long  till  we  were  well  into  the  Indian  Ocean. 
And  in  the  westerly  belt  the  blacksmith's  lot  was  not 
an  enviable  one ;  it  is  not  always  easy  to  hit  the  nail 
on  the  head  when  one's  feet  rest  on  so  unstable  a 
foundation  as  the  Pram's  deck,  nor  is  it  altogether 
pleasant  when  the  forge  is  filled  with  water  several 
times  a  day. 

While  we  were  fitting  out  for  the  voyage,  the  cry 
was  constantly  raised  in  certain  quarters  at  home  that 
the  old  Prams  hull  was  in  a  shocking  state.  It  was 
said  to  be  in  bad  repair,  to  leak  like  a  sieve — in  fact,  to 
be  altogether  rotten.  It  throws  a  curious  light  on 
these  reports  when  we  look  at  the  voyages  that  the 
Pram  has  accomplished  in  the  last  two  years.  For 
twenty  months  out  of  twenty-four  she  has  kept  going 
in  open  sea,  and  that,  too,  in  waters  which  make  very 
serious  demands  on  a  vessel's  strength.  She  is  just  as 
good  as  when  she  sailed,  and  could  easily  do  it  all  over 
again  without  any  repairs.  We  who  were  on  board  all 
knew  perfectly  well  before  we  sailed  how  groundless 
and  foolish  these  cries  about  her  "  rottenness "  were  ; 
we  knew,  too,  that  there  is  scarcely  a  wooden  ship  afloat 


140    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

on  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  use  the  pumps  now  and 
then.  When  the  engine  was  stopped,  we  found  it  was 
sufficient  to  take  a  ten  minutes'  turn  at  the  hand-pump 
every  morning  ;  that  was  all  the  "  leaking  "  amounted 
to.  Oh  no  !  there  was  nothing  wrong  with  the  Frarris 
hull.  On  the  other  hand,  there  might  be  a  word  or 
two  to  say  about  the  rigging ;  if  this  was  not  all  it 
should  have  been,  the  fault  lay  entirely  with  the  plaguy 
considerations  of  our  budget.  On  the  foremast  we  had 
two  squaresails  ;  there  ought  to  have  been  four.  On 
the  jib-boom  there  were  two  staysails  ;  there  was  room 
enough  for  three,  but  the  money  would  not  run  to  it. 
In  the  Trades  we  tried  to  make  up  for  the  deficiency  by 
rigging  a  studding-sail  alongside  the  foresail  and  a  sky- 
sail  above  the  topsail.  I  will  not  assert  that  these 
improvised  sails  contributed  to  improve  the  vessel's 
appearance,  but  they  got  her  along,  and  that  is  a  great 
deal  more  important.  We  made  very  fair  progress 
southward  during  these  September  days,  and  before  the 
month  was  half  over  we  had  come  a  good  way  into  the 
tropical  belt.  No  particularly  tropical  heat  was  felt,  at 
any  rate  by  us  men ;  and  as  a  rule  the  heat  is  not 
severely  felt  on  board  ship  in  open  sea  so  long  as  the 
vessel  is  moving.  On  a  sailing-ship,  lying  becalmed 
with  the  sun  in  the  zenith,  it  might  be  warmer  than 
one  would  wish  ;  but  in  case  of  calms  we  had  the  engine 
to  help  us,  so  that  there  was  always  a  little  breeze- 
that  is,  on  deck.  Down  below  it  was  worse ;  sometimes 


PROBLEMS  OF  VENTILATION         141 

"  hoggishly  mild,"  as  Beck  used  to  put  it.  Our  other- 
wise comfortable  cabins  had  one  fault ;  there  were  no 
portholes  in  the  ship's  side,  and  therefore  we  could  not 
get  a  draught ;  but  most  of  us  managed  without  shift- 
ing our  quarters.  Of  the  two  saloons,  the  fore-saloon 
was  decidedly  preferable  in  warm  weather ;  in  a  cold 
climate  probably  the  reverse  would  be  the  case.  We 
were  able  to  secure  a  thorough  draught  of  air  forward? 
through  the  alleyway  leading  to  the  forecastle ;  it  was 
difficult  to  get  a  good  circulation  aft,  where  they  also 
had  the  warm  proximity  of  the  engine.  The  engineers, 
of  course,  had  the  hottest  place,  but  the  ever-inventive 
Sundbeck  devised  a  means  of  improving  the  ventilation 
of  the  engine-room,  so  that  even  there  they  were  not  so 
badly  off  under  the  circumstances. 

One  often  hears  it  asked,  Which  is  to  be  preferred, 
severe  heat  or  severe  cold  ?  It  is  not  easy  to  give  a 
definite  answer ;  neither  of  the  two  is  pleasant,  and  it 
must  remain  a  matter  of  taste  which  is  least  so.  On 
board  ship  no  doubt  most  people  will  vote  for  heat,  as, 
even  if  the  days  are  rather  distressing,  one  has  the 
glorious  nights  to  make  up  for  them.  A  bitterly  cold 
day  is  poorly  compensated  for  by  an  even  colder  night. 

One  decided  advantage  of  a  warm  climate  for  men 
who  have  to  be  frequently  in  and  out  of  their  clothes 
and  their  bunks  is  the  simplicity  of  costume  which  it 
allows.  When  you  wear  hardly  anything  it  takes  a 
very  short  time  to  dress. 


142     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

If  we  had  been  able  to  take  the  opinion  of  our  dogs 
on  their  existence  in  the  tropics,  they  would  prob- 
ably have  answered  as  one  dog :  "  Thanks,  let  us  get 
back  to  rather  cooler  surroundings."  Their  coats  were 
not  exactly  calculated  for  a  temperature  of  90°  in  the 
shade,  and  the  worst  of  it  was  that  they  could  not  change 
them.  It  is,  by  the  way,  a  misunderstanding  to  sup- 
pose that  these  animals  absolutely  must  have  hard  frost 
to  be  comfortable  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  prefer  to  be 
nice  and  warm.  Here  in  the  tropics  of  course  they  had 
rather  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  but  they  did  not  suffer 
from  the  heat.  By  stretching  awnings  over  the  whole 
ship  we  contrived  that  they  should  all  be  constantly  in 
the  shade,  and  so  long  as  they  were  not  directly  exposed 
to  the  sun's  rays,  there  was  no  fear  of  anything  going 
wrong.  How  well  they  came  through  it  appears  best 
from  the  fact  that  not  one  of  them  was  on  the  sick-list 
on  account  of  the  heat.  During  the  whole  voyage  only 
two  deaths  occurred  from  sickness — one  was  the  case  of 
a  bitch  that  died  after  giving  birth  to  eight  pups — which 
might  just  as  easily  have  caused  her  death  under  other 
conditions.  What  was  the  cause  of  death  in  the  other 
case  we  were  unable  to  find  out ;  at  any  rate,  it  was  not 
an  infectious  disease. 

One  of  our  greatest  fears  was  the  possibility  of  an 
epidemic  among  the  dogs,  but  thanks  to  the  care  with 
which  they  had  been  picked,  there  was  never  a  sign  of 
anything  of  the  sort. 


IN  THE  DOLDRUMS  143 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Equator,  between  the 
north-east  and  the  south-east  trades,  lies  what  is  called 
the  "  belt  of  calms."  The  position  and  extent  of  this  belt 
vary  somewhat  with  the  season.  If  you  are  extremely 
lucky,  it  may  happen  that  one  trade-wind  will  practically 
take  you  over  into  the  other ;  but,  as  a  rule,  this  region 
will  cause  quite  a  serious  delay  to  sailing-ships ;  either 
there  are  frequent  calms,  or  shifting  and  unsteady  winds. 
We  arrived  there  at  an  unfavourable  time  of  the  year 
and  lost  the  north-east  trade  as  early  as  ten  degrees  north 
of  the  line.  If  we  had  had  the  calms  we  looked  for,  we 
could  have  got  across  with  the  help  of  the  engine  in  a 
reasonably  short  time,  but  we  saw  very  little  sign  of 
calms.  As  a  rule,  there  was  an  obstinate  south  wind 
blowing,  and  it  would  not  have  taken  very  much  of  it 
to  make  the  last  few  degrees  of  north  latitude  stiffer 
than  we  cared  for. 

The  delay  was  annoying  enough,  but  we  had  another 
disappointment  of  a  more  serious  kind,  for,  curiously 
enough,  we  never  had  a  proper  shower  of  rain.  Gener- 
ally in  these  latitudes  one  encounters  extremely  heavy 
downpours,  which  make  it  possible  to  collect  water  by 
the  barrelful  in  a  very  short  space  of  time.  We  had 
hoped  in  this  way  to  increase  our  store  of  fresh  water, 
which  was  not  so  large  but  that  extreme  economy  had 
to  be  practised  if  we  were  to  avoid  running  short.  How- 
ever, this  hope  failed  us,  practically  speaking.  We 
managed  to  catch  a  little  water,  but  it  was  altogether 


144    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

insufficient,  and  the  husbanding  of  our  supply  had  to  be 
enforced  in  future  with  authority.  The  dogs  required 
their  daily  ration,  and  they  got  it — measured  out  to  a 
hair's-breadth.  Our  own  consumption  was  limited  to 
what  was  strictly  necessary  ;  soups  were  banished  from 
the  bill  of  fare,  they  used  too  much  of  the  precious 
fluid  ;  washing  in  fresh  water  was  forbidden.  It  must 
not  be  supposed  from  this  that  we  had  no  opportunity 
of  washing.  We  had  a  plentiful  supply  of  soap,  which 
lathered  just  as  well  in  salt  water  as  in  fresh,  and  was 
thus  capable  of  keeping  ourselves  and  our  clothes  as 
clean  as  before.  If  for  a  time  we  had  felt  a  certain 
anxiety  about  our  water-supply,  these  fears  were  banished 
comparatively  quickly,  as  the  reserve  we  had  taken  in 
the  long-boat  on  deck  lasted  an  incredibly  long  time, 
almost  twice  as  long  as  we  had  dared  to  hope,  and  this 
saved  the  situation,  or  very  nearly  so.  If  the  worst 
came  to  the  worst,  we  should  be  obliged  to  call  at  one 
of  the  numerous  groups  of  islands  that  would  lie  in  our 
route  later  on. 

For  over  six  weeks  the  dogs  had  now  been  chained 
up  in  the  places  assigned  to  them  when  they  came  on 
board.  In  the  course  of  that  time  most  of  them  had 
become  so  tame  and  tractable  that  we  thought  we  might 
soon  let  them  loose.  This  would  be  a  welcome  change 
for  them,  and,  what  was  more  important,  it  would  give 
them  an  opportunity  for  exercise.  To  tell  the  truth, 
we  also  expected  some  amusement  from  it ;  there  would 


THE  DOGS  LET  LOOSE  145 

certainly  be  a  proper  shindy  when  all  this  pack  got 
loose.  But  before  we  gave  them  their  liberty  we  were 
obliged  to  disarm  them,  otherwise  the  inevitable  free 
fight  would  be  liable  to  result  in  one  or  more  of  them 
being  left  on  the  battle-field,  and  we  could  not  afford 
that.  Every  one  of  them  was  provided  with  a  strong 
muzzle  ;  then  we  let  them  loose  and  waited  to  see  what 
would  happen.  At  first  nothing  at  all  happened  ;  it 
looked  as  if  they  had  abandoned  once  for  all  the  thought 
of  ever  moving  from  the  spot  they  had  occupied  so  long 
At  last  a  solitary  individual  had  the  bright  idea  of 
attempting  a  walk  along  the  deck.  But  he  should 
not  have  done  so  ;  it  was  dangerous  to  move  about 
here.  The  unaccustomed  sight  of  a  loose  dog  at  once 
aroused  his  nearest  neighbours.  A  dozen  of  them  flung 
themselves  upon  the  unfortunate  animal  who  had  been 
the  first  to  leave  his  place,  rejoicing  in  the  thought  of 
planting  their  teeth  in  his  sinful  body.  But  to  their 
disappointment  the  enjoyment  was  not  so  great  as  they 
expected.  The  confounded  strap  round  their  jaws  made 
it  impossible  to  get  hold  of  the  skin ;  the  utmost  they 
could  do  was  to  pull  a  few  tufts  of  hair  out  of  the  object 
of  their  violent  onslaught.  This  affair  of  outposts  gave 
the  signal  for  a  general  engagement  all  along  the  line. 
What  an  unholy  row  there  was  for  the  next  couple  of 
hours  !  The  hair  flew,  but  skins  remained  intact.  The 
muzzles  saved  a  good  many  lives  that  afternoon. 

These  fights  are  the  chief  amusement  of  the  Eskimo 

VOL.  I.  10 


146    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

dogs  ;  they  follow  the  sport  with  genuine  passion. 
There  would  be  no  great  objection  to  it  if  they  had  not 
the  peculiar  habit  of  always  combining  to  set  upon  a 
single  dog,  who  is  chosen  as  their  victim  for  the  occa- 
sion ;  they  all  make  for  this  one,  and  if  they  are  left  to 
themselves  they  will  not  stop  until  they  have  made  an 
end  of  the  poor  beast.  In  this  way  a  valuable  dog  may 
be  destroyed  in  a  moment. 

We  therefore  naturally  made  every  effort  from  the 
first  to  quench  their  love  of  fighting,  and  the  dogs  very 
soon  began  to  understand  that  we  were  not  particularly 
fond  of  their  combats ;  but  we  had  here  to  deal  with  a 
natural  characteristic,  which  it  was  impossible  to  eradi- 
cate ;  in  any  case,  one  could  never  be  sure  that  nature 
would  not  reassert  itself  over  discipline.  When  the 
dogs  had  once  been  let  loose,  they  remained  free  to  run 
about  wherever  they  liked  for  the  remainder  of  the 
voyage  ;  only  at  meal-times  were  they  tied  up.  It  was 
quite  extraordinary  how  they  managed  to  hide  them- 
selves in  every  hole  and  corner ;  on  some  mornings  there 
was  hardly  a  dog  to  be  seen  when  daylight  came.  Of 
course  they  visited  every  place  where  they  ought  not  to 
have  gone.  Several  of  them  repeatedly  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  tumbling  into  the  forehold,  when  the  hatches 
were  open  ;  but  a  fall  of  25  feet  did  not  seem  to  trouble 
them  in  the  least.  One  even  found  his  way  into  the 
engine-room,  difficult  as  it  might  seem  to  gain  access  to 
it,  and  curled  himself  up  between  the  piston-rods.  For- 


CANINE  FRIENDSHIPS  147 

tunately  for  the  visitor,  the  engine  was  not  started  while 
he  was  there. 

When  the  first  furious  battles  had  been  fought  out,  a 
calm  soon  settled  upon  the  dogs'  spirits.  It  was  easy 
to  notice  a  feeling  of  shame  and  disappointment  in  the 
champions  when  they  found  that  all  their  efforts  led  to 
nothing.  The  sport  had  lost  its  principal  charm  as  soon 
as  they  saw  what  a  poor  chance  there  was  of  tasting 
blood. 

From  what  has  here  been  said,  and  perhaps  from 
other  accounts  of  the  nature  of  Arctic  dogs,  it  may 
appear  as  though  the  mutual  relations  of  these  animals 
consisted  exclusively  of  fighting.  This,  however,  is  far 
from  being  the  case.  On  the  contrary,  they  very  often 
form  friendships,  which  are  sometimes  so  strong  that  one 
dog  simply  cannot  live  without  the  other.  Before  we  let 
the  dogs  loose  we  had  remarked  that  there  were  a  few 
who,  for  some  reason  or  other,  did  not  seem  as  happy  as 
they  should  have  been  :  they  were  more  shy  and  restless 
than  the  others.  No  particular  notice  was  taken  of  this, 
and  no  one  tried  to  find  out  the  cause  of  it.  The  day 
we  let  them  loose  we  discovered  what  had  been  the 
matter  with  the  ones  that  had  moped :  they  had  some 
old  friend  who  had  chanced  to  be  placed  in  some  other 
part  of  the  deck,  and  this  separation  had  been  the  cause 
of  their  low  spirits.  It  was  really  touching  to  see  the 
joy  they  showed  on  meeting  again ;  they  became  quite 
different  animals.  Of  course  in  these  cases  a  change  of 


148    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

places  was  arranged  between  the  different  groups,  so 
that  those  who  had  associated  from  their  own  inclination 
would  in  future  be  members  of  the  same  team. 

We  had  expected  to  reach  the  Equator  by  October  1, 
but  the  unfavourable  conditions  of  wind  that  we  met 
with  to  the  north  of  it  caused  us  to  be  a  little  behind 
our  reckoning,  though  not  much.  On  the  afternoon  of 
October  4  the  Fram  crossed  the  line.  Thus  an  impor- 
tant stage  of  the  voyage  was  concluded :  the  feeling  that 
we  had  now  reached  southern  latitudes  was  enough  to  put 
us  all  in  holiday  humour,  and  we  felt  we  must  get  up 
a  modest  entertainment.  According  to  ancient  custom, 
crossing  the  line  should  be  celebrated  by  a  visit  from 
Father  Neptune  himself,  whose  part  is  taken  for  the 
occasion  by  someone  chosen  from  among  the  ship's 
company.  If  in  the  course  of  his  inspection  this  august 
personage  comes  upon  anyone  who  is  unable  to  prove 
that  he  has  already  crossed  the  famous  circle,  he  is 
handed  over  at  once  to  the  attendants,  to  be  "  shaved 
and  baptized."  This  process,  which  is  not  always  carried 
out  with  exaggerated  gentleness,  causes  much  amuse- 
ment, and  forms  a  welcome  variety  in  the  monotonous 
life  of  a  long  sea  voyage,  and  probably  many  on  board 
the  Pram  looked  forward  with  eagerness  to  Neptune's 
visit,  but  he  did  not  come.  There  simply  was  no  room 
for  him  on  our  already  well-occupied  deck. 

We  contented  ourselves  with  a  special  dinner,  followed 
by  coffee,  liqueurs,  and  cigars.  Coffee  was  served  on  the 


\ 


IN    THE    ABSENCE    OF   LADY    PARTNERS,    RONNE    TAKES    A   TURN   WITH 
THE    DOGS. 


To  face  page  148,  Vol.  I. 


CROSSING  THE  LINE  149 

fore-deck,  where  by  moving  a  number  of  the  dogs  we 
had  contrived  to  get  a  few  square  yards  of  space. 
There  was  no  lack  of  entertainment.  A  violin  and 
mandolin  orchestra,  composed  of  Prestrud,  SundBeck, 
and  Beck*  contributed  several  pieces,  and  our  excellent 
gramophone  was  heard  for  the  first  time.  Just  as  it 
started  the  waltz  from  "  The  Count  of  Luxembourg," 
there  appeared  in  the  companion-way  a  real  ballet-girl, 
masked,  and  in  very  short  skirts.  This  unexpected 
apparition  from  a  better  world  was  greeted  with  warm  . , 
applause,  which  was  no  less  vigorous  when  the  fair  one 
had  given  proof  of  her  skill  in  the  art  of  dancing. 
Behind  the  mask  could  be  detected  Gjertsen's  face,  but 
both  costume  and  dance  were  in  the  highest  degree 
feminine.  Ronne  was  not  satisfied  until  he  had  the  v 
"  lady  "  on  his  knees — hurrah  for  illusion  1 

The  gramophone  now  changed  to  a  swinging  American  v/ 
cake-walk,  and  at  the  same  moment  there  opportunely 
appeared  on  the  scene  a  nigger  in  a  tail-coat,  a  silk  hat,   ^ 
and — a  pair  of  wooden  shoes.     Black  as  he  was,  we  saw 
at  once  that  it  was  the  second  in  command  who  had 
thus  disguised  himself.     The  mere  sight  of  him  was     \ 
enough  to  set  us  all  shrieking  with  laughter,  but  he 
made  his  great  success  when  he  began  to  dance.     He 
was  intensely  amusing. 

It  did  us  a  great  deal  of  good  to  have  a  little  amuse- 
ment just  then,  for  this  part  of  the  voyage  was  a  trial  of 
patience  more  than  anything  else.  Possibly  we  were 


150     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

rather  hard  to  please,  but  the  south-east  trade,  which  we 
were  expecting  to  meet  every  day,  was,  in  our  opinion, 
far  too  late  in  coming,  and  when  at  length  it  arrived,  it 
did  not  behave  at  all  as  becomes  a  wind  that  has  the 
reputation  of  being  the  steadiest  in  the  world.  Besides 
being  far  too  light,  according  to  our  requirements,  it 
permitted  itself  such  irregularities  as  swinging  between 
the  points  of  south  and  east,  but  was  mostly  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  former.  For  us,  who  had  to  lie 
all  the  time  close-hauled  to  the  westward,  this  had  the 
effect  of  increasing  our  western  longitude  a  great  deal 
faster  than  our  latitude.  We  were  rapidly  approaching 
the  north-eastern  point  of  South  America— Cape  San 
Roque.  Fortunately  we  escaped  any  closer  contact 
with  this  headland,  which  shoots  so  far  out  into  the 
Atlantic.  The  wind  at  last  shifted  aft,  but  it  was  so 
light  that  the  motor  had  to  be  constantly  in  use. 
Slowly  but  surely  we  now  went  southward,  and  the 
temperature  again  began  to  approach  the  limits  that  are 
fitting  according  to  a  Northerner's  ideas.  The  tiresome, 
rather  low  awning  could  be  removed,  and  it  was  a  relief 
to  be  rid  of  it,  as  one  could  then  walk  upright  every- 
where. 

On  October  16,  according  to  the  observations  at 
noon,  we  were  in  the  vicinity  of  the  island  of  South 
Trinidad,  one  of  the  lonely  oases  in  the  watery  desert 
of  the  South  Atlantic.  It  was  our  intention  to  go  close 
under  the  island,  and  possibly  to  attempt  a  landing ;  but 


AN    ALBATROSS. 


IN    WARMER    REGIONS. 


To  face  page  150,  Vol.  1. 


IN  THE  FORTIES  151 

unfortunately  the  motor  had  to  be  stopped  for  cleaning, 
and  this  prevented  our  approaching  it  by  daylight.  We 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  land  at  dusk,  which  was,  at  all 
events,  enough  to  check  our  chronometers. 

South  of  the  20th  degree  of  latitude  the  south-east 
trade  was  nearly  done  with,  and  we  were  really,  not 
sorry  to  be  rid  of  it ;  it  remained  light  and  scant  to  the 
last,  and  sailing  on  a  wind  is  not  a  strong  point  with  the 
Fram.  In  the  part  of  the  ocean  where  we  now  were 
there  was  a  hope  of  getting  a  good  wind,  and  it  was 
wanted  if  we  were  to  come  out  right:  we  had  now 
covered  6,000  miles,  but  there  were  still  10,000  before 
us,  and  the  days  went  by  with  astonishing  rapidity. 
The  end  of  October  brought  the  change  we  wanted ; 
with  a  fresh  northerly  breeze  she  went  gallantly  south- 
ward, and  before  the  end  of  the  month  we  were  down  in 
lat.  40°.  Here  we  had  reached  the  waters  where  we 
were  almost  certain  to  have  all  the  wind  we  wished,  and 
from  the  right  quarter.  From  now  our  course  was  east- 
ward along  what  is  known  as  the  southern  west  wind 
belt.  This  belt  extends  between  the  40th  and  50th 
parallels  all  round  the  earth,  and  is  distinguished  by  the 
constant  occurrence  of  westerly  winds,  which  as  a  rule 
blow  with  great  violence.  We  had  put  our  trust  in 
these  west  winds  ;  if  they  failed  us  we  should  be  in  a 
mess.  But  no  sooner  had  we  reached  their  domain  than 
they  were  upon  us  with  full  force ;  it  was  no  gentle 
treatment  that  we  received,  but  the  effect  was  excellent — 


152     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

we  raced  to  the  eastward.  An  intended  call  at  Gough 
Island  had  to  be  abandoned  ;  the  sea  was  running  too 
high  for  us  to  venture  to  approach  the  narrow  little 
harbour.  The  month  of  October  had  put  us  a  good 
deal  behindhand,  but  now  we  were  making  up  the 
distance  we  had  lost.  We  had  reckoned  on  being  south 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  within  two  months  after 
leaving  Madeira,  and  this  turned  out  correct.  The  day 
we  passed  the  meridian  of  the  Cape  we  had  the  first 
regular  gale ;  the  seas  ran  threateningly  high,  but  now 
for  the  first  time  our  splendid  little  ship  showed  what 
she  was  worth.  A  single  one  of  these  gigantic  waves 
would  have  cleared  our  decks  in  an  instant  if  it  had 
come  on  board,  but  the  Fram  did  not  permit  any  such 
impertinence.  When  they  came  up  behind  the  vessel, 
and  we  might  expect  at  any  moment  to  see  them  break 
over  the  low  after-deck,  she  just  raised  herself  with  an 
elegant  movement,  and  the  wave  had  to  be  content 
with  slipping  underneath.  An  albatross  could  not  have 
managed  the  situation  better.  It  is  said  that  the  Pram 
was  built  for  the  ice,  and  that  cannot,  of  course,  be 
denied ;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  certain  that  when 
Colin  Archer  created  his  famous  masterpiece  of  an  ice 
boat,  she  was  just  as  much  a  masterpiece  of  a  sea  boat — a 
vessel  it  would  be  difficult  to  match  for  seaworthiness. 
To  be  able  to  avoid  the  seas  as  the  Fram  did,  she  had  to 
roll,  and  this  we  had  every  opportunity  of  finding  out. 
The  whole  long  passage  through  the  westerly  belt  was 


A   FRESH   BREEZE    IN   THE    WEST    WIND   BELT. 


To  face  page  152,  Vol.  I. 


ROUGH  WEATHER  153 

one  continual  rolling ;  but  in  course  of  time  one  got 
used  even  to  that  discomfort.  It  was  awkward  enough, 
but  less  disagreeable  than  shipping  water.  Perhaps  it 
was  worse  for  those  who  had  to  work  in  the  galley :  it 
is  no  laughing  matter  to  be  cook,  when  for  weeks 
together  you  cannot  put  down  so  much  as  a  coffee-cup 
without  its  immediately  turning  a  somersault.  It 
requires  both  patience  and  strong  will  to  carry  it  through, 
but  the  two — Lindstrom  and  Olsen — who  looked  after 
our  food  under  these  difficult  conditions,  had  the  gift  of 
taking  it  all  from  the  humorous  point  of  view,  and  that 
was  well. 

As  regards  the  dogs,  it  mattered  little  to  them 
whether  a  gale  was  blowing,  so  long  as  the  rain  kept 
off.  They  hate  rain  ;  wet  in  any  form  is  the  worst  one 
can  offer  an  Arctic  dog.  If  the  deck  was  wet,  they 
would  not  lie  down,  but  would  remain  standing  motion- 
less for  hours,  trying  to  take  a  nap  in  that  uncomfortable 
position.  Of  course,  they  did  not  get  much  sleep  in 
that  way,  but  to  make  up  for  it  they  could  sleep  all  day 
and  all  night  when  the  weather  was  fine.  South  of  the 
Cape  we  lost  two  dogs  ;  they  went  overboard  one  dark 
night  when  the  ship  was  rolling  tremendously.  We  had 
a  coal-bunker  on  the  port  side  of  the  after-deck,  reach- 
ing up  to  the  height  of  the  bulwarks ;  probably  these 
fellows  had  been  practising  boarding  drill,  and  lost  their 
balance.  We  took  precautions  that  the  same  thing 
should  not  happen  again. 


154    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

Fortunately  for  our  animals,  the  weather  in  the 
westerly  belt  was  subject  to  very  frequent  changes. 
No  doubt  they  had  many  a  sleepless  night,  with  rain, 
sleet,  and  hail ;  but  on  the  other  hand  they  never  had  to 
wait  very  long  for  a  cheerful  glimpse  of  the  sun.  The 
wind  is  for  the  most  part  of  cyclonic  character,  shifting 
suddenly  from  one  quarter  to  another,  and  these  shifts 
always  involve  a  change  of  weather.  When  the 
barometer  begins  to  fall,  it  is  a  sure  warning  of  an  ap- 
proaching north-westerly  wind,  which  is  always  accom- 
panied by  precipitation,  and  increases  in  force  until  the  fall 
of  the  barometer  ceases.  When  this  occurs,  there  follows 
either  a  short  pause,  or  else  the  wind  suddenly  shifts 
to  the  south-west,  and  blows  from  that  quarter  with 
increasing  violence,  while  the  barometer  rises  rapidly. 
The  change  of  wind  is  almost  always  followed  by  a 
clearing  of  the  weather. 

A  circumstance  which  contributes  an  element  of  risk 
to  navigation  in  the  latitudes  where  we  found  ourselves 
is  the  possibility  of  colliding  with  an  iceberg  in  dark- 
ness or  thick  weather;  for  it  sometimes  happens  that 
these  sinister  monsters  in  the  course  of  their  wanderings 
find  their  way  well  up  into  the  "  forties."  The  prob- 
ability of  a  collision  is  of  course  in  itself  not  very  great, 
and  it  can  be  reduced  to  a  minimum  by  taking  proper 
precautions.  At  night  an  attentive  and  practised  look- 
out man  will  always  be  able  to  see  the  blink  of  the  ice 
at  a  fairly  long  distance.  From  the  time  when  we  had 


THE    PROPELLER   LIFTED    IN    THE    WESTERLIES. 


To  face  page  154,  Vol.  I. 


OFF  KERGUELEN  155 

to  reckon  with  any  likelihood  of  meeting  icebergs,  the 
temperature  of  the  water  was  also  taken  every  two 
hours  during  the  night. 

As  Kergueleri  Island  lay  almost  directly  in  the  course 
we  intended  to  follow,  it  was  decided  for  several  reasons 
that  we  should  call  there,  and  pay  a  visit  to  the  Nor- 
wegian whaling-station.  Latterly  many  of  the  dogs 
had  begun  to  grow  thin,  and  it  seemed  probable  that 
this  was  owing  to  their  not  having  enough  fatty  sub- 
stances in  their  food  ;  on  Kerguelen  Island  there  would 
presumably  be  an  opportunity  of  getting  all  the  fat  we 
wanted.  As  to  water,  we  had,  it  was  true,  just  enough 
to  last  us  with  economy,  but  it  would  do  no  harm  to 
fill  up  the  tanks.  I  was  also  hoping  that  there  would 
be  a  chance  of  engaging  three  or  four  extra  hands,  for 
the  Pram  would  be  rather  short-handed  with  only  ten 
men  to  sail  her  out  of  the  ice  and  round  the  Horn  to 
Buenos  Aires  after  the  rest  of  us  had  been  landed  on 
the  Barrier.  Another  reason  for  the  contemplated  visit 
was  that  it  would  be  an  agreeable  diversion.  We  now 
only  had  to  get  there  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  the 
west  wind  helped  us  splendidly  ;  one  stiff  breeze  suc- 
ceeded another,  without  our  having  any  excessive 
weather.  Our  daily  distance  at  this  time  amounted 
as  a  rule  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles ;  in  one 
twenty-four  hours  we  made  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  miles.  This  was  our  best  day's  work  of  the  whole 
voyage,  and  it  is  no  bad  performance  for  a  vessel  like 


156     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

the  Fram,  with  her  limited  sail  area  and  her  heavily- 
laden  hull. 

On  the  afternoon  of  November  28  we  sighted  land. 
It  was  only  a  barren  rocky  knoll,  and  according  to  our 
determination  of  the  position  it  would  be  the  island 
called  Bligh's  Cap,  which  lies  a  few  miles  north  of  Ker- 
guelen  Island ;  but  as  the  weather  was  not  very  clear,  and 
we  were  unacquainted  with  the  channels,  we  preferred 
to  lie-to  for  the  night  before  approaching  any  nearer. 
Early  next  morning  the  weather  cleared,  and  we  got 
accurate  bearings.  A  course  was  laid  for  Royal  Sound, 
where  we  supposed  the  whaling-station  to  be  situated. 
We  were  going  well  in  the  fresh  morning  breeze,  and 
were  just  about  to  round  the  last  headland,  when  all  at 
once  a  gale  sprang  up  again,  the  bare  and  uninviting 
coast  was  hidden  in  heavy  rain,  and  we  had  the  choice 
of  waiting  for  an  indefinite  time  or  continuing  our 
voyage.  Without  much  hesitation  we  chose  the  latter 
alternative.  It  might  be  tempting  enough  to  come  in 
contact  with  other  men,  especially  as  they  were  fellow- 
countrymen,  but  it  was  even  more  tempting  to  have 
done  with  the  remaining  4,000  miles  that  lay  between 
us  and  the  Barrier  as  quickly  as  possible.  It  turned 
out  that  we  had  chosen  rightly.  December  brought  us 
a  fair  wind,  even  fresher  than  that  of  November,  and  by 
the  middle  of  the  month  we  had  already  covered  half 
the  distance  between  Kerguelen  Island  and  our  goal. 
We  fortified  the  dogs  from  time  to  time  with  a  liberal 


OUR  DAILY  FARE  157 

allowance  of  butter,  which  had  a  marvellous  effect. 
There  was  nothing  wrong  with  ourselves ;  we  were  all 
in  the  best  of  health,  and  our  spirits  rose  as  we  drew 
nearer  our  goal. 

That  the  state  of  our  health  was  so  remarkably  good 
during  the  whole  voyage  must  be  ascribed  in  a  material 
degree  to  the  excellence  of  our  provisions.  During  the 
trip  from  home  to  Madeira  we  had  lived  sumptuously 
on  some  little  pigs  that  we  took  with  us,  but  after  these 
luxuries  we  had  to  take  to  tinned  meat  for  good.  The 
change  was  not  felt  much,  as  we  had  excellent  and 
palatable  things  with  us.  There  was  a  separate  service 
for  the  two  cabins,  but  the  food  was  precisely  the  same 
in  each.  Breakfast -was  at  ,ejght,  consisting  of  American 
hot  cakes,  with  marmalade  or  jam,  cheese,  fresh  bread, 
and  coffee  or  cocoa.  Dinner  as  a  rule  was  composed  of 
one  dish  of  meat  and  sweets.  As  has  already  been  said, 
we  could  not  afford  to  have  soup  regularly  on  account 
of  the  water  it  required,  and  it  was  only  served  on 
Sundays.  The  second  course  usually  consisted  of  Cali- 
fornian  fruit.  It  was  our  aim  all  through  to  employ 
fruit,  vegetables,  and  jam,  to  the  greatest  possible  ex- 
tent ;  there  is  undoubtedly  no  better  means  of  avoiding 
sickness.  At  dinner  we  always  drank  syrup  and  water ; 
every  Wednesday  and  Saturday  we  were  treated  to  a 
glass  of  spirits.  I  knew  from  my  own  experience  how  \ 
delicious  a  cup  of  coffee  tastes  when  one  turns  out  to 
go  on  watch  at  night.  However  sleepy  and  grumpy 


158     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

one  may  be,  a  gulp  of  hot  coffee  quickly  makes  a  better 
man  of  one ;  therefore  coffee  for  the  night  watch  was 
a  permanent  institution  on  board  the  Fram. 

By  about  Christmas  we  had  reached  nearly  the 
150th  meridian  in  lat.  56°  S.  This  left  not  much 
more  than  900  miles  before  we  might  expect  to  meet 
with  the  pack-ice.  Our  glorious  west  wind,  which  had 
driven  us  forward  for  weeks,  and  freed  us  from  all 
anxiety  about  arriving  too  late,  was  now  a  thing  of  the 
past.  For  a  change  we  again  had  to  contend  for  some 
days  with  calms  and  contrary  wind.  The  day  before 
Christmas  Eve  brought  rain  and  a  gale  from  the  south- 
west, which  was  not  very  cheerful.  If  we  were  to  keep 
Christmas  with  any  festivity,  fine  weather  was  wanted, 
otherwise  the  everlasting  rolling  would  spoil  all  our 
attempts.  No  doubt  we  should  all  have  got  over  it 
if  it  had  fallen  to  our  lot  to  experience  a  Christmas  Eve 
with  storm,  shortened  sail,  and  other  delights ;  worse 
things  had  happened  before.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
was  not  one  of  us  who  would  not  be  the  better  for 
a  little  comfort  and  relaxation ;  our  life  had  been 
monotonous  and  commonplace  enough  for  a  long  time. 
But,  as  I  said,  the  day  before  Christmas  Eve  was  not 
at  all  promising.  The  only  sign  of  the  approaching 
holiday  was  the  fact  that  Lmdstrom,  in  spite  of  the 
rolling,  was  busy  baking  Christmas  cakes.  We  sug- 
gested that  he  might  just  as  well  give  us  each  our 
share  at  once,  as  it  is  well  known  that  the  cakes  are 


THE  "  FRAM'S  "  SALOON  DECORATED  FOR  CHRISTMAS  EVE. 


To  face  page  158,  Vol.  1. 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  159 

best   when   they  come   straight  out  of  the  oven,  but 
Lindstrom  would  not  hear  of  it.     His  cakes  vanished     \y 
for  the  time  being  under  lock  and  key,  and  we  had  to 
be  content  with  the  smell  of  them. 

Christmas  Eve  arrived  with  finer  weather  and  a 
smoother  sea  than  we  had  seen  for  weeks.  The  ship 
was  perfectly  steady,  and  there  was  nothing  to  prevent 
our  making  every  preparation  for  the  festivity.  As  the 
day  wore  on  Christmas  was  in  full  swing.  The  fore- 
cabin  was  washed  and  cleaned  up  till  the  Ripolin 
paint  and  the  brass  shone  with  equal  brilliance ;  Ronne 
decorated  the  workroom  with  signal  flags,  and  the  good 
old  "  Happy  Christmas "  greeted  us  in  a  transparency 
over  the  door  of  the  saloon.  Inside  Nilsen  was  busily 
engaged,  showing  great  talents  as  a  decorator.  The 
gramophone  was  rigged  up  in  my  cabin  on  a  board 
hung  from  the  ceiling.  A  proposed  concert  of  piano, 
violin,  and  mandolin  had  to  be  abandoned,  as  the  piano 
was  altogether  out  of  tune. 

The  various  members  of  our  little  community  ap- 
peared one  after  another,  dressed  and  tidied  up  so  that  »  , 
many  of  them  were  scarcely  recognizable.  The  stubbly 
chins  were  all  smooth,  and  that  makes  a  great  difference. 
At  five  o'clock  the  engine  was  stopped,  and  all  hands 
assembled  in  the  fore-cabin,  leaving  only  the  man  at 
the  wheel  on  deck.  Our  cosy  cabins  had  a  fairy-like 
appearance  in  the  subdued  light  of  the  many-coloured 
lamps,  and  we  were  all  in  the  Christmas  humour  at 


160    FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

once.  The  decorations  did  honour  to  him  who  had 
carried  them  out  and  to  those  who  had  given  us  the 
greater  part  of  them — Mrs.  Schroer,  and  the  proprietor 
of  the  Oyster  Cellar  at  Christiania,  Mr.  Ditlev-Hansen. 

Then  we  took  our  seats  round  the  table,  which 
groaned  beneath  Lindstrom's  masterpieces  in  the 
culinary  art.  I  slipped  behind  the  curtain  of  my 
cabin  for  an  instant,  and  set  the  gramophone  going. 
Herold  sang  us  "  Glade  Jul." 

The  song  did  not  fail  of  its  effect ;  it  was  difficult  to 
see  in  the  subdued  light,  but  I  fancy  that  among  the 
band  of  hardy  men  that  sat  round  the  table  there  was 
scarcely  one  who  had  not  a  tear  in  the  corner  of  his 
eye.  The  thoughts  of  all  took  the  same  direction,  I  am 
certain — they  flew  homeward  to  the  old  country  in  the 
North,  and  we  could  wish  nothing  better  than  that  those 
we  had  left  behind  should  be  as  well  off  as  ourselves. 
The  melancholy  feeling  soon  gave  way  to  gaiety  and 
laughter ;  in  the  course  of  the  dinner  the  first  mate 
fired  off  a  topical  song  written  by  himself,  which  had 
an  immense  success.  In  each  verse  the  little  weak- 
nesses of  someone  present  were  exhibited  in  more  or 
less  strong  relief,  and  in  between  there  were  marginal 
remarks  in  prose.  Both  in  text  and  performance  the 
author  fully  attained  the  object  of  his  work — that  of 
thoroughly  exercising  our  risible  muscles. 

In  the  after-cabin  a  well-furnished  coffee-table  was 
set  out,  on  which  there  was  a  large  assortment  of  Lind- 


CHRISTMAS  FESTIVITIES  161 

Strom's  Christmas  baking,  with  a  mighty  kransekake 
from  Hansen's  towering  in  the  midst.  While  we  were 
doing  all  possible  honour  to  these  luxuries,  Lindstrom 
was  busily  engaged  forward,  and  when  we  went  back 
after  our  coffee  we  found  there  a  beautiful  Christmas- 
tree  in  all  its  glory.  The  tree  was  an  artificial  one,  but 
so  perfectly  imitated  that  it  might  have  come  straight 
from  the  forest.  This  was  also  a  present  from  Mrs. 
Schroer. 

Then  came  the  distribution  of  Christmas  presents. 
Among  the  many  kind  friends  who  had  thought  of  us  I 
must  mention  the  Ladies'  Committees  in  Horten  and 
Fredrikstad,  and  the  telephone  employees  of  Christiania. 
They  all  have  a  claim  to  our  warmest  gratitude  for  the 
share  they  had  in  making  our  Christmas  what  it  was — a 
bright  memory  of  the  long  voyage. 

By  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  candles  of  the 
Christmas-tree  were  burnt  out,  and  the  festivity  was  at 
an  end.  It  had  been  successful  from  first  to  last,  and 
we  all  had  something  to  live  on  in  our  thoughts  when 
our  everyday  duties  again  claimed  us. 

In  that  part  of  the  voyage  which  we  now  had  before 
us — the  region  between  the  Australian  continent  and 
the  Antarctic  belt  of  pack-ice — we  were  prepared  for  all 
sorts  of  trials  in  the  way  of  unfavourable  weather  condi- 
tions. We  had  read  and  heard  so  much  of  what  others 
had  had  to  face  in  these  waters  that  we  involuntarily 
connected  them  with  all  the  horrors  that  may  befall  a 

VOL.  i.  11 


162     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

sailor.  Not  that  we  had  a  moment's  fear  for  the  ship  ; 
we  knew  her  well  enough  to  be  sure  that  it  would  take 
some  very  extraordinary  weather  to  do  her  any  harm. 
If  we  were  afraid  of  anything,  it  was  of  delay. 

But  we  were  spared  either  delay  or  any  other  trouble  ; 
by  noon  on  Christmas  Day  we  had  just  what  was  wanted 
to  keep  our  spirits  at  festival  pitch ;  a  fresh  north- 
westerly wind,  just  strong  enough  to  push  us  along 
handsomely  toward  our  destination.  It  afterwards 
hauled  a  little  more  to  the  west,  and  lasted  the  greater 
part  of  Christmas  week,  until  on  December  30  we  were 
in  long.  170°  E.  and  lat.  60°  S.  With  that  we  had  at 
last  come  far  enough  to  the  east,  and  could  now  begin 
to  steer  a  southerly  course ;  hardly  had  we  put  the  helm 
over  before  the  wind  changed  to  a  stiff  northerly  breeze 
Nothing  could  possibly  be  better ;  in  this  way  it  would 
not  take  us  long  to  dispose  of  the  remaining  degrees  of 
latitude.  Our  faithful  companions  of  the  westerly  belt 
— the  albatrosses — had  now  disappeared,  and  we  could 
soon  begin  to  look  out  for  the  first  representatives  of 
the  winged  inhabitants  of  Antarctica. 

After  a  careful  consideration  of  the  experiences  of  our 
predecessors,  it  was  decided  to  lay  our  course  so  that  we 
should  cross  the  65th  parallel  in  long.  175°  E.  What 
we  had  to  do  was  to  get  as  quickly  as  possible  through 
the  belt  of  pack-ice  that  blocked  the  way  to  Ross  Sea 
to  the  south  of  it,  which  is  always  open  in  summer. 
Some  ships  had  been  detained  as  much  as  six  weeks  in 


RONNE    AT    A    SAILOR'S    JOB. 


THE    "  FRAM  "    IN    DRIFT-ICE. 


To  face  page  162,  Vol.  I. 


IN  THE  ICE  163 

this  belt  of  ice  ;  others  had  gone  through  in  a  few  hours. 
We  unhesitatingly  preferred  to  follow  the  latter  example, 
and  therefore  took  the  course  that  the  luckier  ones  had 
indicated. 

Of  course,  the  width  of  the  ice-belt  may  be  subject  to 
somewhat  fortuitous  changes,  but  it  seems,  nevertheless, 
that  as  a  rule  the  region  between  the  175th  and  the 
180th  degrees  of  longitude  offers  the  best  chance  of 
getting  through  rapidly ;  in  any  case,  one  ought  not  to 
enter  the  ice  farther  to  the  west.  At  noon  on  New 
Year's  Eve  we  were  in  lat.  62°  15'  S.  We  had  reached 
the  end  of  the  old  year,  and  really  it  had  gone  incredibly 
quickly.  Like  all  its  predecessors,  the  year  had  brought 
its  share  of  success  and  failure  ;  but  the  main  thing  was 
that  at  its  close  we  found  ourselves  pretty  nearly  where 
we  ought  to  be  to  make  good  our  calculations — and  all 
safe  and  well.  Conscious  of  this,  we  said  good-bye  to 
1910  in  all  friendliness  over  a  good  glass  of  toddy  in 
the  evening,  and  wished  each  other  all  possible  luck  in 
1911. 

At  three  in  the  morning  of  New  Year's  Day  the 
officer  of  the  watch  called  me  with  news  that  the  first 
iceberg  was  in  sight.  I  had  to  go  up  and  see  it.  Yes, 
there  it  lay,  far  to  windward,  shining  like  a  castle  in  the 
rays  of  the  morning  sun.  It  was  a  big,  flat-topped  berg 
of  the  typical  Antarctic  form.  It  will  perhaps  seem 
paradoxical  when  1  say  that  we  all  greeted  this  first 
sight  of  the  ice  with  satisfaction  and  joy  ;  an  iceberg  is 


164     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

usually  the  last  thing  to  gladden  sailors'  hearts,  but  we 
were  not  looking  at  the  risk  just  then.  The  meeting 
with  the  imposing  colossus  had  another  significance 
that  had  a  stronger  claim  on  our  interest — the  pack-ice 
could  not  be  far  off.  We  were  all  longing  as  one  man 
to  be  in  it ;  it  would  be  a  grand  variation  in  the  mono- 
tonous life  we  had  led  for  so  long,  and  which  we  were 
beginning  to  be  a  little  tired  of.  Merely  to  be  able  to 
run  a  few  yards  on  an  ice-floe  appeared  to  us  an  event 
of  importance,  and  we  rejoiced  no  less  at  the  prospect 
of  giving  our  dogs  a  good  meal  of  seal's  flesh,  while  we 
ourselves  would  have  no  objection  to  a  little  change  of 
diet. 

The  number  of  icebergs  increased  during  the  after- 
noon and  night,  and  with  such  neighbours  it  suited  us 
very  well  to  have  daylight  all  through  the  twenty-four 
hours,  as  we  now  had.  The  weather  could  not  have 
been  better — fine  and  clear,  with  a  light  but  still  favour- 
able wind.  At  8  p.m.  on  January  2  the  Antarctic  Circle 
was  crossed,  and  an  hour  or  two  later  the  crow's-nest 
was  able  to  report  the  ice-belt  ahead.  For  the  time 
being  it  did  not  look  like  obstructing  us  to  any  great 
extent ;  the  floes  were  collected  in  long  lines,  with  broad 
channels  of  open  water  between  them.  We  steered 
right  in.  Our  position  was  then  long.  176°  E.  and 
lat.  66°  30'  S.  The  ice  immediately  stopped  all  swell, 
the  vessel's  deck  again  became  a  stable  platform,  and 
after  two  months'  incessant  exercise  of  our  sea-legs  we 


SEAL'S  FLESH  165 

could  once  more  move  about  freely.  That  was  a  treat 
in  itself. 

At  nine  in  the  morning  of  the  next  day  we  had  our 
first  opportunity  of  seal-hunting  ;  a  big  Weddell  seal 
was  observed  on  a  floe  right  ahead.  It  took  our  ap- 
proach with  the  utmost  calmness,  not  thinking  it  worth 
while  to  budge  an  inch  until  a  couple  of  rifle-bullets 
had  convinced  it  of  the  seriousness  of  the  situation.  It 
then  made  an  attempt  to  reach  the  water,  but  it  was 
too  late.  Two  men  were  already  on  the  floe,  and  the 
valuable  spoil  was  secured.  In  the  course  of  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  the  beast  lay  on  our  deck,  flayed  and  cut  up 
by  practised  hands  ;  this  gave  us  at  one  stroke  at  least 
four  hundredweight  of  dog  food,  as  well  as  a  good  many 
rations  for  men.  We  made  the  same  coup  three  times 
more  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  thus  had  over  a  ton 
of  fresh  meat  and  blubber. 

It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  there  was  a  great  feast 
on  board  that  day.  The  dogs  did  their  utmost  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  opportunity;  they  simply  ate  till  their 
legs  would  no  longer  carry  them,  and  we  could  grant 
them  this  gratification  with  a  good  conscience.  As  to 
ourselves,  it  may  doubtless  be  taken  for  granted  that 
we  observed  some  degree  of  moderation,  but  dinner  was 
polished  off  very  quickly.  Seal  steak  had  many  ardent 
adherents  already,  and  it  very  soon  gained  more.  Seal 
soup,  in  which  our  excellent  vegetables  showed  to  ad- 
vantage, was  perhaps  evenxmore  favourably  received. 


166     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

For  the  first  twenty -four  hours  after  we  entered  the 
ice  it  was  so  loose  that  we  were  able  to  hold  our  course 
and  keep  up  our  speed  for  practically  the  whole  time. 
On  the  two  following  days  things  did  not  go  quite  so 
smoothly ;  at  times  the  lines  of  floes  were  fairly  close, 
and  occasionally  we  had  to  go  round.  We  did  not 
meet  with  any  considerable  obstruction,  however ;  there 
were  always  openings  enough  to  enable  us  to  keep 
going.  In  the  course  of  January  6  a  change  took  place, 
the  floes  became  narrower  and  the  leads  broader.  By 
6  p.m.  there  was  open  sea  on  every  side  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  The  day's  observations  gave  our  position 
as  lat.  70°  S.,  long.  180°  E. 

Our  passage  through  the  pack  had  been  a  four  days' 
pleasure  trip,  and  I  have  a  suspicion  that  several  among 
us  looked  back  with  secret  regret  to  the  cruise  in  smooth 
water  through  the  ice-floes  when  the  swell  of  the  open 
Ross  Sea  gave  the  Fram  another  chance  of  showing 
her  rolling  capabilities. 

But  this  last  part  of  the  voyage  was  also  to  be 
favoured  by  fortune.  These  comparatively  little-known 
waters  had  no  terrors  to  oppose  to  us.  The  weather 
continued  surprisingly  fine ;  it  could  not  have  been 
better  on  a  summer  trip  in  the  North  Sea.  Of  icebergs 
there  was  practically  none  ;  a  few  quite  small  floebergs 
were  all  we  met  with  in  the  four  days  we  took  to  cross 
Ross  Sea. 

About  midday  on  January  11  a  marked  brightening 


THE  BARRIER  SIGHTED  167 

of  the  southern  sky  announced  that  it  was  not  far  to  the 
goal  we  had  been  struggling  to  reach  for  five  months. 
At  2.30  p.m.  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Great  Ice  Barrier. 
Slowly  it  rose  up  out  of  the  sea  until  we  were  face  to 
face  with  it  in  all  its  imposing  majesty.  It  is  difficult 
with  the  help  of  the  pen  to  give  any  idea  of  the  im- 
pression this  mighty  wall  of  ice  makes  on  the  observer 
who  is  confronted  with  it  for  the  first  time.  It  is  alto- 
gether a  thing  which  can  hardly  be  described ;  but  one 
can  understand  very  well  that  this  wall  of  100  feet  in 
height  was  regarded  for  a  generation  as  an  insuperable 
obstacle  to  further  southward  progress. 

We  knew  that  the  theory  of  the  Barrier's  impregna- 
bility had  long  ago  been  overthrown  ;  there  was  an 
opening  to  the  unknown  realm  beyond  it.  This  opening 
— the  Bay  of  Whales — ought  to  lie,  according  to  the 
descriptions  before  us,  about  a  hundred  miles  to  the 
east  of  the  position  in  which  we  were.  Our  course  was 
altered  to  true  east,  and  during  a  cruise  of  twenty-four 
hours  along  the  Barrier  we  had  every  opportunity  of 
marvelling  at  this  gigantic  work  of  Nature.  It  was  not 
without  a  certain  feeling  of  suspense  that  we  looked 
forward  to  our  arrival  at  the  harbour  we  were  seeking 
What  state  should  we  find  it  in  ?  Would  it  prove 
impossible  to  land  at  all  conveniently  ? 

One  point  after  another  was  passed,  but  still  our 
anxious  eyes  were  met  by  nothing  but  the  perpendicular 
wall.  At  last,  on  the  afternoon  of  January  12,  the 


168     FROM  MADEIRA  TO  THE  BARRIER 

wall  opened.  This  agreed  with  our  expectations  ;  we 
were  now  in  long.  164°,  the  selfsame  point  where  our 
predecessors  had  previously  found  access. 

We  had  before  us  a  great  bay,  so  deep  that  it  was 
impossible  to  see  the  end  of  it  from  the  crow's-nest ; 
but  for  the  moment  there  was  no  chance  of  getting 
in.  The  bay  was  full  of  great  floes — sea-ice — recently 
broken  up.  We  therefore  went  on  a  little  farther  to 
the  eastward  to  await  developments.  Next  morning  we 
returned,  and  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  hours  the  floes 
within  the  bay  began  to  move.  One  after  another  they 
came  sailing  out :  the  passage  was  soon  free. 

As  we  steered  up  the  bay,  we  soon  saw  clearly  that 
here  we  had  every  chance  of  effecting  a  landing.  All 
we  had  to  do  was  to  choose  the  best  place. 


CHAPTER  V 

ON    THE    BARRIER 

WE  had  thus  arrived  on  January  14 — a  day  earlier  than 
we  had  reckoned — at  this  vast,  mysterious,  natural 
phenomenon — the  Barrier.  One  of  the  most  difficult 
problems  of  the  expedition  was  solved — that  of  convey- 
ing our  draught  animals  in  sound  condition  to  the  field 
of  operations.  We  had  taken  97  dogs  on  board  at 
Christiansand  ;  the  number  had  now  increased  to  116, 
and  practically  all  of  these  would  be  fit  to  serve  in  the 
final  march  to  the  South. 

The  next  great  problem  that  confronted  us  was  to 
find  a  suitable  place  on  the  Barrier  for  our  station.  My 
idea  had  been  to  get  everything — equipment  and  pro- 
visions— conveyed  far  enough  into  the  Barrier  to  secure 
us  against  the  unpleasant  possibility  of  drifting  out  into 
the  Pacific  in  case  the  Barrier  should  be  inclined  to 
calve.  I  had  therefore  fixed  upon  ten  miles  as  a 
suitable  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  Barrier.  But 
even  our  first  impression  of  the  conditions  seemed  to 
show  that  we  should  be  spared  a  great  part  of  this  long 
and  troublesome  transport.  Along  its  outer  edge  the 

169 


170  ON  THE  BARRIER 

Barrier  shows  an  even,  flat  surface ;  but  here,  inside  the 
bay,  the  conditions  were  entirely  different.  Even  from 
the  deck  of  the  Fram  we  were  able  to  observe  great 
disturbances  of  the  surface  in  every  direction ;  huge 
ridges  with  hollows  between  them  extended  on  all  sides. 
The  greatest  elevation  lay  to  the  south  in  the  form  of 
a  lofty,  arched  ridge,  which  we  took  to  be  about 
500  feet  high  on  the  horizon.  But  it  might  be  assumed 
that  this  ridge  continued  to  rise  beyond  the  range  of 
vision. 

Our  original  hypothesis  that  this  bay  was  due  to 
underlying  land  seemed,  therefore,  to  be  immediately 
confirmed.  It  did  not  take  long  to  moor  the  vessel  to 
the  fixed  ice-foot,  which  here  extended  for  about  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  beyond  the  edge  of  the  Barrier.  Every- 
thing had  been  got  ready  long  before.  Bjaaland  had 
put  our  ski  in  order,  and  every  man  had  had  his  right 
pairs  fitted.  Ski-boots  had  long  ago  been  tried  on,  time 
after  time,  sometimes  with  one,  sometimes  with  two 
pairs  of  stockings.  Of  course  it  turned  out  that  the  ski- 
boots  were  on  the  small  side.  To  get  a  bootmaker  to 
make  roomy  boots  is,  I  believe,  an  absolute  impossibility. 
However,  with  two  pairs  of  stockings  we  could  always 
get  along  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  ship.  For  longer 
journeys  we  had  canvas  boots,  as  already  mentioned. 

Of  the  remainder  of  our  outfit  I  need  only  mention 
the  Alpine  ropes,  which  had  also  been  ready  for  some 
time.  They  were  about  30  yards  long,  and  were  made 


A   CLEVER   METHOD    OF   LANDING. 


THE    "  FRAM  "    UNDER    SAIL. 


To  face  page  170,  Vol.  I. 


EXPLORATION  OF  THE  BARRIER     171 

of  very  fine  rope,  soft  as  silk,  specially  suited  for  use  in 
low  temperatures. 

After  a  hurried  dinner  four  of  us  set  out.  This  first 
excursion  was  quite  a  solemn  affair ;  so  much  depended 
on  it.  The  weather  was  of  the  very  best,  calm  with 
brilliant  sunshine,  and  a  few  light,  feathery  clouds  in 
the  beautiful,  pale  blue  sky.  There  was  warmth  in  the 
air  which  could  be  felt,  even  on  this  immense  ice-field. 
Seals  were  lying  along  the  ice-foot  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach — great,  fat  mountains  of  flesh  ;  food  enough 
to  last  us  and  the  dogs  for  years. 

The  going  was  ideal ;  our  ski  glided  easily  and 
pleasantly  through  the  newly  fallen  loose  snow.  But 
none  of  us  was  exactly  in  training  after  the  long  five 
months'  sea  voyage,  so  that  the  pace  was  not  great. 
After  half  an  hour's  march  we  were  already  at  the 
first  important  point — the  connection  between  the 
sea-ice  and  the  Barrier.  This  connection  had  always 
haunted  our  brains.  What  would  it  be  like  ?  A  high, 
perpendicular  face  of  ice,  up  which  we  should  have  to 
haul  our  things  laboriously  with  the  help  of  tackles  ? 
Or  a  great  and  dangerous  fissure,  which  we  should  not 
be  able  to  cross  without  going  a  long  way  round  ?  We 
naturally  expected  something  of  the  sort.  This  mighty 
and  terrible  monster  would,  of  course,  offer  resistance  in 
some  form  or  other. 

The  mystic  Barrier  !  All  accounts  without  excep- 
tion, from  the  days  of  Ross  to  the  present  time,  had 


172  ON  THE  BARRIER 

spoken  of  this  remarkable  natural  formation  with 
apprehensive  awe.  It  was  as  though  one  could  always 
read  between  the  lines  the  same  sentence :  "  Hush,  be 
quiet !  the  mystic  Barrier  !" 

One,  two,  three,  and  a  little  jump,  and  the  Barrier 
was  surmounted  ! 

We  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled ;  probably  the 
same  thought  was  in  the  minds  of  all  of  us.  The 
monster  had  begun  to  lose  something  of  its  mystery, 
the  terror  something  of  its  force  ;  the  incomprehensible 
was  becoming  quite  easy  to  understand. 

Without  striking  a  blow  we  had  entered  into  our 
kingdom.  The  Barrier  was  at  this  spot  about  20  feet 
high,  and  the  junction  between  it  and  the  sea-ice  was 
completely  filled  up  with  driven  snow,  so  that  the  ascent 
took  the  form  of  a  little,  gentle  slope.  This  spot  would 
certainly  offer  us  no  resistance. 

Hitherto  we  had  made  our  advance  without  a  rope. 
The  sea-ice,  we  knew,  would  offer  no  hidden  difficulties  ; 
but  what  would  be  the  condition  of  things  beyond  the 
Barrier  was  another  question.  And  as  we  all  thought 
it  would  be  better  to  have  the  rope  on  before  we  fell 
into  a  crevasse  than  afterwards,  our  further  advance  was 
made  with  a  rope  between  the  first  two. 

We  proceeded  in  an  easterly  direction  up  through 
a  little  valley  formed  by  "  Mount  Nelson  "  on  one  side, 
and  "  Mount  Ronniken "  on  the  other.  The  reader 
must  not,  however,  imagine  from  these  imposing  names 


NELSON  AND  RONNIKEN  173 

that  we  were  walking  between  any  formidable  mountain- 
ranges.  Mounts  Nelson  and  Ronniken  were  nothing 
but  two  old  pressure  ridges  that  had  been  formed  in 
those  far-off  days  when  the  mighty  mass  of  ice  had 
pushed  on  with  awful  force  without  meeting  hindrance 
or  resistance,  until  at  this  spot  it  met  a  superior  power 
that  clove  and  splintered  it,  and  set  a  bound  to  its  further 
advance.  It  must  have  been  a  frightful  collision,  like 
the  end  of  a  world.  But  now  it  was  over :  peace— an 
air  of  infinite  peace  lay  over  it  all.  Nelson  and 
Ronniken  were  only  two  pensioned  veterans.  Regarded 
as  pressure  ridges  they  were  huge,  raising  their  highest 
summits  over  100  feet  in  the  air.  Here  in  the  valley 
the  surface  round  Nelson  was  quite  filled  up,  while 
Ronniken  still  showed  a  deep  scar  —  a  fissure  or 
hollow.  We  approached  it  cautiously.  It  was  not  easy 
to  see  how  deep  it  was,  and  whether  it  had  an  invisible 
connection  with  Nelson  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley. 
But  this  was  not  the  case.  On  a  closer  examination 
this  deep  cleft  proved  to  have  a  solid,  filled-up  bottom. 
Between  the  ridges  the  surface  was  perfectly  flat,  and 
offered  an  excellent  site  for  a  dog-camp. 

Captain  Nilsen  and  I  had  worked  out  a  kind  of  pro- 
gramme of  the  work  to  be  done,  and  in  this  it  was 
decided  that  the  dogs  should  be  brought  on  to  the 
Barrier  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  there  looked  after  by 
two  men.  We  chose  this  place  for  the  purpose.  The 
old  pressure  ridges  told  the  history  of  the  spot  plainly 


174  ON  THE  BARRIER 

enough  ;  we  had  no  need  to  fear  any  kind  of  disturbance 
here.  The  site  had  the  additional  advantage  that  we 
could  see  the  ship  from  it,  and  would  always  be  in 
communication  with  those  on  board. 

From  here  the  valley  turned  slightly  to  the  south. 
After  having  marked  the  spot  where  our  first  tent  was 
to  be  set  up,  we  continued  our  investigations.  The 
valley  sloped  gradually  upwards,  and  reached  the  ridge 
at  a  height  of  100  feet.  From  this  elevation  we  had  an 
excellent  view  over  the  valley  we  had  been  following, 
and  all  the  other  surroundings.  On  the  north  the 
Barrier  extended,  level  and  straight,  apparently  without 
interruption,  and  ended  on  the  west  in  the  steep  descent 
of  Cape  Man's  Head,  which  formed  the  eastern  limit  of 
the  inner  part  of  the  Bay  of  Whales,  and  afforded  a  snug 
little  corner,  where  we  had  found  room  for  our  ship. 
There  lay  the  whole  of  the  inner  part  of  the  bay, 
bounded  on  all  sides  by  ice,  ice  and  nothing  but  ice — 
Barrier  as  far  as  we  could  see,  white  and  blue.  This 
spot  would  no  doubt  show  a  surprising  play  of  colour 
later  on  ;  it  promised  well  in  this  way. 

The  ridge  we  were  standing  on  was  not  broad — about 
two  hundred  yards,  I  think — and  in  many  places  it  was 
swept  quite  bare  by  the  wind,  showing  the  blue  ice 
itself.  We  passed  over  it  and  made  for  the  pass  of 
Thermopylae,  which  extended  in  a  southerly  direction 
from  the  ridge  and  after  a  very  slight  descent  was 
merged  in  a  great  plain,  surrounded  by  elevations  on  all 


HUT  SITE  CHOSEN  175 

sides — a  basin,  in  fact.  The  bare  ridge  we  passed  over 
to  descend  into  the  basin  was  a  good  deal  broken  up  ; 
but  the  fissures  were  narrow,  and  almost  entirely  filled 
up  again  with  drift,  so  that  they  were  not  dangerous. 
The  basin  gave  us  the  impression  of  being  sheltered  and 
cosy,  and,  above  all,  it  looked  safe  and  secure.  This 
stretch  of  ice  was — with  the  exception  of  a  few  quite 
small  hummocks  of  the  shape  of  haycocks — perfectly 
flat  and  free  from  crevasses. 

We  crossed  it,  and  went  up  on  the  ridge  that  rose 
very  gently  on  the  south.  From  the  top  of  this  all  was 
flat  and  even  as  far  as  we  could  see  ;  but  that  was  not 
saying  much.  For  a  little  while  we  continued  along  the 
ridge  in  an  easterly  direction  without  finding  any  place 
that  was  specially  suited  for  our  purpose.  Our  thoughts 
returned  to  the  basin  as  the  best  sheltered  place  we  had 
seen. 

From  the  height  we  were  now  on,  we  could  look 
down  into  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  Bay  of  Whales. 
In  contrast  to  that  part  of  the  ice-foot  to  which  we  had 
made  fast,  the  inner  bay  seemed  to  consist  of  ice  that 
had  been  forced  up  by  pressure.  But  we  had  to  leave  a 
closer  examination  of  this  part  till  later.  We  all  liked 
the  basin,  and  agreed  to  choose  it  as  our  future  abode. 
And  so  we  turned  and  went  back  again.  It  did  not 
take  long  to  reach  the  plain  in  our  own  tracks. 

On  making  a  thorough  examination  of  the  surface 
and  discussing  the  various  possibilities,  we  came  to  the 


176  ON  THE  BARRIER 

conclusion  that  a  site  for  the  hut  was  to  be  looked  for 
on  the  little  elevation  that  rose  to  the  east.  It  seemed 
that  we  should  be  more  snug  there  than  anywhere  else, 
and  we  were  not  mistaken.  We  soon  made  up  our 
minds  that  we  had  chosen  the  best  place  the  Barrier  had 
to  offer.  On  the  spot  where  the  hut  was  to  stand  we 
set  up  another  ski-pole,  and  then  went  home. 

The  good  news  that  we  had  already  found  a  favourable 
place  for  the  hut  naturally  caused  great  satisfaction  on 
all  sides.  Everyone  had  been  silently  dreading  the  long 
and  troublesome  transport  over  the  Ice  Barrier. 

There  was  teeming  life  on  the  ice.  Wherever  we 
turned  we  saw  great  herds  of  seals — Weddells  and  crab- 
eaters.  The  great  sea-leopard,  which  we  had  seen 
occasionally  on  the  floes,  was  not  to  be  found  here. 
During  our  whole  stay  in  the  Bay  of  Whales  we  did  not 
see  a  single  specimen  of  it.  Nor  did  we  ever  see  the 
Ross  seal.  Penguins  had  not  shown  themselves  par- 
ticularly often,  only  a  few  here  and  there ;  but  we 
appreciated  them  all  the  more.  The  few  we  saw  were 
almost  all  Adelie  penguins.  While  we  were  at  work 
making  the  ship  fast,  a  flock  of  them  suddenly 
shot  up  out  of  the  water  and  on  to  the  ice.  They 
looked  about  them  in  surprise  for  a  moment:  men 
and  ships  do  not  come  their  way  every  day.  But  it 
seemed  as  if  their  astonishment  soon  gave  way  to  a 
desire  to  see  what  was  happening.  They  positively  sat 
and  studied  all  our  movements.  Only  now  and  then 


A  SEAL-HUNT  177 

they  grunted  a  little  and  took  a  turn  over  the  ice. 
What  specially  interested  them  was  evidently  our  work 
at  digging  holes  in  the  snow  for  the  grapnels.  They 
flocked  about  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  this,  laid 
their  heads  on  one  side,  and  looked  as  if  they  found 
it  immensely  interesting.  They  did  not  appear  to  be 
the  least  afraid  of  us,  and  for  the  most  part  we  left  them 
in  peace.  But  some  of  them  had  to  lose  their  lives  ;  we 
wanted  them  for  our  collection. 

An  exciting  seal-hunt    took    place  the   same  day. 
Three  crab-eaters  had  ventured  to  approach  the  ship, 
and  were  marked  down  to  increase  our  store  of  fresh 
meat.     We  picked  two  mighty  hunters  to  secure  the 
prey  for  us  ;  they  approached  with  the  greatest  caution, 
though  this  was  altogether  unnecessary,  for  the  seals  lay 
perfectly  motionless.     They  crept  forward  in   Indian 
fashion,  with  their  heads  down  and  their  backs  bent. 
This  looks  fine ;   I  chuckle  and  laugh,  but  still  with 
a  certain  decorum.     Then  there  is  a  report.     Two  of 
the  sleeping  seals  give  a  little  spasm,  and  do  not  move 
again.     It  is  otherwise  with  the  third.    With  snakelike 
movements  it  wriggles  away  through  the  loose  snow 
with  surprising  speed.     It  is  no  longer  target  practice, 
but  hunting  real  game,  and  the  result  is  in  keeping  with 
it.     Bang !  bang !  and  bang  again.     It  is  a  good  thing 
we  have  plenty  of  ammunition.     One  of  the  hunters 
uses  up  all  his  cartridges  and  has  to  go  back,  but  the 
other  sets   off  in   pursuit  of  the  game.     Oh,  how   I 
VOL.  i.  12 


178  ON  THE  BARRIER 

laughed !  Decorum  was  no  longer  possible ;  I  simply 
shook  with  laughter.  Away  they  went  through  the 
loose  snow,  the  seal  first  and  the  hunter  after.  I  could 
see  by  the  movements  of  the  pursuer  that  he  was  furious. 
He  saw  that  he  was  in  for  something  which  he  could  not 
come  out  of  with  dignity.  The  seal  made  off  at  such  a 
pace  that  it  filled  the  air  with  snow.  Although  the 
snow  was  fairly  deep  and  loose,  the  seal  kept  on  the 
surface.  Not  so  the  hunter :  he  sank  over  the  knees  at 
every  step,  and  in  a  short  time  was  completely  out- 
distanced. From  time  to  time  he  halted,  aimed,  and  fired. 
He  himself  afterwards  asserted  that  every  shot  had  hit. 
I  had  my  doubts.  In  any  case  the  seal  seemed  to  take  no 
notice  of  them,  for  it  went  on  with  undiminished  speed. 
At  last  the  mighty  man  gave  up  and  turned  back. 
"  Beastly  hard  to  kill,"  I  heard  him  say,  as  he  came  on 
board.  I  suppressed  a  smile — did  not  want  to  hurt  the 
fellow's  feelings. 

What  an  evening !  The  sun  is  high  in  the  heavens 
in  spite  of  the  late  hour.  Over  all  this  mountainous 
land  of  ice,  over  the  mighty  Barrier  running  south, 
there  lies  a  bright,  white,  shining  light,  so  intense  that 
it  dazzles  the  eyes.  But  northward  lies  the  night. 
Leaden  grey  upon  the  sea,  it  passes  into  deep  blue  as 
the  eye  is  raised,  and  pales  by  degrees  until  it  is  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  radiant  gleam  from  the  Barrier.  What 
lies  behind  the  night  —  that  smoke-black  mass  —  we 
know.  That  part  we  have  explored,  and  have  come 


THE    "  FRAM       IN    THE    BAY    OF   WHALES. 


To  face  page  178,  FoJ.  /. 


DIVISION  OF  PARTIES  179 

off  victorious.     But  what  does  the  dazzling  day  to  the 
south   conceal?      Inviting  and  attractive  the  fair  one  / 
lies  before  us.     Yes,  we  hear  you  calling,  and  we  shall  | 
come.     You  shall  have  your  kiss,  if  we  pay  for  it  with  1 
our  lives. 

The  following  day — Sunday — brought  the  same  fine 
weather.  Of  course,  there  could  now  be  no  thought  of 
Sunday  for  us.  Not  one  of  us  would  have  cared  to 
spend  the  day  in  idleness.  We  were  now  divided  into 
two  parties :  the  sea  party  and  the  land  party.  The 
sea  party — ten  men — took  over  the  Fram,  while  on  this 
day  the  land  party  took  up  their  abode  on  the  Barrier 
for  a  year  or  two,  or  whatever  it  might  be.  The  sea 
party  was  composed  of  Nilsen,  Gjertsen,  Beck,  Sund- 
beck,  Ludvig  Hansen,  Kristensen,  Ronne,  Nodtvedt, 
Kutschin,  and  Olsen.  The  land_j)arty  consisted  of  A 
Prestrud,  Johansen,  Helmer  Hanssen,  Hassel,  Bjaaland,  \ 
Stubberud,  Lindstrom,  and  myself.  Lindstrom  was  to 
stay  on  board  for  a  few  days  longer,  as  we  still  had  to 
take  most  of  our  meals  on  the  ship.  The  plan  was 
that  one  party,  composed  of  six  men,  should  camp  in 
a  sixteen -man  tent  in  the  space  between  Ronniken  , 
and  Nelson,  while  another  party  of  two  were  to  live 
in  a  tent  up  at  the  hut  site  and  build  the  hut.  The 
two  last  were,  of  course,  our  capable  carpenters,  Bjaa- 
land and  Stubberud. 

By  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  at  last 
ready    to    start.      We   had   one    sledge,    eight    dogs 


180  ON  THE  BARRIER 

and  provisions  and  equipment  weighing  altogether 
660  pounds.  It  was  my  team  that  was  to  open  the 
ball.  The  sea  party  had  all  collected  on  deck  to 
witness  the  first  start.  All  was  now  ready  ;  after  count- 
less efforts  on  our  part,  or,  if  it  is  preferred,  after  a 
thorough  thrashing  for  every  dog,  we  had  at  last  got 
them  in  a  line  before  the  sledge  in  Alaska  harness. 
With  a  flourish  and  a  crack  of  the  whip  we  set  off. 
I  glanced  at  the  ship.  Yes  ;  as  I  thought — all  our  com- 
rades were  standing  in  a  row,  admiring  the  fine  start. 
I  am  not  quite  sure  that  I  did  not  hold  my  head  rather 
high  and  look  round  with  a  certain  air  of  triumph.  If 
I  did  so,  it  was  foolish  of  me.  I  ought  to  have  waited  ; 
the  defeat  would  have  been  easier  to  bear.  For  defeat 
it  was,  and  a  signal  one.  The  dogs  had  spent  half  a 
year  in  lying  about  and  eating  and  drinking,  and  had 
got  the  impression  that  they  would  never  have  anything 
else  to  do.  Not  one  of  them  appeared  to  understand 
that  a  new  era  of  toil  had  begun.  After  moving  for- 
ward a  few  yards,  they  all  sat  down,  as  though  at  a 
word  of  command,  and  stared  at  each  other.  The  most 
undisguised  astonishment  could  be  read  in  their  faces. 
When  at  last  we  had  succeeded,  with  another  dose  of 
the  whij^ift-making  them  understand  that  we  really 
asked  them  to  work,  instead  of  doing  as  they  were  told 
they  flew  at  each  other  in  a  furious  scrimmage.  Heaven 
help  me  !  what  work  we  had  with  those  eight  dogs 
that  day !  If  it  was  going  to  be  like  this  on  the 


FIRST  SLEDGE  TRIP  181 

way  to  the  Pole,  I  calculated  in  the  midst  of  the 
tumult  that  it  would  take  exactly  a  year  to  get  there, 
without  counting  the  return  journey.  During  all  this 
confusion  I  stole  another  glance  at  the  ship,  but  the 
sight  that  met  me  made  me  quickly  withdraw  my  eyes 
again.  They  were  simply  shrieking  with  laughter,  and 
loud  shouts  of  the  most  infamous  encouragement 
reached  us.  "If  you  go  on  like  that,  you'll  get  there 
by  Christmas,"  or,  "  Well  done !  stick  to  it.  Now 
you're  off."  We  were  stuck  faster  than  ever.  Things 
looked  desperate.  At  last,  with  the  combined  strength 
of  all  the  animals  and  men,  we  got  the  sledge  to  move 
again. 

So  our  first  sledge  trip  could  not  be  called  a  triumph. 
We  then  set  up  our  first  tent  on  the  Barrier,  between 
Mounts  Nelson  and  Ronniken — a  large,  strong  tent  for 
sixteen  men,  with  the  sheet  for  the  floor  sewed  on. 
Round  the  tent  wire  ropes  were  stretched  in  a  triangle, 
fifty  yards  on  each  side.  To  these  the  dogs  were  to  be 
tethered.  The  tent  was  furnished  with  five  sleeping- 
bags  and  a  quantity  of  provisions.  The  distance  we 
had  come  was  T2  geographical  miles,  or  2*2  kilometres, 
measured  by  sledge-meter.  After  finishing  this  wrork, 
we  went  on  up  to  the  site  selected  for  the  station. 
Here  we  set  up  the  tent— a  similar  tent  to  the  other,  for 
sixteen  men — for  the  use  of  the  carpenters,  and  marked 
out  the  hut  site.  According  to  the  lie  of  the  ground 
we  elected  to  make  the  house  face  east  and  west,  and  not 


182  ON  THE  BARRIER 

north  and  south,  as  one  might  have  been  tempted  to  do, 
since  it  was  usually  supposed  that  the  most  frequent  and 
violent  winds  came  from  the  south.     We  chose  rightly. 
The  prevailing  wind  was  from  the  east,  and  thus  caught 
our  house  on  its  most  protected  short  wall.     The  door 
faced  west.     When  this  work  was  done,  we  marked  out 
the  way  from  here  to  the  encampment  below  and  thence 
to  the  vessel  with  dark  flags  at  every  fifteen  paces.     In 
this  way  we  should  be  able  to  drive  with  certainty  from 
one  place  to  another  without  losing  time  if  a  storm 
should  set  in.     The  distance  from  the  hut  site  to  the 
vessel   was   2*2    geographical    miles,   or   4   kilometres. 
On    Monday,    January   16,   work    began    in    earnest. 
About  eighty  dogs — six  teams — drove  up  to  the  first 
encampment  with  all  the  provisions  and  equipment  that 
could  be  loaded  on  the  sledges,  and  twenty  dogs — Stub- 
berud's  and  Bjaaland's  teams — went  with  a  full  load  up 
to  the  other  camp.     We  had  some  work  indeed,  those 
first  days,  to  get  the  dogs  to  obey  us.     Time  after  time 
they  tried  to  take  the  command  from  their  masters  and 
steer  their  own  course.     More  than  once  it  cost  us  a 
wet  shirt  to   convince  them  that  we  really  were  the 
masters.     It  was  strenuous  work,  but  it  succeeded  in 
the  end.     Poor  dogs !  they  got  plenty  of  thrashing  in 
those  days.     Our  hours  were  long ;  we  seldom  turned 
in  before  eleven  at  night,  and  were  up  again  at  five. 
But   it  did  not   seem  particularly  hard ;  we  were  all 
alike  eager  for   the  work   to   be   finished   as   soon   as 


UNLOADING  THE  "FRAM"  183 

possible,  so  that  the  Pram  might  get  away.  The 
harbour  arrangements  were  not  of  the  best.  The  quay 
she  was  moored  to  suddenly  broke  in  pieces,  and  all 
hands  had  to  turn  out  to  make  her  fast  to  a  new  quay. 
Perhaps  they  had  just  got  to  sleep  again  when  the 
same  operation  had  to  be  repeated ;  for  the  ice  broke 
time  after  time,  and  kept  the  unfortunate  "  sea-rovers  " 
in  constant  activity.  It  is  enervating  work  being  always 
at  one's  post,  and  sleeping  with  one  eye  open.  They 
had  a  hard  time  to  contend  with,  our  ten  comrades,  and 
the  calm  way  in  which  they  took  everything  was  extra- 
ordinary. They  were  always  in  a  good  humour,  and 
always  had  a  joke  ready.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  sea 
party  to  bring  up  all  the  provisions  and  outfit  for  the 
wintering  party  from  the  hold,  and  put  them  on  the  ice. 
Then  the  land  party  removed  them.  This  work  pro- 
ceeded very  smoothly,  and  it  was  rare  that  one  party 
had  to  wait  for  the  other.  During  the  first  few  days  of 
sledging  all  the  members  of  the  land  party  became  quite 
hoarse,  some  of  them  so  badly  that  they  almost  lost  V 
their  voices.  This  came  from  the  continual  yelling  and 
shouting  that  we  had  to  do  at  first  to  make  the  dogs 
go.  But  this  gave  the  sea  party  a  welcome  oppor- 
tunity of  finding  us  a  nickname  ;  we  were  called  "  the 
chatterers." 

Apart  from  the  unpleasantness  of  constantly  changing 
the  anchorage,  on  account  of  the  breaking  up  and  drift- 
ing out  of  the  ice,  the  harbour  must  in  other  respects 


184  ON  THE  BARRIER 

be  regarded  as  very  good.  A  little  swell  might  set  in 
from  time  to  time  and  cause  some  disagreeable  bump- 
ing, but  never  anything  to  embarrass  the  vessel.  One 
very  great  advantage  was  that  the  currents  in  this 
corner  always  set  outward,  and  thus  kept  off  all  ice- 
bergs. The  sledging  between  the  ship  and  the  Barrier 
was  done  by  five  men  to  begin  with,  as  the  carpenters 
were  engaged  in  building  the  house.  One  man  had  also 
to  be  told  off  as  tent  guard,  for  we  could  not  use  more 
than  half  our  teams — six  dogs — at  a  time.  If  we  har- 
nessed the  full  team  of  twelve,  we  only  had  trouble  and 
fights.  The  dogs  which  were  thus  left  behind  had  to 
be  looked  after,  and  a  man  was  required  for  this  duty. 
Another  of  the  duties  of  the  tent  guard  was  to  cook  the 
day's  food  and  keep  the  tent  tidy.  It  was  a  coveted 
position,  and  lots  were  cast  for  it.  It  gave  a  little 
variety  in  the  continual  sledging. 

On  January  17  the  carpenters  began  to  dig  the 
foundations  of  the  house.  The  effect  of  all  we  had 
heard  about  the  Antarctic  storms  was  that  we  decided 
to  take  every  possible  precaution  to  make  the  house  stand 
on  an  even  keel.  The  carpenters  therefore  began  by 
digging  a  foundation  4  feet  down  into  the  Barrier.  This 
was  not  easy  work  ;  2  feet  below  the  surface  they  came 
upon  hard,  smooth  ice,  and  had  to  use  pickaxes.  The 
same  day  a  stiff  easterly  breeze  sprang  up,  whirling  the 
snow  high  into  the  air,  and  filling  up  the  foundations  as 
fast  as  the  men  dug  them.  But  it  would  take  more 


DIGGING   THE   FOUNDATIONS    OF   FRAMHEIM. 


To  face  page  184,  Vol.  L 


PUTTING  UP  THE  HUT  185 

than  that  to  stop  those  fellows  in  their  work.  They 
built  a  wind-screen  of  planks,  and  did  it  so  well  that 
they  were  able  to  work  all  day,  unhindered  by  drifts, 
until,  when  evening  came,  they  had  the  whole  founda- 
tion dug  out.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  doing  good 
work  when  one  has  such  people  to  work  for  one.  The 
stormy  weather  interfered  somewhat  with  our  sledging, 
and  as  we  found  our  Alaska  harness  unsuitable  to  the 
conditions,  we  went  on  board  and  began  the  preparation 
of  Greenland  harness  for  our  dogs.  All  hands  worked 
at  it.  Our  excellent  sailmaker,  Ronne,  sewed  forty-six 
sets  of  harness  in  the  course  of  the  month.  The  rest 
of  us  spliced  the  ropes  and  made  the  necessary  tackles, 
while  others  spliced  wire-rope  shafts  to  our  sledges. 
When  evening  came  we  had  an  entirely  new  set  of 
tackle  for  all  our  sledges  and  dogs.  This  was  very 
successful,  and  in  a  few  days  the  whole  was  working 
smoothly. 

We  had  now  divided  ourselves  between  the  two  tents, 
so  that  five  men  slept  in  the  lower  tent,  while  the  two 
carpenters  and  I  inhabited  the  upper  one.  That  evening 
a  rather  amusing  thing  happened  to  us.  We  were  just 
turning  in  when  suddenly  we  heard  a  penguin's  cry 
immediately  outside  the  tent.  We  were  out  in  a 
moment.  There,  a  few  yards  from  the  door,  sat  a  big 
Emperor  penguin,  making  bow  after  bow.  It  gave 
exactly  the  impression  of  having  come  up  simply  to  pay 
us  its  respects.  We  were  sorry  to  repay  its  attention 


186  ON  THE  BARRIER 

so  poorly,  but  such  is  the  way  of  the  world.     With  a 
final  bow  it  ended  its  days  in  the  frying-pan. 

On  January  18  we  began  bringing  up  the  materials 
for  the  hut,  and  as  soon  as  they  arrived  the  builders 
began  to  put  them  up.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say 
that  everything  went  like  a  well-oiled  machine.  One 
sledge  after  another  drove  up  to  the  site  and  discharged 
its  load.  The  dogs  worked  splendidly,  and  their  drivers 
110  less,  and  as  fast  as  the  materials  arrived  our  future 
home  rose  into  the  air.  All  the  parts  had  been  marked 
before  leaving  Norway,  and  were  now  discharged  from 
the  ship  in  the  order  in  which  they  were  wanted.  Be- 
sides which,  Stubberud  himself  had  built  the  house,  so 
that  he  knew  every  peg  of  it.  It  is  with  gladness  and 
pride  that  I  look  back  upon  those  days.  With  gladness, 
because  no  discord  was  ever  heard  in  the  course  of  this 
fairly  severe  labour ;  with  pride,  because  I  was  at  the 
head  of  such  a  body  of  men.  For  men  they  were,  in 
the  true  sense  of  the  word.  Everyone  knew  his  duty, 
and  did  it. 

During  the  night  the  wind  dropped  and  the  morning 
brought  the  finest  weather,  calm  and  clear.  It  was  a 
pleasure  to  work  on  days  like  this.  Both  men  and  dogs 
were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  On  these  journeys  between 
the  ship  and  the  station  we  were  constantly  hunting 
seals,  but  we  only  took  those  that  came  in  our  way. 
We  never  had  to  go  far  to  find  fresh  meat.  We  used 
to  come  suddenly  upon  a  herd  of  them  ;  they  were  then 


BUILDING   THE    HUT. 


UNLOADING  :     THE    SIX    SLEDGE-DRIVERS. 


To  fact  page  186,  Vol.  I. 


LANDING  STORES  187 

shot,  flayed,  and  loaded  on  the  sledges  with  the  provi- 
sions and  building  materials.  The  dogs  feasted  in  those 
days — they  had  as  much  warm  flesh  as  they  wanted. 

On  January  20  we  had  taken  up  all  the  building 
materials,  and  could  then  turn  our  attention  to  provi- 
sions and  stores.  The  work  went  merrily,  backwards 
and  forwards,  and  the  journey  to  the  Fram  in  the  morn- 
ing with  empty  sledges  was  specially  enjoyable.  The 
track  was  now  well  worn  and  hard,  and  resembled  a 
good  Norwegian  country  road  more  than  anything  else. 
The  going  was  splendid.  On  coming  out  of  the  tent  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning  one  was  instantly  greeted 
with  joy  by  one's  own  twelve  dogs.  They  barked  and 
howled  in  emulation,  tugged  and  jerked  at  their  chains 
to  get  to  their  master,  and  jumped  and  danced  about 
with  joy.  Then  one  would  first  go  down  the  line  and 
say  "  Good-morning  "  to  each  of  them  in  turn,  patting 
them  and  saying  a  few  words.  Splendid  beasts  they 
were.  The  one  who  was  taken  notice  of  showed  every 
sign  of  happiness.  The  most  petted  of  our  domestic 
dogs  could  not  have  shown  greater  devotion  than  these 
tamed  wolves.  All  the  time  the  others  were  yelling 
and  pulling  at  their  chains  to  get  at  the  one  who  was 
being  petted,  for  they  are  jealous  in  the  extreme.  When 
they  had  all  received  their  share  of  attention  the  harness 
was  brought  out,  and  then  the  jubilation  broke  out 
afresh.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  can  assert  that  these 
animals  love  their  harness.  Although  they  must  know 


188  ON  THE  BARRIER 

that  it  means  hard  work,  they  all  show  signs  of  the 
greatest  rapture  at  the  sight  of  it.  I  must  hasten  to 
add,  however,  that  this  only  happens  at  home.  Long 
and  fatiguing  sledge  journeys  show  a  very  different 
state  of  things.  When  it  came  to  harnessing,  the  first 
trouble  of  the  day  began.  It  was  impossible  to  get 
them  to  stand  still.  The  full  meal  of  the  previous 
evening,  followed  by  the  night's  rest,  had  given  them 
such  a  superabundance  of  energy  and  joy  of  life  that 
nothing  could  make  them  stand  still.  They  had  to 
have  a  taste  of  the  whip,  and  yet  it  was  a  pity  to  start 
that.  After  having  securely  anchored  the  sledge,  one 
was  ready  at  last  with  one's  team  of  six  dogs  harnessed. 
Now  it  might  be  thought  that  all  was  plain  sailing  and 
that  one  had  only  to  cast  off  one's  moorings  and  be 
taken  straight  down  to  the  ship.  But  that  was  far  from 
being  the  case.  Round  about  the  camp  a  number  of 
objects  had  collected  in  a  short  time,  such  as  packing- 
cases,  building  materials,  empty  sledges,  etc.,  and  to 
steer  clear  of  these  was  the  great  problem  of  the  morn- 
ing. The  dogs'  greatest  interest  was,  of  course,  con- 
centrated upon  these  objects,  and  one  had  to  be  extremely 
lucky  to  avoid  a  spill. 

Let  us  follow  one  of  these  morning  drives.  The  men 
are  all  ready  and  have  their  dogs  well  harnessed.  One, 
two,  three,  and  we  let  them  all  go  at  once.  We  are  off 
like  the  wind,  and  before  one  has  time  to  swing  the 
whip  one  finds  oneself  in  the  middle  of  a  heap  of  build- 


SLEDGING  EXPERIENCES  189 

ing  materials.  The  dogs  have  achieved  the  desire  of 
their  lives — to  be  able  to  make  a  thorough  investigation 
of  these  materials  in  the  way  that  is  so  characteristic  of 
the  dog  and  so  incomprehensible  to  us.  While  this 
process  is  going  on  with  the  greatest  enjoyment,  the 
driver  has  got  clear  of  the  sledge  and  begins  to  dis- 
entangle the  traces,  which  have  wound  themselves  round 
planks  and  posts  and  whatever  else  may  be  lying  handy. 
He  is  far  from  having  achieved  the  desire  of  his  life — to 
judge  from  the  expressions  he  uses.  At  last  he  is  clear 
again.  He  looks  round  first  and  finds  he  is  not  the 
only  one  who  has  met  with  difficulties  in  the  way.  Over 
there  among  the  cases  he  sees  a  performance  going  on 
which  makes  his  heart  leap  with  joy.  One  of  the  old 
hands  has  come  to  grief,  and  in  so  decisive  a  fashion 
that  it  will  take  him  a  long  time  to  get  clear  again. 
With  a  triumphant  smile  he  throws  himself  on  the 
sledge  and  drives  off.  So  long  as  he  is  on  the  Barrier 
as  a  rule  everything  goes  well ;  there  is  nothing  here  to 
distract  the  dogs.  It  is  otherwise  when  he  comes  down 
to  the  sea-ice.  Here  seals  lie  scattered  about  in  groups 
basking  in  the  sunshine,  and  it  may  easily  happen  that 
his  course  will  be  rather  crooked.  If  a  team  of  fresh 
dogs  have  made  up  their  minds  to  turn  aside  in  the 
direction  of  a  herd  of  seals,  it  takes  a  very  experienced 
driver  to  get  them  in  the  right  way  again.  Personally, 
on  such  occasions,  I  used  the  only  remedy  I  could  see 
—namely,  capsizing  the  sledge.  In  loose  snow  with 


190  ON  THE  BARRIER 

the  sledge  upset  they  soon  pulled  up.  Then,  if  one  was 
wise,  one  put  them  on  the  right  course  again  quietly 
and  calmly,  hoisted  the  sledge  on  to  an  even  keel,  and 
went  on.  But  one  is  not  always  wise,  unfortunately. 
The  desire  to  be  revenged  on  the  disobedient  rascals  gets 
the  upper  hand,  and  one  begins  to  deal  out  punishment. 
But  this  is  not  so  easy  as  it  seems.  So  long  as  you  are 
sitting  on  the  capsized  sledge  it  makes  a  good  anchor, 
but  now — without  a  load — it  is  no  use,  and  the  dogs 
know  that.  So  while  you  are  thrashing  one  the  others 
start  off,  and  the  result  is  not  always  flattering  to  the 
driver.  If  he  is  lucky  he  gets  on  to  the  capsized  sledge 
again,  but  we  have  seen  dogs  and  sledges  arrive  without 
drivers.  All  this  trouble  in  the  early  morning  sets  the 
blood  in  active  circulation,  and  one  arrives  at  the  ship 
drenched  with  perspiration,  in  spite  of  a  temperature 
of  -  5°  F.  But  it  sometimes  happens  that  there  is  no 
interruption,  and  then  the  drive  is  soon  over.  The  dogs 
want  no  encouragement ;  they  are  willing  enough.  The 
mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  lower  camp  to  the  Fram,  is 
then  covered  in  a  few  minutes. 

When  we  came  out  of  the  tent  on  the  morning  of 
January  21  we  were  greatly  surprised.  We  thought  we 
must  be  mistaken,  rubbed  our  eyes,  opened  them  wider ; 
but  no,  it  was  no  good.  The  Fram  was  no  longer  to 
be  seen.  It  had  been  blowing  pretty  strongly  during 
the  night,  with  snow-squalls.  Presumably  the  weather 
had  forced  them  to  put  out.  We  could  also  hear  the 


LIFE  IN  CAMP  191 

roar  of  the  sea  dashing  against  the  Barrier.  Meanwhile 
we  lost  no  time.  The  day  before  Captain  Nilsen  and 
Kristensen  had  shot  forty  seals,  and  of  these  we  had 
brought  in  half  the  same  day.  We  now  began  to  fetch 
in  the  rest.  During  the  forenoon,  while  we  were  flaying 
and  shooting  seals,  we  heard  the  old,  well-known  sound 
—put, put,  put— of  the  Fr arris  motor,  and  presently  the 
crow's-nest  appeared  above  the  Barrier.  But  she  did 
not  get  into  her  old  berth  before  evening.  A  heavy 
swell  had  forced  her  to  go  outside. 

Meanwhile  the  carpenters  were  busily  constructing 
the  hut.     By  January  21  the  roof  was  on,  and  the  rest 
of  the  work  could  thus  be  done  under  cover.     This  was 
a  great  comfort  to  the  men  ;  at  that  time  their  job  was 
undoubtedly  the  worst  of  any.     Bitterly  cold  it  was  for 
them,  but  I  never  heard  them  talk  about  it.     When  I 
came  up  to  the  tent  after  the  day's  work,  one  of  them 
was  busy  cooking.     The  meal  always  consisted  of  pan- 
cakes  and  pitch-black,   strong  coffee.      How  good  it 
tasted !     A  rivalry  soon  arose  between  the  two  cook-     \, 
carpenters  as  to  which  of  them  could  make  the  best 
pancakes.     I  think  they  were  both  clever  at  it.     In  the 
morning  we   had  pancakes  again — crisp,  hot,  delicate 
pancakes,  with  the  most  glorious  coffee — before  I  was 
even  out  of  my  sleeping-bag.     That  is  what  the  car- 
penters had  to  offer  me  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
No  wonder  I  enjoyed  their  society.     Nor  did  the  men 
in    the    lower    camp    suffer  any  privation.      Wisting 


192  ON  THE  BARRIER 

showed  himself  to  be  possessed  of  eminent  talents  as 
cook  for  the  day.  His  special  dish  was  penguins  and 
skua  gulls  in  cream  sauce.  It  was  served  under  the 
name  of  ptarmigan,  of  which  it  really  reminded  one. 

That  Sunday  we  all  went  on  board — with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  necessary  tent  guards  for  both  camps  — 
and  enjoyed  life.  We  had  worked  hard  enough  that 
week. 

On  Monday,  January  23,  we  began  to  carry  up  the 
provisions.  In  order  to  save  time,  we  had  decided  not 
to  bring  the  provisions  right  up  to  the  hut,  but  to  store 
them  for  the  time  being  on  an  elevation  that  lay  on  the 
other  side,  to  the  south  of  Mount  Nelson.  This  spot 
was  not  more  than  600  yards  from  the  hut,  but  as  the 
surface  was  rather  rough  here,  we  should  save  a  good 
deal  in  the  long-run.  Afterwards  when  the  Fram  had 
sailed,  we  could  take  them  the  rest  of  the  way.  As  it 
turned  out,  we  never  had  time  for  this,  so  that  our 
main  store  remained  here.  Sledging  up  to  this  point 
offered  some  difficulties  at  first.  The  dogs,  who  were 
accustomed  to  take  the  road  to  the  lower  camp — 
between  Nelson  and  Ronniken — could  not  under- 
stand why  they  might  not  do  the  same  now.  The 
journey  with  empty  sledges  down  to  the  ship  was  often 
particularly  troublesome.  From  this  point  the  dogs 
could  hear  their  companions  on  the  other  side  of 
Nelson  in  the  lower  camp,  and  then  it  happened 
more  than  once  that  the  dogs  took  command.  If  they 


POLAR    TRANSPORT. 


To  face  page  192,  Vol.  /. 


PENGUINS. 


Jfl 


THE    PROVISION    STORE. 


To  face  page  192,  Vol.  I. 


WE  MOVE  INTO  FRAMHEIM  193 

once  got  in  the  humour  for  playing  tricks  of  that  sort, 
it  was  by  no  means  easy  to  get  them  under  control. 
We  all  of  us  had  this  experience  without  exception. 
Not  one  of  us  escaped  this  little  extra  turn.  As  the 
provisions  came  up  each  driver  took  them  off  his  sledge, 
and  laid  the  cases  in  the  order  in  which  they  should  lie. 
We  began  by  placing  each  sort  by  itself  in  small  groups 
over  the  slope.  This  plan  had  the  advantage  that 
everything  would  be  easy  to  find.  The  load  was 
usually  660  pounds,  or  6  cases  to  each  sledge.  We 
had  about  900  cases  to  bring  up,  and  reckoned  that 
we  should  have  them  all  in  place  in  the  course  of  a 
week.  Everything  went  remarkably  well  according  to 
our  reckoning. 

By  noon  on  Saturday,  January  28,  the  hut  was  ready, 
and  all  the  900  cases  were  in  place.  The  depot  of  pro- 
visions had  quite  an  imposing  appearance.  Great  rows  of 
cases  stood  in  the  snow,  all  with  their  numbers  outward, 
so  that  we  could  find  what  we  wanted  at  once.  And 
there  was  the  house,  all  finished,  exactly  as  it  had  stood 
in  its  native  place  on  Bundefjord.  But  it  would  be 
difficult  to  imagine  more  different  surroundings :  there, 
green  pinewoods  and  splashing  water ;  here,  ice,  nothing 
but  ice.  But  both  scenes  were  beautiful ;  I  stood  think- 
ing which  I  preferred.  My  thoughts  travelled  far — 
thousands  of  miles  in  a  second.  It  was  the  forest  that 
gained  the  day. 

As  I  have  already  mentioned,  we  had  everything  with 
VOL.  i.  13 


194  ON  THE  BARRIER 

us  for  fastening  the  hut  down  to  the  Barrier,  but  the 
calm  weather  we  had  had  all  the  time  led  us  to  suppose 
that  the  conditions  would  not  be  so  bad  as  we  had 
expected.  We  were  therefore  satisfied  with  the  founda- 
tion dug  in  the  Barrier.  The  outside  of  the  hut  was 
tarred,  and  the  roof  covered  with  tarred  paper,  so  that 
it  was  very  visible  against  the  white  surroundings. 
That  afternoon  we  broke  up  both  camps,  and  moved 
into  our  home,  "  Framheim."  What  a  snug,  cosy,  and 
cleanly  impression  it  gave  us  when  we  entered  the 
door  !  Bright,  new  linoleum  everywhere — in  the  kitchen 
as  well  as  in  our  living-room.  We  had  good  reason  to 
be  happy.  Another  important  point  had  been  got 
over,  and  in  much  shorter  time  than  I  had  ever  hoped. 
Our  path  to  the  goal  was  opening  up ;  we  began  to 
have  a  glimpse  of  the  castle  in  the  distance.  The 
Beauty  is  still  sleeping,  but  the  kiss  is  coming,  the  kiss 
that  shall  wake  her  ! 

It  was  a  happy  party  that  assembled  in  the  hut  the 
first  evening,  and  drank  to  the  future  to  the  music  of 
the  gramophone.  All  the  full-grown  dogs  were  now 
brought  up  here,  and  were  fastened  to  wire  ropes 
stretched  in  a  square,  50  yards  on  each  side.  It  may 
be  believed  that  they  gave  us  some  music.  Collected 
as  they  were,  they  performed  under  the  leadership  of 
some  great  singer  or  other  daily,  and,  what  was  worse, 
nightly  concerts.  Strange  beasts  !  what  can  they  have 
meant  by  this  howling  ?  One  began,  then  two,  then  a 


FRAMHEIM,    JANUARY,    1911. 


To  face  page  194,  Vol.  I. 


DOG  CONCERTS  RESUMED  195 

few  more,  and,  finally,  the  whole  hundred.  As  a  rule, 
during  a  concert  like  this  they  sit  well  down,  stretch 
their  heads  as  high  in  the  air  as  they  can,  and  howl  to 
their  hearts'  content.  During  this  act  they  seem  very 
preoccupied,  and  are  not  easily  disturbed.  But  the 
strangest  thing  is  the  way  the  concert  comes  to  an  end.  L- 
It  stops  suddenly  along  the  whole  line — no  stragglers, 
no  "  one  cheer  more."  What  is  it  that  imposes  this  I 
simultaneous  stop  ?  I  have  observed  and  studied  it 
time  after  time  without  result.  One  would  think  it 
was  a  song  that  had  been  learnt.  Do  these  animals 
possess  a  power  of  communicating  with  each  other  ? 
The  question  is  extraordinarily  interesting.  No  one 
among  us,  who  has  had  long  acquaintance  with  Eskimo  L^ 
dogs,  doubts  that  they  have  this  power.  I  learned  at 
last  to  understand  their  different  sounds  so  well  that  I 
could  tell  by  their  voices  what  was  going  on  without  1 
seeing  them.  Fighting,  play,  love-making,  etc.,  each 
had  its  special  sound.  If  they  wanted  to  express  their 
devotion  and  affection  for  their  master,  they  would  do  ' 
it  in  a  quite  different  way.  If  one  of  them  was  doing 
something  wrong — something  they  knew  they  were  not 
allowed  to  do,  such  as  breaking  into  a  meat-store,  for 
example — the  others,  who  could  not  get  in,  ran  out  and 
gave  vent  to  a  sound  quite  different  from  those  I  have  ., 
mentioned.  I  believe  most  of  us  learned  to  distinguish 
these  different  sounds.  There  can  hardly  be  a  more 
interesting  animal  to  observe,  or  one  that  offers  greater 


196  ON  THE  BARRIER 

variety  of  study,  than  the  Eskimo  dog.  From  his 
ancestor  the  wolf  he  has  inherited  the  instinct  of  self- 
preservation — the  right  of  the  stronger — in  a  far  higher 
degree  than  our  domestic  dog.  The  struggle  for  life 
has  brought  him  to  early  maturity,  and  given  him  such 
qualities  as  frugality  and  endurance  in  an  altogether 
surprising  degree.  His  intelligence  is  sharp,  clear,  and 
well  developed  for  the  work  he  is  born  to,  and  the  con- 
ditions in  which  he  is  brought  up.  We  must  not  call 
the  Eskimo  dog  slow  to  learn  because  he  cannot  sit  up 
and  take  sugar  when  he  is  told ;  these  are  things  so 
widely  separated  from  the  serious  business  of  his  life 
that  he  will  never  be  able  to  understand  them,  or  only 
with  great  difficulty.  Among  themselves  the  right  of 
the  stronger  is  the  only  law.  The  strongest  rules,  and 
does  as  he  pleases  undisputedly ;  everything  belongs  to 
him.  The  weaker  ones  get  the  crumbs.  Friendship 
easily  springs  up  between  these  animals — always  com- 
bined with  respect  and  fear  of  the  stronger.  The 
weaker,  with  his  instinct  of  self-preservation,  seeks  the 
protection  of  the  stronger.  The  stronger  accepts  the 
position  of  protector,  and  thereby  secures  a  trusty 
helper,  always  with  the  thought  of  one  stronger  than 
himself.  The  instinct  of  self-preservation  is  to  be  found 
everywhere,  and  it  is  so,  too,  with  their  relations  with 
man.  The  dog  has  learnt  to  value  man  as  his  bene- 
factor, from  whom  he  receives  everything  necessary  for 
his  support.  Affection  and  devotion  seem  also  to  have 


SUGGEN,   ARNE,    AND   THE    COLONEL. 


MIKKEL,    RAVN,    AND    MAS-MAS. 


Tofacepage  190,  Vol   I. 


THE  COOK  JOINS  US  197 

their  part  in  these  relations,  but  no  doubt  on  a  closer 
examination  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  is  at  the 
root  of  all.  As  a  consequence  of  this,  his  respect  for 
his  master  is  far  greater  than  in  our  domestic  dog,  with 
whom  respect  only  exists  as  a  consequence  of  the  fear 
of  a  beating.  I  could  without  hesitation  take  the  food  ^ 
out  of  the  mouth  of  any  one  of  my  twelve  dogs ;  not 
one  of  them  would  attempt  to  bite  me.  And  why? 
Because  their  respect,  as  a  consequence  of  the  fear  of 
getting  nothing  next  time,  was  predominant.  With 
my  dogs  at  home  I  certainly  should  not  try  the  same 
thing.  They  would  at  once  defend  their  food,  and,  if 
necessary,  they  would  not  shrink  from  using  their  teeth  ; 
and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  these  dogs  have  to  all 
appearance  the  same  respect  as  the  others.  What, 
then,  is  the  reason  ?  It  is  that  this  respect  is  not  based 
on  a  serious  foundation — the  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion— but  simply  on  the  fear  of  a  hiding.  A  case  like 
this  proves  that  the  foundation  is  too  weak ;  the  desire 
of  food  overcomes  the  fear  of  the  stick,  and  the  result  is 
a  snap. 

A  few  days  later  the  last  member  of  the  wintering 
party — Adolf  Henrik  Lindstr 6m— joined  us,  and  with 
his  arrival  our  arrangements  might  be  regarded  as  com- 
plete. He  had  stayed  on  board  hitherto,  attending  to  the 
cooking  there,  but  now  he  was  no  longer  necessary.  His 
art  would  be  more  appreciated  among  the  "chatterers." 
The  youngest  member  of  the  expedition — the  cook 


198  ON  THE  BARRIER 

Karinius  Olsen — took  over  from  that  day  the  whole  of 
the  cooking  on  the  Fram,  and  performed  this  work  in  an 
extremely  conscientious  and  capable  way  until  the  ship 
reached  Hobart  in  March,  1912,  when  he  again  had 
assistance.  This  was  well  done  for  a  lad  of  twenty.  I 
wish  we  had  many  like  him. 

With  Lindstrom,  then,  the  kitchen  and  the  daily 
bread  were  in  order.  The  smoke  rose  gaily  from  the 
shining  black  chimney,  and  proclaimed  that  now  the 
Barrier  was  really  inhabited.  How  cosy  it  was,  when  we 
came  sledging  up  after  the  day's  work,  to  see  that  smoke 
rising  into  the  air.  It  is  a  little  thing  really,  but  never- 
theless it  means  so  much.  With  Lindstrom  came  not 
only  food,  but  light  and  air — both  of  them  his  specialities. 
The  Lux  lamp  was  the  first  thing  he  rigged  up,  giving 
us  a  light  that  contributed  much  to  the  feeling  of 
comfort  and  well-being  through  the  long  winter.  He 
also  provided  us  with  air,  but  in  this  he  had  Stubberud 
as  a  partner.  These  two  together  managed  to  give  us 
the  finest,  purest  Barrier  air  in  our  room  during  the 
whole  stay.  It  is  true  that  this  was  not  done  without 
hard  work,  but  they  did  not  mind  that.  The  ventila- 
tion was  capricious,  and  liable  to  fail  now  and  then. 
This  usually  happened  when  there  was  a  dead  calm. 
Many  were  the  ingenious  devices  employed  by  the  firm 
to  set  the  business  going  again.  Generally _a_  Primus 
stove  was  used  under  the  exhaust  pipe,  and  ice  applied 
to  the  supply  pipe.  While  one  of  them  lay  on  his 


VENTILATION  OF  THE  HUT          199 

stomach  with  the  Primus  under  the  exhaust,  drawing 
the  air  up  that  way,  the  other  ran  up  to  the  roof  and 
dropped  big  lumps  of  snow  down  the  supply  to  get  the 
air  in  that  way.  In  this  fashion  they  could  keep  it 
going  by  the  hour  together  without  giving  up.  It 
finally  ended  in  the  ventilation  becoming  active  again 
without  visible  cause.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
system  of  ventilation  in  a  winter-station  like  ours  is  of 
great  importance,  both  to  health  and  comfort.  I  have 
read  of  expeditions,  the  members  of  which  were  con- 
stantly suffering  from  cold  and  damp  and  resulting 
sickness.  This  is  nothing  but  a  consequence  of  bad 
ventilation.  If  the  supply  of  fresh  air  is  sufficient,  the 
fuel  will  be  turned  to  better  account,  and  the  production 
of  warmth  will,  of  course,  be  greater.  If  the  supply  of 
air  is  insufficient,  a  great  part  of  the  fuel  will  be  lost  in 
an  unconsumed  state,  and  cold  and  damp  will  be  the 
result.  There  must,  of  course,  be  a  means  of  regulating 
the  ventilation  in  accordance  with  requirements.  We 
used  only  the  Lux  lamp  in  our  hut,  besides  the  stove  in 
the  kitchen,  and  with  this  we  kept  our  room  so  warm 
that  those  of  us  in  the  upper  berths  were  constantly 
complaining  of  the  warmth. 

Originally  there  were  places  for  ten  bunks  in  the  room, 
but  as  there  were  only  nine  of  us,  one  of  the  bunks  was 
removed  and  the  space  used  for  our  chronometer  locker. 
This  contained  three  ordinary  ship's  chronometers.  We 
had,  in  addition,  six  chronometer  watches,  which  we 


200  ON  THE  BARRIER 

wore  continually,  and  which  were  compared  through- 
out the  whole  winter.  The  meteorological  instruments 
found  a  place  in  the  kitchen — the  only  place  we  had  for 
them.  Lindstrom  undertook  the  position  of  subdirector 
of  the  Framheim  meteorological  station  and  instrument- 
maker  to  the  expedition.  Under  the  roof  were  stowed 
all  the  things  that  would  not  stand  severe  frost,  such  as 
medicines,  syrup,  jam,  cream,  pickles,  and  sauces,  besides 
all  our  sledge-boxes.  A  place  was  also  made  for  the 
library  under  the  roof. 

The  week  beginning  on  Monday,  January  30,  was 
spent  in  bringing  up  coal,  wood,  oil,  and  our  whole 
supply  of  dried  fish.  The  temperature  this  summer 
varied  between  +5°  and —13°  F. — a  grand  summer 
temperature.  We  also  shot  many  seals  daily,  and  we 
already  had  a  great  pile  of  about  a  hundred  of  them 
lying  just  outside  the  door  of  the  hut.  One  evening  as 
we  were  sitting  at  supper  Lindstrom  came  in  to  tell  us 
that  we  need  not  go  down  any  more  to  the  sea- ice 
to  shoot  them,  as  they  were  coming  up  to  us.  We 
went  out  and  found  he  was  right.  Not  far  away,  and 
making  straight  for  the  hut,  came  a  crab-eater,  shining 
like  silver  in  the  sun.  He  came  right  up,  was  photo- 
graphed, and — shot. 

One  day  I  had  a  rather  curious  experience.  My 
best  dog,  Lassesen,  had  his  left  hind-paw  frozen  quite 
white.  It  happened  while  we  were  all  out  sledging. 
Lassesen  was  a  lover  of  freedom,  and  had  seen  his 


A  FROST-BITTEN  PAW  201 

chance  of  getting  loose  when  unobserved.  He  used  his 
freedom,  like  most  of  these  dogs,  for  fighting.  They 
love  fighting,  and  cannot  resist  it.  He  had  picked  a 
quarrel  with  Odin  and  Thor,  and  started  a  battle  with 
them.  In  the  course  of  the  fight  the  chains  that 
fastened  these  two  had  got  wound  round  Lassesen's  leg, 
and  twisted  so  that  the  circulation  was  stopped.  How 
long  he  had  been  standing  so  I  do  not  know.  But  when 
I  came,  I  saw  at  once  that  the  dog  was  in  the  wrong 
place.  On  a  closer  examination  I  discovered  the  frost- 
bite. I  then  spent  half  an  hour  in  restoring  the  circula- 
tion. I  succeeded  in  doing  this  by  holding  the  paw 
continuously  in  my  warm  hand.  At  first,  while  there 
was  no  feeling  in  the  limb,  it  went  well ;  but  when  the 
blood  began  to  flow  back,  of  course  it  was  painful,  and 
Lassesen  became  impatient.  He  whined,  and  motioned 
with  his  head  towards  the  affected  place,  as  though  he 
wanted  to  tell  me  that  he  found  the  operation  un- 
pleasant. He  made  no  attempt  to  snap.  The  paw 
swelled  a  good  deal  after  this  treatment,  but  next  day 
Lassesen  was  as  well  as  ever,  though  a  little  lame  in 
that  leg. 

The  entries  in  my  diary  at  this  time  are  all  in  tele- 
graphic style,  no  doubt  owing  to  the  amount  of  work. 
Thus  an  entry  in  February  ends  with  the  following 
words  :  "  An  Emperor  penguin  just  come  on  a  visit — 
soup-kettle."  He  did  not  get  a  very  long  epitaph. 

During  this  week  we  relieved  the  sea  party  of  the 


202  ON  THE  BARRIER 

last  of  the  dogs — about  twenty  puppies.  There  was 
rejoicing  on  board  when  the  last  of  them  left  the  deck, 
and,  indeed,  one  could  not  be  surprised.  With  the 
thermometer  about  -  5°  F.,  as  it  had  been  lately,  it  was 
impossible  to  keep  the  deck  clean,  as  everything  froze  at 
once.  After  they  had  all  been  brought  on  to  the  ice, 
the  crew  went  to  work  with  salt  and  water,  and  in 
a  short  time  we  recognized  the  Fram  again.  The 
puppies  were  put  into  boxes  and  driven  up.  We  had 
put  up  a  sixteen-man  tent  to  receive  them.  From  the 
very  first  moment  they  declined  to  stay  in  it,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  let  them  out.  All  these 
puppies  passed  a  great  part  of  the  winter  in  the  open  air. 
So  long  as  the  seals'  carcasses  were  lying  on  the  slope, 
they  stayed  there ;  afterwards  they  found  another  place. 
But  the  tent,  despised  by  the  youngsters,  came  in  useful 
after  all.  Any  bitch  that  was  going  to  have  a  litter  was 
put  in  there,  and  the  tent  went  by  the  name  of  "  the 
maternity  hospital."  Then  one  tent  after  another  was 
put  up,  and  Framheim  looked  quite  an  important  place. 
Eight  of  the  sixteen-man  tents  were  set  up  for  our  eight 
teams,  two  for  dried  fish,  one  for  fresh  meat,  one  for 
cases  of  provisions,  and  one  for  coal  and  wood — fourteen 
altogether.  They  were  arranged  according  to  a  plan 
drawn  up  beforehand,  axid  when  they  were  all  up  they 
had  quite  the  appearance  of  a  camp. 

At  this  time  our  dog-harness  underwent  important 
alterations,  as  one  of  the  members  of  the  expedition  had 


VISIT  OF  THE  "  TERRA  NOVA"       203 

the  happy  idea  of  combining  the  Alaska  and  the  Green- 
land harness.  The  result  satisfied  all  requirements  ;  in 
future  we  always  used  this  construction,  and  we  all 
agreed  that  it  was  much  superior  to  any  other  harness. 
The  dogs  also  seemed  to  be  more  comfortable  in  it. 
That  they  worked  better  and  more  easily  is  certain,  and 
raw  places,  so  common  with  Greenland  harness,  were 
absolutely  unknown. 

February  4  was  an  eventful  day.  As  usual,  we  all 
came  down  to  the  Pram,  driving  our  empty  sledges,  at 
half-past  six  in  the  morning.  When  the  first  man  got 
to  the  top  of  the  ridge,  he  began  to  wave  his  arms  about 
and  gesticulate  like  a  madman.  I  understood,  of  course, 
that  he  saw  something,  but  what  ?  The  next  man 
gesticulated  even  worse,  and  tried  to  shout  to  me.  But 
it  was  no  use  ;  I  could  not  make  anything  of  it.  Then 
it  was  my  turn  to  go  over  the  ridge,  and,  as  was  natural, 
I  began  to  feel  rather  curious.  I  had  only  a  few  yards 
more  to  go — and  then  it  was  explained.  Along  the 
edge  of  the  ice,  just  to  the  south  of  the  Fram,  a  large 
barque  lay  moored.  We  had  talked  of  the  possibility 
of  meeting  the  Terra  Nova — Captain  Scott's  vessel — 
when  she  was  on  her  way  to  King  Edward  VII.  Land  ; 
but  it  was  a  great  surprise  all  the  same.  Now  it  was  my 
turn  to  wave  my  arms,  and  I  am  sure  I  did  it  no  worse 
than  the  two  first.  And  the  same  thing  was  repeated 
with  all  of  us,  as  soon  as  each  one  reached  the  top  of  the 
ridge.  What  the  last  man  did  I  have  never  been  able 


204  ON  THE  BARRIER 

to  find  out  for  certain — but  no  doubt  he  waved  his  arms 
too.  If  a  stranger  had  stood  and  watched  us  that 
morning  on  the  ridge,  he  would  surely  have  taken  us  for 
a  lot  of  incurable  lunatics.  The  way  seemed  long  that 
day,  but  at  last  we  got  there  and  heard  the  full  explana- 
tion. The  Terra  Nova  had  come  in  at  midnight.  Our 
watchman  had  just  gone  below  for  a  cup  of  coffee- 
there  was  no  harm  in  that — and  when  he  came  up  again, 
there  was  another  ship  lying  off  the  foot  of  the  Barrier. 
He  rubbed  his  eyes,  pinched  his  leg,  and  tried  other 
means  of  convincing  himself  that  he  was  asleep,  but 
it  was  no  good.  The  pinch  especially,  he  told  us  after- 
wards, was  horribly  painful,  and  all  this  led  him  to  the 
conclusion  that  there  really  was  a  second  vessel  there. 

Lieutenant  Campbell,  the  leader  of  the  eastern  party, 
which  was  to  explore  King  Edward  VII.  Land,  came 
on  board  first,  and  paid  Nilsen  a  visit.  He  brought  the 
news  that  they  had  not  been  able  to  reach  land,  and 
were  now  on  their  way  back  to  McMurdo  Sound. 
From  thence  it  was  their  intention  to  go  to  Cape  North 
and  explore  the  land  there.  Immediately  after  my 
arrival  Lieutenant  Campbell  came  on  board  again  and 
gave  me  the  news  himself. 

We  then  loaded  our  sledges  and  drove  home.  At 
nine  o'clock  we  had  the  great  pleasure  of  receiving 
Lieutenant  Pennell,  the  commander  of  the  Terra  Nova, 
Lieutenant  Campbell,  and  the  surgeon  of  the  expedi- 
tion, as  the  first  guests  in  our  new  home.  We  spent 


THE  "TERRA  NOVA"  LEAVES    205 

a  couple  of  very  agreeable  hours  together.  Later  in 
the  day  three  of  us  paid  a  visit  to  the  Terra  Nova, 
and  stayed  on  board  to  lunch.  Our  hosts  were  ex-  , 
tremely  kind,  and  offered  to  take  our  mail  to  New 
Zealand.  If  I  had  had  time,  I  should  have  been  glad 
to  avail  myself  of  this  friendly  offer,  but  every  hour  was 
precious.  It  was  no  use  to  think  of  writing  now. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Terra  Nova  cast 
off  again,  and  left  the  Bay  of  Whales.  We  made  a 
strange  discovery  after  this  visit.  Nearly  all  of  us  had 
caught  cold.  It  did  not  last  long — only  a  few  hours — 
and  then  it  was  over.  The  form  it  took  was  sneezing  \> 
and  cold  in  the  head. 

The    next    day — Sunday,    February   5  —  the   "sea      / 
rovers,"  as  we  called  the  Pram  party,  were  our  guests.     J 
We  had  to  have  them  in  two  detachments,  as  they 
could  not  all  leave  the  ship  at  the  same  time.     Four 
came  to  dinner  and  six  to  supper.     We  had  not  much 
to  offer,  but  we  invited  them,  not  so  much  for  the  sake 
of  the  entertainment  as  to  show  them  our  new  home  and 
wish  them  a  successful  voyage. 


CHAPTER  VI 

DEPOT    JOURNEYS 

THERE  was  now  too  little  work  for  eight  of  us  in 
bringing  up  stores  from  the  Fram,  and  it  became 
evident  that  some  of  us  might  be  more  usefully  em- 
ployed elsewhere.  It  was  therefore  decided  that  four 
men  should  bring  ashore  the  little  that  remained,  while 
the  other  four  went  southward  to  lat.  80°  S.,  partly  to 
explore  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  partly  to 
begin  the  transport  of  provisions  to  the  south.  This 
arrangement  gave  us  all  enough  to  do.  The  four  who 
were  to  continue  the  work  at  the  station — Wisting, 
Hassel,  Stubberud,  and  Bjaaland — now  had  as  much 
as  their  sledges  could  carry.  The  rest  of  us  were  busy 
getting  ready.  For  that  matter,  everything  was  pre- 
pared in  advance,  but  as  yet  we  had  had  no  experience 
of  a  long  journey.  That  was  what  we  were  going  to 
get  now. 

Our  departure  was  fixed  for  Friday,  February  10. 
On  the  9th  I  went  on  board  to  say  good-bye,  as  pre- 
sumably the  Fram  would  have  sailed  when  we  came 
back.  I  had  so  much  to  thank  all  these  plucky  fellows 

206 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  "  FRAM  "         207 

for.  I  knew  it  was  hard  for  all  of  them — almost  with- 
out exception — to  have  to  leave  us  now,  at  the  most 
interesting  time,  and  go  out  to  sea  to  battle  for  months 
with  cold  and  darkness,  ice  and  storms,  and  then  have 
the  same  voyage  over  again  the  next  year  when  they 
came  to  fetch  us.  It  was  certainly  a  hard  task,  but 
none  of  them  complained.  They  had  all  promised  to 
do  their  best  to  promote  our  common  object,  and  there- 
fore all  went  about  their  duty  without  grumbling.  I 
left  written  orders  with  the  commander  of  the  Pram, 
Captain  Nilsen.  The  substance  of  these  orders  may  be 
given  in  a  few  words  :  Carry  out  our  plan  in  the  way 
you  may  think  best.  I  knew  the  man  I  was  giving 
orders  to.  A  more  capable  and  honourable  second  in 
command  I  could  never  have  had.  I  knew  that  the 
Pram  was  safe  in  his  hands. 

Lieutenant  Prestrud  and  I  made  a  trip  to  the  south 
to  find  a  suitable  place  for  ascending  the  Barrier  on 
the  other  side  of  the  bay.  The  sea-ice  was  fairly  even 
for  this  distance ;  only  a  few  cracks  here  and  there. 
Farther  up  the  bay  there  were,  curiously  enough,  long 
rows  of  old  hummocks.  What  could  this  mean  ?  This 
part  was  really  quite  protected  from  the  sea,  so  that 
these  formations  could  not  be  attributed  to  its  action. 
We  hoped  to  have  an  opportunity  of  investigating  the 
conditions  more  closely  later  on  ;  there  was  no  time  for 
it  now.  The  shortest  and  most  direct  way  to  the  south 
was  the  one  we  were  on  now.  The  bay  was  not  wide 


208  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

here.  The  distance  from  Framheim  to  this  part  of  the 
Barrier  was  about  three  miles.  The  ascent  of  the  Barrier 
was  not  difficult ;  with  the  exception  of  a  few  fissures  it 
was  quite  easy.  It  did  not  take  long  to  get  up,  except 
perhaps  in  the  steepest  part.  The  height  was  60  feet. 
It  was  quite  exciting  to  go  up ;  what  should  we  see  at 
the  top  ?  We  had  never  yet  had  a  real  uninterrupted 
view  over  the  Barrier  to  the  south  ;  this  was  the  first 
time.  As  it  happened,  we  were  not  surprised  at  what 
we  saw  when  we  got  up — an  endless  plain,  that  was  lost 
in  the  horizon  on  the  extreme  south.  Our  course,  we 
could  see,  would  take  us  just  along  the  side  of  the  ridge 
before  mentioned — a  capital  mark  for  later  journeys. 
The  going  was  excellent ;  a  thin  layer  of  conveniently 
loose  snow  was  spread  over  a  hard  under-surface,  and 
made  it  very  suitable  for  skiing.  The  lie  of  the  ground 
told  us  at  once  that  we  had  the  right  pattern  of  ski— 
the  kind  for  level  ground,  long  and  narrow.  We  had 
found  what  we  wanted — an  ascent  for  our  southern 
journeys  and  an  open  road.  This  spot  was  afterwards 
marked  with  a  flag,  and  went  by  the  name  of  "  the  start- 
ing-place." On  the  way  back,  as  on  the  way  out,  we 
passed  large  herds  of  seals,  lying  asleep.  They  did  not 
take  the  least  notice  of  us.  If  we  went  up  and  woke 
them,  they  just  raised  their  heads  a  little,  looked  at  us 
for  a  moment,  and  then  rolled  over  on  the  other  side 
and  went  to  sleep  again.  It  was  very  evident  that 
these  animals  here  on  the  ice  have  no  enemies.  They 


PRESTRUD    IN   WINTER    DRESS. 


BJAALAND    IN    WINTER   DRESS. 


To  face  page  208,  Vol. 


THE  "FRAM"  VETERAN,  LINDSTROM  :    THE  ONLY  MAN  WHO  HAS  SAILED 

ROUND    THE    CONTINENT    OF    AMERICA. 


THE    START    OF    THE    FIRST    DEPOT    JOURNEY. 


To  face  page  208,  Vol.  I. 


FIRST  SOUTHERN  TRIP  209 

would  certainly  have  set  a  watch,  as  their  brothers  in 
the  North  do,  if  they  had  had  anything  to  fear. 

On  this  day  we  used  skin  clothing  for  the  first  time — 
reindeer-skin  clothes  of  Eskimo  cut — but  they  proved  to 
be  too  warm.  We  had  the  same  experience  later.  In 
low  temperatures  these  reindeer  clothes  are  beyond 
comparison  the  best,  but  here  in  the  South  we  did  not 
as  a  rule  have  low  temperatures  on  our  sledge  journeys. 
On  the  few  occasions  when  we  experienced  any  cold  \^ 
worth  talking  about,  we  were  always  in  skins.  When 
we  returned  in  the  evening  after  our  reconnoitring,  we 
had  no  need  of  a  Turkish  bath. 

On  February  10,  at  9.30  a.m.,  the  first  expedition  left 
for  the  South.  We  were  four  men,  with  three  sledges 
and  eighteen  dogs,  six  for  each  sledge.  The  load 
amounted  to  about  550  pounds  of  provisions  per  sledge, 
besides  the  provisions  and  outfit  for  the  journey.  We 
could  not  tell,  even  approximately,  how  long  the  journey 
would  take,  as  everything  was  unknown.  The  chief 
thing  we  took  on  our  sledges  was  dogs'  pemmican  for  the 
depot,  350  pounds  per  sledge.  We  also  took  a  quantity 
of  seal  meat  cut  into  steaks,  blubber,  dried  fish,  choco- 
late, margarine,  and  biscuits.  We  had  ten  long  bamboo 
poles,  with  black  flags,  to  mark  the  way.  The  rest 
of  our  outfit  consisted  of  two  three-man  tents,  four 
one-man  sleeping-bags,  and  the  necessary  cooking 
utensils. 

The  dogs  were  very  willing,  and  we  left  Framheim 

VOL.  i.  14 


210  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

at  full  gallop.  Along  the  Barrier  we  went  well.  Going 
down  to  the  sea-ice  we  had  to  pass  through  a  number  of 
big  hummocks — a  fairly  rough  surface.  Nor  was  this 
without  consequences ;  first  one  sledge,  then  another, 
swung  round.  But  no  harm  was  done  ;  we  got  our 
gear  tested,  and  that  is  always  an  advantage.  We  also 
had  to  pass  rather  near  several  large  groups  of  seals, 
and  the  temptation  was  too  great.  Away  went  the 
dogs  to  one  side  in  full  gallop  towards  the  seals.  But 
this  time  the  load  was  heavy,  and  they  were  soon  tired 
of  the  extra  work.  In  the  bay  we  were  in  sight  of  the 
From.  The  ice  had  now  given  way  entirely,  so  that 
she  lay  close  to  the  Barrier  itself.  Our  four  comrades, 
who  were  to  stay  at  home,  accompanied  us.  In  the 
first  place,  they  wanted  to  see  us  on  our  way,  and  in  the 
second,  they  would  be  able  to  lend  us  a  hand  in  getting 
up  the  Barrier,  for  we  were  rather  apprehensive  that  it 
would  cost  us  a  wet  shirt.  Finally,  they  were  to  hunt 
seals.  There  was  plenty  of  opportunity  here  ;  where- 
ever  one  looked  there  were  seals — fat  heavy  beasts. 

I  had  put  the  home  party  under  Wisting's  command, 
and  given  them  enough  work  to  do.  They  were  to  bring 
up  the  remainder  of  the  stores  from  the  ship,  and  to 
build  a  large,  roomy  pent- house  against  the  western 
wall  of  the  hut,  so  that  we  should  not  have  to  go 
directly  on  to  the  ice  from  the  kitchen.  We  also  in- 
tended to  use  this  as  a  carpenter's  workshop.  But  they 
were  not  to  forget  the  seal-hunting,  early  and  late.  It 


ORDER  OF  MARCH  211 

was  important  to  us  to  get  seals  enough  to  enable  us 
all,  men  and  dogs,  to  live  in  plenty.  And  there  were 
enough  to  be  had.  If  we  ran  short  of  fresh  meat  in  the 
course  of  the  winter,  it  would  be  entirely  our  own  fault. 

It  was  a  good  thing  we  had  help  for  the  climb. 
Short  as  it  was,  it  caused  us  a  good  deal  of  trouble ; 
but  we  had  dogs  enough,  and  by  harnessing  a  sufficient 
number  we  got  the  sledges  up.  I  should  like  to  know 
what  they  thought  on  board.  They  could  see  we  were 
already  hard  put  to  it  to  get  up  here.  What  would  it 
be  like  when  we  had  to  get  on  to  the  plateau  ?  I  do 
not  know  whether  they  thought  of  the  old  saying : 
Practice  makes  perfect. 

We  halted  at  the  starting-place,  where  we  were  to 
separate  from  our  comrades.  None  of  us  was  parti- 
cularly sentimental.  An  honest  shake  of  the  hand,  and 
so  "  Good-bye."  The  order  of  our  march  was  as  follows  : 
Prestrud  first  on  ski,  to  show  the  direction  and  en- 
courage the  dogs.  We  always  went  better  with  some- 
one going  in  front.  Next  came  Helmer  Hanssen.  He 
kept  this  place  on  all  our  journeys— the  leading  sledge. 
I  knew  him  well  from  our  previous  work  together,  and 
regarded  him  as  the  most  efficient  dog-driver  I  had  met. 
He  carried  the  standard  compass  on  his  sledge  and 
checked  Prestrud's  direction.  After  him  came  Johan- 
sen,  also  with  a  compass.  Lastly,  I  came,  with 
sledge-meter  and  compass.  I  preferred  to  take  the 
last  sledge  because  it  enabled  me  to  see  what  was 


212  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

happening.  However  careful  one  may  be,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  avoid  dropping  things  from  sledges  in  making  a 
journey.  If  the  last  man  keeps  a  lookout  for  such 
things,  great  inconvenience  may  often  be  avoided.  I 
could  mention  many  rather  important  things  that  were 
dropped  in  the  course  of  our  journeys  and  picked  up 
again  by  the  last  man.  The  hardest  work,  of  course, 
falls  on  the  first  man.  He  has  to  open  up  the  road  and 
drive  his  dogs  forward,  while  we  others  have  only  to 
follow.  All  honour,  then,  to  the  man  who  performed  this 
task  from  the  first  day  to  the  last — Helmer  Hanssen. 

The  position  of  the  "  forerunner  "  is  not  a  very  enviable 
one  either.  Of  course  he  escapes  all  bother  with  dogs, 
but  it  is  confoundedly  tedious  to  walk  there  alone, 
staring  at  nothing.  His  only  diversion  is  a  shout  from 
the  leading  sledge :  "  A  little  to  the  right,"  "  A  little  to  the 
left."  It  is  not  so  much  these  simple  words  that  divert 
him  as  the  tone  in  which  they  are  called.  Now  and 
then  the  cry  comes  in  a  way  that  makes  him  feel  he  is 
acquitting  himself  well.  But  sometimes  it  sends  a  cold 
shiver  down  his  back ;  the  speaker  might  just  as  well 
have  added  the  word  "  Duffer  !" — there  is  no  mistaking 
his  tone.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  go  straight  on  a  surface 
without  landmarks.  Imagine  an  immense  plain  that 
you  have  to  cross  in  thick  fog  ;  it  is  dead  calm,  and  the 
snow  lies  evenly,  without  drifts.  What  would  you  do  ? 
An  Eskimo  can  manage  it,  but  none  of  us.  We  should 
turn  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  and  give  the  leading  dog- 


ON  THE  WAY  SOUTH  213 

driver  with  the  standard  compass  endless  trouble.  It  is 
strange  how  this  affects  the  mind.  Although  the  man 
with  the  compass  knows  quite  well  that  the  man  in 
front  cannot  do  any  better,  and  although  he  knows  that 
he  could  not  do  better  himself,  he  nevertheless  "gets 
irritated  in  time  and  works  himself  into  the  belief  that 
the  unsuspecting,  perfectly  innocent  leader  only  takes 
these  turns  to  annoy  him  ;  and  so,  as  I  have  said,  the 
words  "  A  little  to  the  left "  imply  the  unspoken  addition 
—perfectly  understood  on  both  sides — •"  Duffer !"  I  have  L<~- 
personal  experience  of  both  duties.  With  the  dog- 
driver  time  passes  far  more  quickly.  He  has  his  dogs 
to  look  after,  and  has  to  see  that  all  are  working  and 
none  shirking.  Many  other  points  about  a  team  claim 
his  attention,  and  he  must  always  keep  an  eye  on  the 
sledge  itself.  If  he  does  not  do  this,  some  slight  uneven- 
ness  may  throw  the  runners  in  the  air  before  he  knows 
where  he  is.  And  to  right  a  capsized  sledge,  weighing 
about  eight  hundredweight,  is  110  fun.  So,  instead  of 
running  this  risk,  he  gives  his  whole  attention  to  what 
is  before  him. 

From  the  starting-place  the  Barrier  rises  very  slightly, 
until  at  a  cross-ridge  it  passes  into  the  perfect  level. 
Here  on  the  ridge  we  halt  once  more.  Our  comrades 
have  disappeared  and  gone  to  their  work,  but  in  the 
distance  the  Fram  lies,  framed  in  shining,  blue-white 
ice.  We  are  but  human  ;  uncertainty  always  limits  our 
prospect.  Shall  we  meet  again  ?  And  if  so,  under 


214  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

what  conditions  ?  Much  lay  between  that  moment  and 
the  next  time  we  should  see  her.  The  mighty  ocean 
on  one  side,  and  the  unknown  region  of  ice  on  the  other ; 
so  many  things  might  happen.  Her  flag  floats  out, 
waves  us  a  last  adieu,  and  disappears.  We  are  on  our 
way  to  the  South. 

This  first  inland  trip  on  the  Barrier  was  undeniably 
exciting.  The  ground  was  absolutely  unknown,  and 
our  outfit  untried.  What  kind  of  country  should  we 
have  to  deal  with  ?  Would  it  continue  in  this  bound- 
less plain  without  hindrance  of  any  kind  ?  Or  would 
Nature  present  insurmountable  difficulties  ?  Were  we 
right  in  supposing  that  dogs  were  the  best  means  of 
transport  in  these  regions,  or  should  we  have  done  better 
to  take  reindeer,  ponies,  motor-cars,  aeroplanes,  or  any- 
thing else  ?  We  went  forward  at  a  rattling  pace  ;  the 
going  was  perfect.  The  dogs'  feet  trod  on  a  thin  layer 
of  loose  snow,  just  enough  to  give  them  a  secure  hold. 

The  weather  conditions  were  not  quite  what  we  should 
have  wished  in  an  unknown  country.  It  is  true  that  it 
was  calm  and  mild,  and  altogether  pleasant  for  travelling, 
but  the  light  was  not  good.  A  grey  haze,  the  most  un- 
pleasant kind  of  light  after  fog,  lay  upon  the  land- 
scape, making  the  Barrier  and  the  sky  merge  into  one. 
There  was  no  horizon  to  be  seen.  This  grey  haze,  pre- 
sumably a  younger  sister  of  fog,  is  extremely  disagree- 
able. One  can  never  be  certain  of  one's  surroundings. 
There  are  no  shadows  ;  everything  looks  the  same.  In 


TRIALS  OF  HAZY  WEATHER         215 

a  light  like  this  it  is  a  bad  thing  to  be  the  forerunner  ; 
he  does  not  see  the  inequalities  of  the  ground  until 
too  late — until  he  is  right  on  them.  This  often  ends 
in  a  fall,  or  in  desperate  efforts  to  keep  on  his  feet. 
It  is  better  for  the  drivers,  they  can  steady  themselves 
with  a  hand  on  the  sledge.  But  they  also  have  to  be 
on  the  lookout  for  inequalities,  and  see  that  the  sledges 
do  not  capsize.  This  light  is  also  very  trying  to  the 
eyes,  and  one  often  hears  of  snow-blindness  after  such  a 
day.  The  cause  of  this  is  not  only  that  one  strains  one's 
eyes  continually;  it  is  also  brought  about  by  carelessness. 
One  is  very  apt  to  push  one's  snow-goggles  up  on  to  one's 
forehead,  especially  if  they  are  fitted  with  dark  glasses. 
However,  we  always  came  through  it  very  well ;  only  a 
few  of  us  had  a  little  touch  of  this  unpleasant  complaint. 
Curiously  enough,  snow-blindness  has  something  in 
common  with  seasickness.  If  you  ask  a  man  whether 
he  is  seasick,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  he  will  answer : 
"  No,  not  at  all — only  a  little  queer  in  the  stomach." 
It  is  the  same,  in  a  slightly  different  way,  with  snow- 
blindness.  If  a  man  comes  into  the  tent  in  the  evening 
with  an  inflamed  eye  and  you  ask  him  whether  he  is 
snow-blind,  you  may  be  sure  he  will  be  almost  offended. 
"Snow-blind?  Is  it  likely?  No,  not  at  all,  only  a 
little  queer  about  the  eye." 

We  did  seventeen-niiles*  that  day  without  exertion. 

*  Unless  otherwise  stated,  "miles"  means  English  statute  miles. 
— TR. 


216  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

We  had  two  tents,  and  slept  two  in  a  tent.  These  tents 
were  made  for  three  men,  but  were  too  small  for  four. 
Cooking  was  only  done  in  one,  both  for  the  sake  of 
economy,  so  that  we  might  leave  more  at  the  depot, 
and  because  it  was  unnecessary,  as  the  weather  was  still 
quite  mild. 

On  this  first  trip,  as  on  all  the  depot  journeys,  our 
morning  arrangements  took  far  too  long.  We  began 
to  get  ready  at  four,  but  were  not  on  the  road  till  nearly 
eight.  I  was  always  trying  some  means  of  remedying 
this,  but  without  success.  It  will  naturally  be  asked, 
What  could  be  the  cause  of  this  ?  and  I  will  answer 
candidly — it  was  dawdling  and  nothing  else.  On  these 
depot  journeys  it  did  not  matter  so  much,  but  on  the 
main  journey  we  had  to  banish  dawdling  relentlessly. 

Next  day  we  did  the  allotted  seventeen  miles  in  six 
hours,  and  pitched  our  camp  early  in  the  afternoon. 
The  dogs  were  rather  tired,  as  it  had  been  uphill  work 
all  day.  To-day,  from  a  distance  of  twenty-eight  miles, 
we  could  look  down  into  the  Bay  of  Whales  ;  this  shows 
that  we  had  ascended  considerably.  We  estimated  our 
camp  that  evening  to  be  500  feet  above  the  sea.  We 
were  astonished  at  this  rise,  but  ought  not  to  have  been 
so  really,  since  we  had  already  estimated  this  ridge  at 
500  feet  when  we  first  saw  it  from  the  end  of  the  bay. 
But  however  it  may  be,  most  of  us  have  a  strong  pro- 
pensity for  setting  up  theories  and  inventing  something 
new.  What  others  have  seen  does  not  interest  us,  and 


IMAGINARY  LAND  217 

on  this  occasion  we  took  the  opportunity — I  say  we, 
because  I  was  one  of  them — of  propounding  a  new 
theory — that  of  an  evenly  advancing  ice-slope  from  the 
Antarctic  plateau.  We  saw  ourselves  in  our  mind's  eye 
ascending  gradually  to  the  top,  and  thus  avoiding  a 
steep  and  laborious  climb  among  the  mountains. 

The  day  had  been  very  warm,  +12-2°  F.,  and  I  had 
been  obliged  to  throw  off  everything  except  the  most 
necessary  underclothes.  My  costume  may  be  guessed 
from  the  name  I  gave  to  the  ascent — Singlet  Hill. 
There  was  a  thick  fog  when  we  turned  out  next  morn- 
ing, exceedingly  unpleasant.  Here  every  inch  was 
over  virgin  ground,  and  we  had  to  do  it  blindly.  That 
day  we  had  a  feeling  of  going  downhill.  At  one  o'clock 
land  was  reported  right  ahead.  From  the  gesticulations 
of  those  in  front  I  made  out  that  it  must  be  uncommonly 
big.  I  saw  absolutely  nothing,  but  that  was  not  very 
surprising.  My  sight  is  not  specially  good,  and  the  land 
did  not  exist. 

The  fog  lifted,  and  the  surface  looked  a  little  broken. 
The  imaginary  land  lasted  till  the  next  day,  when  we 
found  out  that  it  had  only  been  a  descending  bank 
of  fog.  That  day  we  put  on  the  pace,  and  did  twenty- 
five  miles  instead  of  our  usual  seventeen.  We  were 
very  lightly  clad.  There  could  be  no  question  of  skins  ; 
they  were  laid  aside  at  once.  Very  light  wind-clothing 
was  all  we  wore  over  our  underclothes.  On  this 
journey  most  of  us  slept  barelegged  in  the  sleeping- 


218  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

bags.  Next  day  we  were  surprised  by  brilliantly  clear 
weather  and  a  dead  calm.  For  the  first  time  we  had  a 
good  view.  Towards  the  south  the  Barrier  seemed  to 
continue,  smooth  and  even,  without  ascending.  Towards 
the  east,  on  the  other  hand,  there  was  a  marked  rise — 
presumably  towards  King  Edward  VII.  Land,  we 
thought  then.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  we  passed 
the  first  fissure  we  had  met  with.  It  had  apparently 
been  filled  up  long  ago.  Our  distance  that  day  was 
twenty-three  miles. 

On  these  depot  journeys  we  were  always  very  glad  of 
our  Thermos  flasks.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  we  made 
a  halt,  and  took  a  cup  of  scalding  hot  chocolate,  and  it 
was  very  pleasant  to  be  able  to  get  one  without  any 
trouble  in  the  middle  of  the  snow  plateau.  On  the  final 
southern  journey  we  did  not  take  Thermos  flasks.  We 
had  no  lunch  then. 

On  February  14,  after  a  march  of  eleven  and  a  half 
miles,  we  reached  80°  S.  Unfortunately  we  did  not 
succeed  in  getting  any  astronomical  observation  on  this 
trip,  as  the  theodolite  we  had  brought  with  us  went 
wrong,  but  later  observations  on  several  occasions  gave 
79°  59'  S.  Not  so  bad  in  fog.  We  had  marked  out  the 
route  up  to  this  point  with  bamboo  poles  and  flags  at 
every  15  kilometres.  Now,  as  we  had  not  fixed  the 
position  by  astronomical  observation,  we  found  that  the 
flags  would  not  be  sufficient,  and  we  had  to  look  for 
some  other  means  of  marking  the  spot.  A  few  empty 


THE  FIRST  DEPOT  219 

cases  were  broken  up  and  gave  a  certain  number  of 
marks,  but  not  nearly  enough.  Then  our  eyes  fell  upon 
a  bundle  of  dried  fish  lying  on  one  of  the  sledges,  and 
our  marking  pegs  were  found.  1  should  like  to  know 
whether  any  road  has  been  marked  out  with  dried  fish 
before ;  I  doubt  it.  Immediately  on  our  arrival  in 
lat.  80° — at  eleven  in  the  morning — we  began  to  erect  the 
depot.  It  was  made  quite  solid,  and  was  12  feet  high. 
The  going  here  in  80°  was  quite  different  from  what  we 
had  had  all  the  rest  of  the  way.  Deep,  loose  snow  every- 
where gave  us  the  impression  that  it  must  have  fallen 
in  perfectly  still  weather.  Generally  when  we  passed 
by  here — but  not  always — we  found  this  loose  snow. 

When  the  depot  was  finished  and  had  been  photo- 
graphed, we  threw  ourselves  on  the  sledges  and  began 
the  homeward  journey.  It  was  quite  a  treat  to  sit  and 
be  drawn  along,  a  thing  that  otherwise  never  happened. 
Prestrud  sat  with  me.  Hanssen  drove  first,  but  as  he 
now  had  the  old  track  to  follow,  he  wanted  no  one 
in  front.  On  the  last  sledge  we  had  the  marking  pegs. 
Prestrud  kept  an  eye  on  the  sledge-meter,  and  sang  out 
at  every  half-kilometre,  while  at  the  same  time  I  stuck 
a  dried  fish  into  the  snow.  This  method  of  marking  the 
route  proved  a  brilliant  one.  Not  only  did  the  dried 
fish  show  us  the  right  way  on  several  occasions,  but  they 
also  came  in  very  useful  on  the  next  journey,  when  we 
returned  with  starving  dogs.  That  day  we  covered 
forty-three  miles.  We  did  not  get  to  bed  till  one  o'clock 


220  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

at  night,  but  this  did  not  prevent  our  being  up  again  at 
four  and  off  at  half-past  seven.  At  half-past  nine  in  the 
evening  we  drove  into  Framheim,  after  covering  sixty- 
two  miles  that  day.  Our  reason  for  driving  that 
distance  was  not  to  set  up  any  record  for  the  Barrier, 
but  to  get  home,  if  possible,  before  the  From  sailed,  and 
thus  have  an  opportunity  of  once  more  shaking  hands 
with  our  comrades  and  wishing  them  a  good  voyage. 
But  as  we  came  over  the  edge  of  the  Barrier  we  saw 
that,  in  spite  of  all  our  pains,  we  had  come  too  late. 
The  Fram  was  not  there.  It  gave  us  a  strange  and 
melancholy  feeling,  not  easy  to  understand.  But  the 
next  moment  common  sense  returned,  and  our  joy  at 
her  having  got  away  from  the  Barrier  undamaged  after 
the  long  stay  was  soon  uppermost.  We  heard  that  she 
had  left  the  bay  at  noon  the  same  day — just  as  we  were 
spurting  our  hardest  to  reach  her. 

This  depot  journey  was  quite  sufficient  to  tell  us  what 
the  future  had  in  store.  After  this  we  were  justified  in 
seeing  it  in  a  rosy  light.  We  now  had  experience  of  the 
three  important  factors — the  lie  of  the  ground,  the 
going,  and  the  means  of  traction — and  the  result  was 
that  nothing  could  be  better.  Everything  was  in  the 
most  perfect  order.  I  had  always  had  a  high  opinion  of 
the  dog  as  a  draught  animal,  but  after  this  last  per- 
formance my  admiration  for  these  splendid  animals  rose  to 
the  pitch  of  enthusiasm.  Let  us  look  at  what  my  dogs 
accomplished  on  this  occasion:  On  February  14  they  went 


LESSONS  OF  THE  TRIP  221 

eleven  miles  southward  with  a  load  of  770  pounds,  and 
on  the  same  day  thirty-two  miles  northward — only 
four  of  them,  the  "  Three  Musketeers  "  and  Lassesen, 
as  Fix  and  Snuppesen  refused  to  do  any  work. 
The  weight  they  started  with  from  80°  S.  was  that 
of  the  sledge,  165  pounds ;  Prestrud,  176  pounds ;  and 
myself,  182  pounds.  Add  to  this  154  pounds  for  sleeping- 
bags,  ski,  and  dried  fish,  and  we  have  a  total  weight  of 
677  pounds,  or  about  170  pounds  per  dog.  The  last  day 
they  did  sixty-two  miles.  I  think  the  dogs  showed  on 
this  occasion  that  they  were  well  suited  for  sledging 
on  the  Barrier. 

In  addition  to  this  brilliant  result,  we  arrived  at 
several  other  conclusions.  In  the  first  place,  the  ques- 
tion of  the  long  time  spent  in  our  morning  preparations 
thrust  itself  on  our  notice  :  this  could  not  be  allowed  to 
occur  on  the  main  journey.  At  least  two  hours  might 
be  saved,  I  had  no  doubt  of  that — but  how  ?  I  should 
have  to  take  time  to  think  it  over.  What  required 
most  alteration  was  our  heavy  outfit.  The  sledges  were 
constructed  with  a  view  to  the  most  difficult  conditions 
of  ground.  The  surface  here  was  of  the  easiest  kind, 
and  consequently  permitted  the  use  of  the  lightest  outfit. 
We  ought  to  be  able  to  reduce  the  weight  of  the  sledges 
by  at  least  half — possibly  more.  Our  big  canvas  ski- 
boots  were  found  to  need  thorough  alteration.  They 
were  too  small  and  too  stiff,  and  had  to  be  made  larger 
and  softer.  Foot-gear  had  such  an  important  bearing 


222  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

on  the  success  of  the  whole  expedition  that  we  had  to  do 
all  that  could  be  done  to  get  it  right. 

The  four  who  had  stayed  at  home  had  accomplished  a 
fine  piece  of  work.  Framheim  was  hardly  recognizable 
with  the  big  new  addition  on  its  western  wall.  This 
pent-house  was  of  the  same  width  as  the  hut — 13  feet — 
and  measured  about  10  feet  the  other  way.  Windows 
had  been  put  in — two  of  them— and  it  looked  quite 
bright  and  pleasant  when  one  came  in ;  but  this  was  not 
to  last  for  long.  Our  architects  had  also  dug  a  passage, 
5  feet  wide,  round  the  whole  hut,  and  this  was  now 
covered  over,  simply  by  prolonging  the  sloping  roof 
down  to  the  snow  to  form  a  roof  over  this  passage. 
On  the  side  facing  east  a  plank  was  fixed  across  the 
gable  at  the  required  height,  and  from  this  boards  were 
brought  down  to  the  snow.  The  lower  part  of  this  new 
extension  of  the  roof  was  well  strengthened,  as  the 
weight  of  snow  that  would  probably  accumulate  upon 
it  in  the  course  of  the  winter  would  be  very  great. 
This  passage  was  connected  with  the  pent-house  by  a 
side-door  in  the  northern  wall.  The  passage  was  con- 
structed to  serve  as  a  place  for  storing  tinned  foods  and 
fresh  meat,  besides  which  its  eastern  end  afforded  an 
excellent  place  to  get  snow  for  melting.  Here 
Lindstrom  could  be  sure  of  getting  as  much  clean  snow 
as  he  wanted,  which  was  an  impossibility  outside  the 
house.  We  had  120  dogs  running  about,  and  they  were 
not  particular  as  to  the  purpose  for  which  we  might 


WINTER  DOG  CAMP  223 

want  the  snow.  But  here  in  this  snow  wall  Lindstrom 
had  no  need  to  fear  the  dogs.  Another  great  advantage 
was  that  he  would  not  have  to  go  out  in  bad  weather, 
darkness,  and  cold,  every  time  he  wanted  a  piece 
of  ice. 

We  now  had  to  turn  our  attention  in  the  first  place, 
before  the  cold  weather  set  in,  to  the  arrangement  of 
our  dog  tents.  We  could  not  leave  them  standing  as  they 
were  on  the  snow ;  if  we  did  so,  we  should  soon  find  that 
dogs'  teeth  are  just  as  sharp  as  knives  ;  besides  which, 
they  would  be  draughty  and  cold  for  the  animals.  To 
counteract  this,  the  floor  of  each  tent  was  sunk  6  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  Barrier.  A  great  part  of  this 
excavation  had  to  be  done  with  axes,  as  we  soon  came 
to  the  bare  ice.  One  of  these  dog  tents,  when  finished, 
had  quite  an  important  appearance,  when  one  stood  at 
the  bottom  and  looked  up.  It  measured  18  feet  from 
the  floor  to  the  peak  of  the  tent,  and  the  diameter 
of  the  floor  was  15  feet.  Then  twelve  posts  were 
driven  into  the  ice  of  the  floor  at  equal  intervals  round 
the  wall  of  the  tent,  and  the  dogs  were  tethered  to 
them.  From  the  very  first  day  the  dogs  took  a  liking 
to  their  quarters,  and  they  were  right,  as  they  were  well 
off  there.  I  do  not  remember  once  seeing  frost-rime 
on  the  coats  of  my  dogs  down  in  the  tent.  They 
enjoyed  every  advantage  there — air,  without  draughts, 
light,  and  sufficient  room.  Round  the  tent-pole  we 
left  a  pillar  of  snow  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  tent 


224  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

to  the  height  of  a  man.  It  took  us  two  days  to  put 
our  eight  dog  tents  in  order. 

Before  the  Fram  sailed  one  of  the  whale-boats  had 
been  put  ashore  on  the  Barrier.  One  never  knew  ;  if 
we  found  ourselves  in  want  of  a  boat,  it  would  be  bad 
to  have  none,  and  if  we  did  not  have  to  use  it,  there 
was  no  great  harm  done.  It  was  brought  up  on  two 
sledges  drawn  by  twelve  dogs,  and  was  taken  some 
distance  into  the  Barrier.  The  mast  stood  high  in  the 
air,  and  showed  us  its  position  clearly. 

Besides  all  their  other  work,  the  four  men  had  found 
time  for  shooting  seals  while  we  were  away,  and  large 
quantities  of  meat  were  now  stowed  everywhere.  We 
had  to  lose  no  time  in  getting  ready  the  tent  in  which 
we  stored  our  chief  supply  of  seal  meat.  It  would  not 
have  lasted  long  if  we  had  left  it  unprotected  on  the 
ground.  To  keep  off  the  dogs,  we  built  a  wall  7  feet  high 
of  large  blocks  of  snow.  The  dogs  themselves  saw  to 
its  covering  with  ice,  and  for  the  time  being  all  possi- 
bility of  their  reaching  the  meat  was  removed. 

We  did  not  let  the  floor  grow  old  under  our  feet ;  it 
was  time  to  be  off  again  to  the  south  with  more  food. 
Our  departure  was  fixed  for  February  22,  and  before 
that  time  we  had  a  great  deal  to  do.  All  the  provisions 
had  first  to  be  brought  from  the  main  depot  and  pre- 
pared for  the  journey.  Then  we  had  to  open  the 
cases  of  pemmican,  take  out  the  boxes  in  which  it  was 
soldered,  four  rations  in  each,  cut  these  open,  and  put 


THE  BOOT  QUESTION  225 

the  four  rations  back  in  the  case  without  the  tin  lining. 
By  doing  this  we  saved  so  much  weight,  and  at  the 
same  time  avoided  the  trouble  of  having  this  work  to 
do  later  on  in  the  cold.  The  tin  packing  was  used  for 
the  passage  through  the  tropics,  where  I  was  afraid  the 
pemmican  might  possibly  melt  and  run  into  the  hold 
of  the  ship.  This  opening  and  repacking  took  a  long 
time,  but  we  got  through  it.  We  used  the  pent-house 
as  a  packing-shed. 

Another  thing  that  took  up  a  good  deal  of  our  time 
was  our  personal  outfit.  The  question  of  boots  was 
gone  into  thoroughly.  Most  of  us  were  in  favour  of 
the  big  outer  boots,  but  in  a  revised  edition.  There 
were  a  few — but  extremely  few — who  declared  for 
nothing  but  soft  foot-gear.  In  this  case  it  did  not 
make  so  much  difference,  since  they  all  knew  that  the 
big  boots  would  have  to  be  brought  on  the  final  journey 
on  account  of  possible  work  on  glaciers.  Those,  there- 
fore, who  wanted  to  wear  soft  foot-gear,  and  hang  their 
boots  on  the  sledge,  might  do  so  if  they  liked.  I  did 
not  want  to  force  anyone  to  wear  boots  he  did  not  care 
for  ;  it  might  lead  to  too  much  unpleasantness  and 
responsibility.  Everyone,  therefore,  might  do  as  he 
pleased.  Personally  I  was  in  favour  of  boots  with  stiff 
soles,  so  long  as  the  uppers  could  be  made  soft  and 
sufficiently  large  to  give  room  for  as  many  stockings  as 
one  wished  to  wear.  It  was  a  good  thing  the  boot- 
maker could  not  look  in  upon  us  at  Framheim  just 

VOL.  i.  15 


226  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

then — and  many  times  afterwards,  for  that  matter. 
The  knife  was  mercilessly  applied  to  all  his  beautiful 
work,  and  all  the  canvas,  plus  a  quantity  of  the 
superfluous  leather,  was  cut  away.  As  I  had  no  great 
knowledge  of  the  shoemaker's  craft,  I  gladly  accepted 
W  is  ting's  offer  to  operate  on  mine.  The  boots  were 
unrecognizable  when  I  got  them  back  from  him.  As 
regards  shape,  they  were  perhaps  just  as  smart  before 
the  alteration,  but  as  that  is  a  very  unimportant  matter 
in  comparison  with  ease  and  comfort,  I  considered  them 
improved  by  many  degrees.  The  thick  canvas  was 
torn  off  and  replaced  by  thin  weather-proof  fabric. 
Big  wedges  were  inserted  in  the  toes,  and  allowed  room 
for  several  more  pairs  of  stockings.  Besides  this,  one 
of  the  many  soles  was  removed,  thus  increasing  the 
available  space.  It  appeared  to  me  that  now  I  had 
foot-gear  that  combined  all  the  qualities  I  demanded— 
stiff  soles,  on  which  Huitfeldt-Hoyer  Ellefsen  ski- 
bindings  could  be  used,  and  otherwise  soft,  so  that 
the  foot  was  not  pinched  anywhere.  In  spite  of  all 
these  alterations,  my  boots  were  once  more  in  the  hands 
of  the  operator  before  the  main  journey,  but  then  they 
were  made  perfect.  The  boots  of  all  the  others  under- 
went the  same  transformation,  and  every  day  our  outfit 
became  more  complete.  A  number  of  minor  alterations 
in  our  wardrobe  were  also  carried  out.  One  man  was 
an  enthusiast  for  blinkers  on  his  cap ;  another  did  not 
care  for  them.  One  put  on  a  nose-protector  ;  another 


SECOND  JOURNEY  227 

took  his  off ;  and  if  there  was  a  question  of  which  was 
right,  each  was  prepared  to  defend  his  idea  to  the  last. 
These  were  all  alterations  of  minor  importance,  but 
being  due  to  individual  judgment,  they  helped  to  raise 
the  spirits  and  increase  self-confidence.  Patents  for 
braces  also  became  the  fashion.  I  invented  one  myself, 
and  was  very  proud  of  it  for  a  time — indeed,  I  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  it  adopted  by  one  of  my  rivals.  But 
that  rarely  happened ;  each  of  us  wanted  to  make  his 
own  inventions,  and  to  be  as  original  as  possible.  Any 
contrivance  that  resembled  something  already  in  use 
was  no  good.  But  we  found,  like  the  farmer,  that  the 
old  way  often  turned  out  to  be  the  best. 

By  the  evening  of  February  21  we  were  again 
ready  to  start.  The  sledges — seven  in  number — stood 
ready  packed,  and  were  quite  imposing  in  appearance. 
Tempted  by  the  favourable  outcome  of  our  former  trip, 
we  put  too  much  on  our  sledges  this  time — on  some 
of  them,  in  any  case.  Mine  was  overloaded.  I  had 
to  suffer  for  it  afterwards — or,  rather,  my  noble 
animals  did. 

On  February  22,  at  8.30  a.m.,  the  caravan  moved 
off — eight  men,  seven  sledges,  and  forty-two  dogs — and 
the  most  toilsome  part  of  our  whole  expedition  began. 
As  usual,  we  began  well  from  Framheim.  Lindstrom, 
who  was  to  stay  at  home  alone  and  look  after  things, 
did  not  stand  and  wave  farewells  to  us.  Beaming  with 
joy,  he  made  for  the  hut  as  soon  as  the  last  sledge  was 


228  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

in  motion.  He  was  visibly  relieved.  But  I  knew  very 
well  that  before  long  he  would  begin  to  take  little 
turns  outside  to  watch  the  ridge.  Would  they  soon  be 
coming  ? 

There  was  a  light  breeze  from  the  south,  dead  against 
us,  and  the  sky  was  overcast.  Newly  fallen  snow  made 
the  going  heavy,  and  the  dogs  had  hard  work  with  their 
loads.  Our  former  tracks  were  no  longer  visible,  but 
we  were  lucky  enough  to  find  the  first  flag,  which  stood 
eleven  miles  inland.  From  there  we  followed  the  dried 
fish,  which  stood  out  sharply  against  the  white  snow 
and  were  very  easy  to  see.  We  pitched  our  camp  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  having  come  a  distance  of 
seventeen  miles.  Our  camp  was  quite  imposing — four 
tents  for  three  men  apiece,  with  two  in  each.  In  two 
of  them  the  housekeeping  arrangements  were  carried 
on.  The  weather  had  improved  during  the  afternoon, 
and  by  evening  we  had  the  most  brilliantly  clear  sky. 

Next  day  the  going  was  even  heavier,  and  the  dogs 
were  severely  tried.  We  did  no  more  than  twelve  and 
a  half  miles  after  eight  hours'  march.  The  temperature 
remained  reasonable,  +5°  F.  We  had  lost  our  dried 
fish,  and  for  the  last  few  hours  were  going  only  by 
compass. 

February  24  began  badly — a  strong  wind  from  the 
south-east,  with  thick  driving  snow.  We  could  see 
nothing,  and  had  to  steer  our  course  by  compass.  It 
was  bitter  going  against  the  wind,  although  the  tern- 


SNOW  AND  FOG  229 

perature  was  no  worse  than  —0'4°  F.  We  went  all  day 
without  seeing  any  mark.  The  snow  stopped  falling 
about  noon,  and  at  three  o'clock  it  cleared.  As  we 
were  looking  about  for  a  place  to  pitch  the  tents,  we 
caught  sight  of  one  of  our  flags.  When  we  reached  it, 
we  found  it  was  flag  No.  5 — all  our  bamboos  were 
numbered,  so  we  knew  the  exact  position  of  the  flag. 
No.  5  was  forty-four  and  a  half  miles  from  Framheim. 
This  agreed  well  with  the  distance  recorded — forty-four 
miles. 

The  next  day  was  calm  and  clear,  and  the  temperature 
began  to  descend,  - 13°  F.  But  in  spite  of  this  lower 
temperature  the  air  felt  considerably  milder,  as  it  was 
quite  still.  We  followed  marks  and  fish  the  whole  way, 
and  at  the  end  of  our  day's  journey  we  had  covered 
eighteen  miles — a  good  distance  for  heavy  going. 

We  then  had  a  couple  of  days  of  bitter  cold  with  fog, 
so  that  we  did  not  see  much  of  our  surroundings.  We 
followed  the  fish  and  the  marks  most  of  the  way.  We 
had  already  begun  to  find  the  fish  useful  as  extra  food  ; 
the  dogs  took  it  greedily.  The  forerunner  had  to  take 
up  each  fish  and  throw  it  on  one  side ;  then  one  of  the 
drivers  went  out,  took  it  up,  and  put  it  on  his  sledge. 
If  the  dogs  had  come  upon  the  fish  standing  in  the 
snow  we  should  soon  have  had  fierce  fights.  Even  now, 
before  we  reached  the  depot  in  80°  S.,  the  dogs  began 
to  show  signs  of  exhaustion,  probably  as  a  result  of  the 
cold  weather  (-16-6°  F.)  and  the  hard  work.  They 


230  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

were  stiff  in  the  legs  in  the  morning  and  difficult  to 
set  going. 

On  February  27,  at  10.30  a.m.,  we  reached  the  depot 
in  80°  S.  The  depot  was  standing  as  we  had  left  it, 
and  no  snow-drifts  had  formed  about  it,  from  which  we 
concluded  that  the  weather  conditions  had  been  quiet. 
The  snow,  which  we  had  found  very  loose  when  we 
were  there  before,  was  now  hardened  by  the  cold.  We 
were  lucky  with  the  sun,  and  got  the  position  of  the 
depot  accurately  determined. 

On  our  way  across  these  endless  plains,  where  no 
landmarks  of  any  kind  are  to  be  found,  we  had  repeatedly 
thought  of  a  means  of  marking  our  depots  so  that  we 
might  be  perfectly  sure  of  finding  them  again.  Our 
fight  for  the  Pole  was  entirely  dependent  on  this  autumn 
work,  in  laying  down  large  supplies  of  provisions  as  far 
to  the  south  as  possible  in  such  a  way  that  we  could  be 
certain  of  finding  them  again.  If  we  missed  them,  the 
battle  would  probably  be  lost.  As  I  have  said,  we  had 
discussed  the  question  thoroughly,  and  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  we  should  have  to  try  to  mark  our  depots 
at  right  angles  to  the  route,  in  an  east  and  west  direc- 
tion, instead  of  in  a  line  with  the  route,  north  and  south. 
These  marks  along  the  line  of  the  route  may  easily  be 
missed  infog,  if  they  are  not  close  enough  together ;  and 
if  one  thus  gets  out  of  the  line,  there  is  a  danger  of  not 
picking  it  up  again.  According  to  this  new  arrange- 
ment we  therefore  marked  this  depot  in  80°  S.  with 


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A   PAGE    FROM    THE    SLEDGE    DIARY,    GIVING   DETAILS    OF   DEPOTS    I.    AND    II. 


To  face  page  230,  Vol.  7. 


SEVERE  COLD  231 

high  bamboo  poles  carrying  black  flags.  We  used 
twenty  of  these — ten  on  each  side  of  the  depot.  Between 
each  two  flags  there  was  a  distance  of  984  yards  (900 
metres),  so  that  the  distance  marked  on  each  side  of  the 
depot  was  five  and  a  half  miles  (nine  kilometres).  Each 
bamboo  was  marked  with  a  number,  so  that  we  should 
always  be  able  to  tell  from  this  number  on  which  side 
the  depot  lay,  and  how  far  off.  This  method  was 
entirely  new  and  untried,  but  proved  afterwards  to 
work  with  absolute  certainty.  Our  compasses  and 
sledge-meters  had,  of  course,  been  carefully  adjusted  at 
the  station,  and  we  knew  that  we  could  rely  on  them 

Having  put  this  in  order,  we  continued  our  journey 
on  the  following  day.  The  temperature  fell  steadily  as 
we  went  inland ;  if  it  continued  in  this  way  it  would  be 
cold  before  one  got  to  the  Pole.  The  surface  remained 
as  before — flat  and  even.  We  ourselves  had  a  feeling 
that  we  were  ascending,  but,  as  the  future  will  show, 
this  was  only  imagination.  We  had  had  no  trouble 
with  fissures,  and  it  almost  looked  as  if  we  should  avoid 
them  altogether,  since,  of  course,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  the  part  of  the  Barrier  nearest  the  edge  would  be 
the  most  fissured,  and  we  had  already  left  that  behind 
us.  South  of  80°  we  found  the  going  easier,  but  the 
dogs  were  now  beginning  to  be  stiff  and  sore-footed, 
and  it  was  hard  work  to  get  them  started  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  sore  feet  I  am  speaking  of  here  are  not  nearly 
so  bad  as  those  the  dogs  are  liable  to  on  the  sea-ice  of 


232  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

the  Arctic  regions.  What  caused  sore  feet  on  this 
journey  was  the  stretches  of  snow-crust  we  had  to  cross ; 
it  was  not  strong  enough  to  bear  the  dogs,  and  they 
broke  through  and  cut  their  paws.  Sore  feet  were  also 
caused  by  the  snow  caking  and  sticking  between  the 
toes.  But  the  dog  that  has  to  travel  on  sea-ice  in  spring 
and  summer  is  exposed  to  worse  things — the  sharp  ice 
cuts  the  paws  and  the  salt  gets  in.  To  prevent  this  kind 
/  of  sore  feet  one  is  almost  obliged  to  put  socks  on  the 
dogs.  With  the  kind  of  foot-trouble  our  dogs  experi- 
enced it  is  not  necessary  to  take  any  such  precautions. 
As  a  result  of  the  long  sea  voyage  their  feet  had  become 
unusually  tender  and  could  not  stand  much.  On  our 
spring  journey  we  noticed  no  sore-footedness,  in  spite  of 
the  conditions  being  worse  rather  than  better  ;  prob- 
ably their  feet  had  got  into  condition  in  the  course  of 
the  winter. 

On  March  3  we  reached  81°  S.  The  temperature 
was  then  -45*4°  F.,  and  it  did  not  feel  pleasant.  The 
change  had  come  too  rapidly ;  this  could  be  seen  both 
in  men  and  in  dogs.  We  pitched  our  camp  at  three  in 
the  afternoon,  and  went  straight  into  the  tents.  The 
following  day  was  employed  in  building  and  marking 
the  depot.  That  night  was  the  coldest  we  observed  on 
the  trip,  as  the  temperature  was  -49°  F.  when  we 
turned  out  in  the  morning.  If  one  compares  the  con- 
ditions of  temperature  in  the  Arctic  and  Antarctic 
regions,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  temperature  is  an 


THE  SECOND  DEPOT  233 

exceptionally  low  one.     The  beginning  of  March  corre- 
sponds, of  course,  to  the  beginning  of  September  in 
the  northern  hemisphere — a  time  of  year  when  summer 
still  prevails.     We  were  astonished  to  find  this  low  tem- 
perature while  summer  ought  still  to  have  lasted,  espe- 
cially when  I  remembered  the  moderate  temperatures 
Shackleton  had  observed  on  his  southern  sledge  journey. 
The  idea  at  once  occurred  to  me  of  the  existence  of  a 
local  pole  of  maximum  cold  extending  over  the  central 
portion  of  the  Ross  Barrier.     A  comparison  with  the 
observations    recorded    at    Captain    Scott's   station   in 
McMurdo  Sound  might  to  some  extent  explain  this. 
In  order  to  establish  it  completely  one  would  require  to 
have  information  about  the  conditions  in  King  Edward 
Land  as  well.     The  observations  Dr.  Mawson  is  now 
engaged  upon  in  Adelie  Land  and  on  the  Barrier  farther 
west  will  contribute  much  to  the  elucidation  of  this 
question. 

In  81°  S.  we  laid  down  a  depot  consisting  of  fourteen 
cases  of  dogs'  pemmican — 1,234  pounds.  For  marking 
this  depot  we  had  no  bamboo  poles,  so  there  was  nothing 
to  be  done  but  to  break  up  some  cases  and  use  the 
pieces  as  marks ;  this  was,  at  any  rate,  better  than 
nothing.  Personally,  I  considered  these  pieces  of  wood, 
2  feet  high,  good  enough,  considering  the  amount  of 
precipitation  I  had  remarked  since  our  arrival  in  these 
regions.  The  precipitation  we  had  observed  was  very 
slight,  considering  the  time  of  year — spring  and  summer. 


234  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

If,  then,  the  snowfall  was  so  inconsiderable  at  this  time 
of  the  year  and  along  the  edge  of  the  Barrier,  what 
might  it  not  be  in  autumn  and  winter  in  the  interior  ? 
As  I  have  said,  something  was  better  than  nothing,  and 
Bjaaland,  Hassel,  and  Stubberud,  who  were  to  return 
to  Lindstrom's  flesh-pots  on  the  following  day,  were 
given  the  task  of  setting  up  these  marks.  As  with  the 
former  depot,  this  one  was  marked  for  nine  kilometres 
on  each  side  from  east  to  west.  So  that  we  might  know 
where  the  depot  was,  in  case  we  should  come  upon  one 
of  these  marks  in  a  fog,  all  those  on  the  east  were 
marked  with  a  little  cut  of  an  axe.  I  must  confess  they 
looked  insignificant,  these  little  bits  of  wood  that  were 
soon  lost  to  sight  on  the  boundless  plain,  and  the  idea 
that  they  held  the  key  of  the  castle  where  the  fair  one 
slept  made  me  smile.  They  looked  altogether  too  incon- 
siderable for  such  an  honour.  Meanwhile,  we  others, 
who  were  to  go  on  to  the  south,  took  it  easy.  The  rest 
was  good  for  the  dogs  especially,  though  the  cold  pre- 
vented their  enjoying  it  as  they  should  have  done. 

At  eight  o'clock  next  morning  we  parted  company 
with  the  three  who  went  north.  I  had  to  send  home 
one  of  my  dogs,  Odin,  who  had  got  an  ugly  raw  place 
— I  was  using  Greenland  harness  on  him — and  I  went 
on  with  five  dogs.  These  were  very  thin,  and  apparently 
worn  out ;  but  in  any  case  we  had  to  reach  82°  S. 
before  we  gave  up.  I  had  had  some  hope  that  we 
might  have  got  to  83°,  but  it  began  to  look  as  if  we 


CREVASSED  SURFACE  235 

had  a  poor  chance  of  that.  After  81°  S.  the  Barrier 
began  to  take  on  a  slightly  different  appearance : 
instead  of  the  absolutely  flat  surface,  we  saw  on  the 
first  day  a  good  many  small  formations  of  the  shape 
of  haycocks.  At  that  time  we  did  not  pay  much 
attention  to  these  apparently  insignificant  irregularities, 
but  later  on  we  learned  to  keep  our  eyes  open  and  our 
feet  active  when  passing  in  their  vicinity.  On  this  first 
day  southward  from  81°  S.  we  noticed  nothing ;  the 
going  was  excellent,  the  temperature  not  so  bad  as  it  had 
been,  —27*4°  F.,  and  the  distance  covered  very  credit- 
able. The  next  day  we  got  our  first  idea  of  the  mean- 
ing of  these  little  mounds,  as  the  surface  was  cut  up  by 
crevasse  after  crevasse.  These  fissures  were  not  particu- 
larly wide,  but  were  bottomless,  as  far  as  we  could  see. 
About  noon  Hanssen's  three  leading  dogs,  Helge, 
Mylius,  and  Ring,  fell  into  one  of  them,  and  remained 
hanging  by  their  harness  ;  and  it  was  lucky  the  traces 
held,  as  the  loss  of  these  three  would  have  been  severely 
felt.  When  the  rest  of  the  team  saw  these  three  dis- 
appear, they  stopped  short.  Fortunately,  they  had  a 
pronounced  fear  of  these  fissures,  and  always  stopped 
when  anything  happened.  We  understood  now  that 
the  haycock  formations  were  the  result  of  pressure,  and 
that  crevasses  were  always  found  in  their  neighbourhood. 
That  day  was  for  the  most  part  thick  and  hazy,  with 
a  northerly  wind,  and  snow- showers  from  time  to  time. 
Between  the  showers  we  caught  sight  of  lofty — very 


236  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

lofty — pressure  ridges,  three  or  four  of  them,  to  the 
eastward.  We  estimated  their  distance  at  about  six 
miles.  Next  day,  March  7,  we  had  the  same  experience 
that  Shackleton  mentions  on  several  occasions.  The 
morning  began  clear  and  fine,  with  a  temperature  of 
—  40°  F.  In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  a  breeze  sprang 
up  from  the  south-east,  and  increased  to  a  gale  during 
the  afternoon.  The  temperature  rose  rapidly,  and  when 
we  pitched  our  camp  at  three  in  the  afternoon  it  was 
only  —0*4°  F.  At  our  camping-place  that  morning  we 
left  a  case  of  dogs'  pemmican,  for  use  on  the  homeward 
journey,  and  marked  the  way  to  the  south  with  splin- 
ters of  board  at  every  kilometre.  Our  distance  that 
day  was  only  twelve  and  a  half  miles.  Our  dogs, 
especially  mine,  looked  miserable — terribly  emaciated. 
It  was  clear  that  they  could  only  reach  82°  S.  at  the 
farthest.  Even  then  the  homeward  journey  would  be 
a  near  thing. 

We  decided  that  evening  to  be  satisfied  with  reach- 
ing 82°,  and  then  return.  During  this  latter  part  of 
the  trip  we  put  up  our  two  tents  front  to  front,  so  that 
the  openings  joined ;  in  this  way  we  were  able  to  send 
the  food  direct  from  one  tent  to  the  other  without 
going  outside,  and  that  was  a  great  advantage.  This 
circumstance  led  to  a  radical  alteration  in  our  camping 
system,  and  gave  us  the  idea  of  the  best  five-man  tent 
that  has  probably  yet  been  seen  in  the  Polar  regions. 
As  we  lay  dozing  that  evening  in  our  sleeping-bags, 


THE  DOGS  OVER-TAXED  237 

thinking  of  everything  and  nothing,  the  idea  suddenly 
occurred  to  us  that  if  the  tents  were  sewed  together  as 
they  now  stood — after  the  fronts  had  been  cut  away— 
we  should  get  one  tent  that  would  give  us  far  more 
room  for  five  than  the  two  separate  tents  as  they  were. 
The  idea  was  followed  up,  and  the  fruit  of  it  was  the 
tent  we  used  on  the  journey  to  the  Pole — an  ideal  tent 
in  every  way.  Yes,  circumstances  work  wonders ;  for 
I  suppose  one  need  not  make  Providence  responsible  for 
these  trifles  ? 

On  March  8  we  reached  82°  S.,  and  it  was  the  utmost 
my  five  dogs  could  manage.  Indeed,  as  will  shortly  be 
seen,  it  was  already  too  much.  They  were  completely 
worn  out,  poor  beasts.  This  is  the  only  dark  memory 
of  my  stay  in  the  South — the  over- taxing  of  these  fine 
animals — I  had  asked  more  of  them  than  they  were 
capable  of  doing.  My  consolation  is  that  I  did  not 
spare  myself  either.  To  set  this  sledge,  weighing  nearly 
half  a  ton,  in  motion  with  tired-out  dogs  was  no  child's 
play.  And  setting  it  in  motion  was  not  always  the 
whole  of  it :  sometimes  one  had  to  push  it  forward  until 
one  forced  the  dogs  to  move.  The  whip  had  long  ago  lost 
its  terrors.  When  I  tried  to  use  it,  they  only  crowded 
together,  and  got  their  heads  as  much  out  of  the  way  as 
they  could  ;  the  body  did  not  matter  so  much.  Many 
a  time,  too,  I  failed  altogether  to  get  them  to  go,  and 
had  tq  have  help.  Then  two  of  us  shoved  the  sledge 
forward,  while  the  third  used  the  whip,  shouting  at  the 


238  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

same  time  for  all  he  was  worth.  How  hard  and  un- 
feeling one  gets  under  such  conditions ;  how  one's 
whole  nature  may  be  changed !  I  am  naturally  fond 
of  all  animals,  and  try  to  avoid  hurting  them.  There  is 
none  of  the  "  sportsman's  "instinct  in  me ;  it  would  never 
occur  to  me  to  kill  an  animal — rats  and  flies  excepted— 
unless  it  was  to  support  life.  I  think  I  can  say  that  in 
normal  circumstances  I  loved  my  dogs,  and  the  feeling 
was  undoubtedly  mutual.  But  the  circumstances  we 
were  now  in  were  not  normal — or  was  it,  perhaps,  myself 
who  was  not  normal  ?  I  have  often  thought  since  that 
such  was  really  the  case.  The  daily  hard  work  and  the 
object  I  would  not  give  up  had  made  me  brutal,  for 
brutal  I  was  when  I  forced  those  five  skeletons  to  haul 
that  excessive  load.  I  feel  it  yet  when  I  think  of  Thor 
— a  big,  fine,  smooth-haired  dog — uttering  his  plaintive 
howls  on  the  march,  a  thing  one  never  hears  a  dog  do 
while  working.  I  did  not  understand  what  it  meant— 
would  not  understand,  perhaps.  On  he  had  to  go — on 
till  he  dropped.  When  we  cut  him  open  we  found  that 
his  whole  chest  was  one  large  abscess. 

The  altitude  at  noon  gave  us  81°  54'  30",  and  we 
therefore  went  the  other  six  miles  to  the  south,  and 
pitched  our  camp  at  3.30  p.m.  in  82°  S.  We  had 
latterly  had  a  constant  impression  that  the  Barrier  was 
rising,  and  in  the  opinion  of  all  of  us  we  ought  now  to 
have  been  at  a  height  of  about  1,500  feet  and  a  good 
way  up  the  slope  leading  to  the  Pole.  Personally  I 


THIRD  DEPOT  LAID  DOWN  239 

thought  the  ground  continued  to  rise  to  the  south. 
It  was  all  imagination,  as  our  later  measurements 
showed. 

We  had  now  reached  our  highest  latitude  that 
autumn,  and  had  reason  to  be  well  satisfied.  We  laid 
down  1,370  pounds  here,  chiefly  dogs'  pemmican.  We 
did  nothing  that  afternoon,  only  rested  a  little.  The 
weather  was  brisk,  clear  and  calm,  - 13°  F.  The  dis- 
tance this  last  day  was  thirteen  and  a  half  miles. 

Next  day  we  stayed  where  we  were,  built  our  depot, 
and  marked  it.  The  marking  was  done  in  the  same 
way  as  in  81°  S.,  with  this  difference,  that  here  the 
pieces  of  packing-case  had  small,  dark  blue  strips  of 
cloth  fastened  to  the  top,  which  made  them  easier 
to  see.  We  made  this  depot  very  secure,  so  that  we 
could  be  certain  it  would  stand  bad  weather  in  the 
course  of  the  winter.  I  also  left  my  sledge  behind,  as 
I  saw  the  impossibility  of  getting  it  home  with  my 
team ;  besides  which,  an  extra  sledge  at  this  point 
might  possibly  be  useful  later.  This  depot — 12  feet 
high — was  marked  with  a  bamboo  and  a  flag  on  the  top, 
so  that  it  could  be  seen  a  great  way  off. 

On  March  10  we  took  the  road  for  home.  I  had 
divided  my  dogs  between  Wisting  and  Hanssen,  but 
they  got  no  assistance  from  these  bags  of  bones,  only 
trouble.  The  other  three  teams  had  held  out  well. 
There  was  hardly  anything  wrong  to  be  seen  with 
Hanssen's.  Wisting's  team  was  looked  upon  as  the 


240  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

strongest,  but  his  dogs  had  ;got  very  thin  ;  however, 
they  did  their  work  well.  Wisting's  sledge  had  also 
been  overloaded ;  it  was  even  heavier  than  mine. 
Johansen's  animals  had  originally  been  regarded  as 
the  weakest,  but  they  proved  themselves  very  tough 
in  the  long-run.  They  were  no  racers,  but  always 
managed  to  scramble  along  somehow.  Their  motto 
was  :  "  If  we  don't  get  there  to-day,  we'll  get  there 
to-morrow."  They  all  came  home. 

Our  original  idea  was  that  the  homeward  journey 
should  be  a  sort  of  pleasure  trip,  that  we  should  sit  on 
the  sledges  and  take  it  easy  ;  but  in  the  circumstances 
this  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  The  dogs  had  quite 
enough  to  do  with  the  empty  sledges.  The  same  day 
we  reached  the  place  where  we  had  left  a  case  of  dogs' 
pemmican,  and  camped  there,  having  done  twenty-nine 
and  three-quarter  miles.  Theweather  was  cold  and 
raw ;  temperature,  -  25-6°  F.  This  weather  took  the 
last  remnant  of  strength  out  of  my  dogs ;  instead  of  rest- 
ing at  night,  they  lay  huddled  together  and  freezing.  It 
was  pitiful  to  see  them.  In  the  morning  they  had  to 
be  lifted  up  and  put  on  their  feet ;  they  had  not  strength 
enough  to  raise  themselves.  When  they  had  staggered 
on  a  little  way  and  got  some  warmth  into  their  bodies, 
they  seemed  to  be  rather  better — at  any  rate,  they  could 
keep  up  with  us.  The  following  day  we  did  twenty- 
four  and  three-quarter  miles  ;  temperature,  -  32*8°  F. 

On  the  12th  we  passed  the  depot  in  81°  S.     The  big 


THE  RETURN  JOURNEY  241 

pressure  ridges  to  the  east  were  easily  visible,  and  we 
got  a  good  bearing,  which  would  possibly  come  in 
useful  later  for  fixing  the  position  of  the  depot.  That 
day  we  did  twenty-four  and  three-quarter  miles ;  tem- 
perature, -  39°  F.  March  13  began  calm  and  fine,  but  by 
half-past  ten  in  the  morning  a  strong  wind  had  sprung 
up  from  the  east-south-east  with  thick  driving  snow. 
So  as  not  to  lose  the  tracks  we  had  followed  so  far,  we 
pitched  our  camp,  to  wait  till  the  storm  was  over.  The 
wind  howled  and  took  hold  of  the  tents,  but  could  not 
move  them.  The  next  day  it  blew  just  as  hard  from 
the  same  quarter,  and  we  decided  to  wait.  The  tem- 
perature was  as  usual,  with  the  wind  in  this  quarter  ; 
-11-2°  F.  The  wind  did  not  moderate  till  10.30  a.m. 
on  the  15th,  when  we  were  able  to  make  a  start. 

What  a  sight  there  was  outside !  How  were  we 
going  to  begin  to  bring  order  out  of  this  chaos  ?  The 
sledges  were  completely  snowed  up ;  whips,  ski-bind- 
ings, and  harness  largely  eaten  up.  It  was  a  nice 
predicament.  Fortunately  we  were  well  supplied  with 
Alpine  rope,  and  that  did  for  the  harness ;  spare  straps 
came  in  for  ski-bindings,  but  the  whips  were  not  so 
easy  to  make  good.  Hanssen,  who  drove  first,  was 
bound  to  have  a  fairly  serviceable  whip  ;  the  others  did 
not  matter  so  much,  though  it  was  rather  awkward  for 
them.  In  some  way  or  other  he  provided  himself  with 
a  whip  that  answered  his  purpose.  I  saw  one  of  the 
others  armed  with  a  tent-pole,  and  he  used  it  till  we 

VOL.  i.  16 


242  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

reached  Framheim.  At  first  the  dogs  were  much 
afraid  of  this  monster  of  a  whip,  but  they  soon  found 
out  that  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  reach  them  with  the 
pole,  and  then  they  did  not  care  a  scrap  for  it. 

At  last  everything  seemed  to  be  in  order,  and  then 
we  only  had  to  get  the  dogs  up  and  in  their  places. 
Several  of  them  were  so  indifferent  that  they  had 
allowed  themselves  to  be  completely  snowed  under,  but 
one  by  one  we  got  them  out  and  put  them  on  their 
feet.  Thor,  however,  refused  absolutely.  It  was  im- 
possible to  get  him  to  stand  up ;  he  simply  lay  and 
whined.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  put  an 
end  to  him,  and  as  we  had  no  firearms,  it  had  to  be 
done  with  an  axe.  It  was  quite  successful ;  less  would 
have  killed  him.  Wisting  took  the  carcass  on  his 
sledge  to  take  it  to  the  next  camp,  and  there  cut  it 
up.  The  day  was  bitterly  cold — fog  and  snow  with  a 
southerly  breeze;  temperature,  -14*8°  F.  We  were 
lucky  enough  to  pick  up  our  old  tracks  of  the  southern 
journey,  and  could  follow  them.  Lurven,  Wisting's 
best  dog,  fell  down  on  the  march,  and  died  on  the 
spot.  He  was  one  of  those  dogs  who  had  to  work  their 
hardest  the  whole  time ;  he  never  thought  of  shirking 
for  a  moment ;  he  pulled  and  pulled  until  he  died. 

All  sentimental  feeling  had  vanished  long  ago ; 
nobody  thought  of  giving  Lurven  the  burial  he  de- 
served. What  was  left  of  him,  skin  and  bones,  was  cut 
up  and  divided  among  his  companions. 


LOSS  OF  DOGS  243 

On  March  16  we  advanced  seventeen  miles  ;  tem- 
perature, —  29*2°  F.  Jens,  one  of  my  gallant  "Three 
Musketeers,"  had  been  given  a  ride  all  day  on  Wisting's 
sledge  ;  he  was  too  weak  to  walk  any  longer.  Thor 
was  to  have  been  divided  among  his  companions  that 
evening,  but,  on  account  of  the  abscess  in  his  chest,  we 
changed  our  minds.  He  was  put  into  an  empty  case 
and  buried.  During  the  night  we  were  wakened  by  a 
fearful  noise.  The  dogs  were  engaged  in  a  fierce  fight, 
and  it  was  easy  to  guess  from  their  howls  that  it  was 
all  about  food.  Wisting,  who  always  showed  himself 
quickest  in  getting  out  of  the  bag,  was  instantly  on  the 
spot,  and  then  it  was  seen  that  they  had  dug  up  Thor, 
and  were  now  feasting  on  him.  It  could  not  be  said 
that  they  were  hard  to  please  in  the  way  of  food. 
Associations  of  ideas  are  curious  things  ;  "  sauce  hol- 
landaise"  suddenly  occurred  to  my  mind.  Wisting 
buried  the  carcass  again,  and  we  had  peace  for  the  rest 
of  the  night. 

On  the  17th  it  felt  bitterly  cold,  with  -41-8°  F.,  and 
a  sharp  snowstorm  from  the  south-east.  Lassesen, 
one  of  my  dogs,  who  had  been  following  the  sledges 
loose,  was  left  behind  this  morning  at  the  camping- 
place  ;  we  did  not  miss  him  till  late  in  the  day. 
Rasmus,  one  of  the  "Three  Musketeers,"  fell  to-day. 
Like  Lurven,  he  pulled  till  he  died.  Jens  was  very  ill, 
could  not  touch  food,  and  was  taken  on  Wisting's 
sledge.  We  reached  our  depot  in  80°  S.  that  evening, 


244  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

and  were  able  to  give  the  dogs  a  double  ration.  The 
distance  covered  was  twenty-one  and  three-quarter 
miles.  The  surface  about  here  had  changed  in  our 
absence  ;  great,  high  snow-waves  were  now  to  be  seen 
in  all  directions.  On  one  of  the  cases  in  the  depot 
Bjaaland  had  written  a  short  message,  besides  which 
we  found  the  signal  arranged  with  Hassel — a  block  of 
snow  on  the  top  of  the  depot  to  show  that  they  had 
gone  by,  and  that  all  was  well.  The  cold  continued 
persistently.  The  following  day  we  had  —41 '8°  F. 
Ola  and  Jens,  the  two  survivors  of  the  "  Three 
Musketeers,"  had  to  be  put  an  end  to  that  day  ;  it  was 
a  shame  to  keep  them  alive  any  longer.  And  with 
them  the  "  Three  Musketeers "  disappear  from  this 
history.  They  were  inseparable  friends,  these  three ; 
all  of  them  almost  entirely  black.  At  Flekkero,  near 
Christiansand,  where  we  kept  our  dogs  for  several 
weeks  before  taking  them  on  board,  Rasmus  had  got 
loose,  and  was  impossible  to  catch.  He  always  came 
and  slept  with  his  two  friends,  unless  he  was  being 
hunted.  We  did  not  succeed  in  catching  him  until  a 
few  days  before  we  took  them  on  board,  and  then  he 
was  practically  wild.  They  were  all  three  tied  up  on 
the  bridge  on  board,  where  I  was  to  have  my  team, 
and  from  that  day  my  closer  acquaintance  with  the  trio 
is  dated.  They  were  not  very  civilly  disposed  for  the 
first  month.  I  had  to  make  my  advances  with  a  long 
stick — scratch  them  on  the  back.  In  this  way  I  in- 


THE  COLD  CONTINUES  245 

sinuated  myself  into  their  confidence,  and  we  became 
very  good  friends.  But  they  were  a  terrible  power  on 
board  ;  wherever  these  three  villains  showed  themselves, 
there  was  always  a  row.  They  loved  fighting.  They 
were  our  fastest  dogs.  In  our  races  with  empty 
sledges,  when  we  were  driving  around  Framheim,  none 
of  the  others  could  beat  these  three.  I  was  always 
sure  of  leaving  the  rest  behind  when  I  had  them  in  my 
team. 

I  had  quite  given  up  Lassesen,  who  had  been  left 
behind  that  morning,  and  I  was  very  sorry  for  it,  as  he 
was  my  strongest  and  most  willing  beast.  I  was  glad, 
therefore,  when  he  suddenly  appeared  again,  apparently 
fit  and  well.  We  presumed  that  he  had  dug  up  Thor 
again,  and  finished  him.  It  must  have  been  food  that 
had  revived  him.  From  80°  S.  home  he  did  remarkably 
good  work  in  Wisting's  team. 

That  day  we  had  a  curious  experience,  which  was 
useful  for  the  future.  The  compass  on  Hanssen's  sledge, 
which  had  always  been  reliability  itself,  suddenly  began 
to  go  wrong;  at  any  rate,  it  did  not  agree  with  the 
observations  of  the  sun,  which  we  fortunately  had  that 
day.  We  altered  our  course  in  accordance  with  our 
bearings.  In  the  evening,  when  we  took  our  things 
into  the  tent,  the  housewife,  with  scissors,  pins,  needles, 
etc.,  had  lain  close  against  the  compass.  No  wonder  it 
turned  rebellious. 

On  March  19  we  had  a  breeze  from  the  south-east 


246  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

and    -  45-4°  F.     "  Rather  fresh,"  I  find  noted  in  my 
diary.     Not  long  after  we  had  started  that  morning, 
Hanssen  caught  sight  of  our  old  tracks.    He  had  splendid 
eyesight — saw    everything    long    before    anyone   else. 
Bjaaland  also  had  good  sight,  but  he  did  not  come  up 
to  Hanssen.     The  way  home  was  now  straightforward, 
and  we  could  see  the  end  of  our  journey.     Meanwhile  a 
gale  sprang  up  from  the  south-east,  which  stopped  us 
for  a  day  ;  temperature,  -  29*2°  F.     Next^day  the  tem- 
perature had  risen,  as  usual,  with  a  south-east  wind  ;  we 
woke  up  to  find  it  + 15*8°  F.  on  the  morning  of  the  21st. 
That  was  a  difference  that  could  be  felt,  and  not  an 
unpleasant  one  ;  we  had  had  more  than  enough  of  —  40°. 
It  was   curious   weather  that  night :  violent  gusts  of 
wind  from  the   east  and  south-east,  with  intervals  of 
dead  calm — just  as  if  they  came  off  high  land.     On  our 
way  northward  that  day  we  passed  our  flag  No.  6,  and 
then  knew  that  we  were  fifty-three  miles  from  Fram- 
heim.     Pitched  our  camp  that  evening  at  thirty-seven 
miles  from  the  station.     We  had  intended  to  take  this 
stretch  of  the  way  in  two  days,  seeing  how  tired  the 
dogs  were  ;  but  it  turned  out  otherwise,  for  we  lost  our 
old  tracks  during  the  forenoon,  and  in  going  on  we 
came  too  far  to  the  east,  and  high  up  on  the  ridge  men- 
tioned before.    Suddenly  Hanssen  sang  out  that  he  saw 
something  funny  in  front — what  it  was  he  did  not  know. 
When  that  was  the  case,  we  had  to  apply  to  the  one  who 
saw  even  better  than  Hanssen,  and  that  was  my  glass. 


MIRAGE  247 

Up  with  the  glass,  then — the  good  old  glass  that  has 
served  me  for  so  many  years.  Yes,  there  was  certainly 
something  curious.  It  must  be  the  Bay  of  Whales  that 
we  were  looking  down  into,  but  what  were  those  black 
things  moving  up  and  down  ?  They  are  our  fellows 
hunting  seals,  someone  suggested,  and  we  all  agreed. 
Yes,  of  course,  it  was  so  clear  that  there  was  no  mis- 
taking it.  "  I  can  see  a  sledge — and  there's  another— 
and  there's  a  third."  We  nearly  had  tears  in  our  eyes 
to  see  how  industrious  they  were.  "  Now  they're  gone. 
No ;  there  they  are  again.  Strange  how  they  bob  up  and 
down,  those  fellows  1"  It  proved  to  be  a  mirage ;  what 
we  saw  was  Framheim  with  all  its  tents.  Our  lads,  we 
were  sure,  were  just  taking  a  comfortable  midday  nap, 
and  the  tears  we  were  nearly  shedding  were  withdrawn. 
Now  we  could  survey  the  situation  calmly.  There  lay 
Framheim,  there  was  Cape  Man's  Head,  and  there  West 
Cape,  so  that  we  had  come  too  far  to  the  east.  "  Hurrah 
for  Framheim !  half-past  seven  this  evening,"  shouted 
one.  "  Yes,  that's  all  we  can  do,"  cried  another  ;  and 
away  we  went.  We  set  our  course  straight  for  the 
middle  of  the  bay.  We  must  have  got  pretty  high  up, 
as  we  went  down  at  a  terrific  pace.  This  was  more 
than  the  forerunner  could  manage  ;  he  flung  himself  on 
a  sledge  as  it  went  by.  I  had  a  glimpse  of  Hanssen, 
who  was  busy  making  a  whip-handle,  as  I  passed ;  the 
soles  of  his  feet  were  then  very  prominent.  I  myself 
was  lying  on  Hanssen's  sledge,  shaking  with  laughter ; 


248  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

the  situation  was  too  comical.     Hanssen  picked  himself 
up  again  just  as  the  last  sledge  was  passing  and  jumped 
on.     We  all   collected  in   a  mass  below  the  ridge- 
sledges  and  dogs  mixed  up  together. 

The  last  part  of  the  way  was  rather  hard  work.  We 
now  found  the  tracks  that  we  had  lost  early  in  the  day  ; 
one  dried  fish  after  another  stuck  up  out  of  the  snow 
and  led  us  straight  on.  We  reached  Framheim  at  seven 
in  the  evening,  half  an  hour  earlier  than  we  had  thought- 
It  was  a  day's  march  of  thirty-seven  miles — not  so  bad 
for  exhausted  dogs.  Lassesen  was  the  only  one  I 
brought  home  out  of  my  team.  Odin,  whom  I  had 
sent  home  from  81°  S.,  died  after  arriving  there.  We 
lost  altogether  eight  dogs  on  this  trip ;  two  of  Stub- 
berud's  died  immediately  after  coming  home  from  81°  S. 
Probably  the  cold  was  chiefly  responsible  ;  I  feel  sure 
that  with  a  reasonable  temperature  they  would  have 
come  through.  The  three  men  who  came  home  from 
81°  S.  were  safe  and  sound.  It  is  true  that  they  had 
run  short  of  food  and  matches  the  last  day,  but  if  the 
worst  came  to  the  worst,  they  had  the  dogs.  Since  their 
return  they  had  shot,  brought  in,  cut  up,  and  stowed 
away,  fifty  seals — a  very  good  piece  of  work. 

Lindstrom  had  been  untiring  during  our  absence ;  he 
had  put  everything  in  splendid  order.  In  the  covered 
passage  round  the  hut  he  had  cut  out  shelves  in  the 
snow  and  filled  them  with  slices  of  seal  meat.  Here 
alone  there  were  steaks  enough  for  the  whole  time  we 


1 1 


, 


ORDER  AND  TIDINESS  !  249 

should  spend  here.  On  the  outer  walls  of  the  hut,  which 
formed  the  other  side  of  the  passage,  he  had  put  up 
shelves,  and  there  all  kinds  of  tinned  foods  were  stored. 
All  was  in  such  perfect  order  that  one  could  put  one's 
hand  on  what  one  wanted  in  the  dark.  There  stood  salt 
meat  and  bacon  by  themselves,  and  there  were  fish- 
cakes. There  you  read  the  label  on  a  tin  of  caramel 
pudding,  and  you  could  be  sure  that  the  rest  of  the 
caramel  puddings  were  in  the  vicinity.  Quite  right; 
there  they  stood  in  a  row,  like  a  company  of  soldiers. 
Oh,  Lindstrom,  how  long  will  this  order  last  ? 

Well,  that  was,  of  course,  a  question  I  put  to  myself 
in  the  strictest  secrecy.  Let  me  turn  over  my  diary. 
On  Thursday,  July  27,  I  find  the  following  entry: 
"  The  provision  passage  turns  our  days  into  chaotic  con- 
fusion. How  my  mind  goes  back  to  the  time  when  one 
could  find  what  one  wanted  without  a  light  of  any  kind ! 
If  you  put  out  your  hand  to  get  a  plum-pudding  and 
shut  it  again,  you  could  be  sure  it  was  a  plum-pudding 
you  had  hold  of.  And  so  it  was  throughout  Lindstrom's 
department.  But  now — good  Heavens  I  I  am  ashamed 
to  put  down  what  happened  to  me  yesterday.  I  went 
out  there  in  the  most  blissful  ignorance  of  the  state  of 
things  now  prevailing,  and,  of  course,  I  had  no  light  with 
me,  for  everything  had  its  place.  I  put  out  my  hand 
and  grasped.  According  to  my  expectation  I  ought  to 
have  been  in  possession  of  a  packet  of  candles,  but  the 
experiment  had  failed.  That  which  I  held  in  my  hand 


250  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

could  not  possibly  be  a  packet  of  candles.  It  was 
evident  from  the  feel  that  it  was  something  of  a  woollen 
nature.  I  laid  the  object  down,  and  had  recourse  to  the 
familiar  expedient  of  striking  a  match.  Do  you  know 
what  it  was  ?  A  dirty  old — pair  of  pants  !  and  do  you 
want  to  know  where  I  found  it  ?  Well,  it  was  between 
the  butter  and  the  sweetmeats.  That  was  mixing  things 
up  with  a  vengeance."  But  Lindstrom  must  not  have 
all  the  blame.  In  this  passage  everyone  was  running 
backwards  and  forwards,  early  and  late,  and  as  a  rule  in 
the  dark.  And  if  they  knocked  something  down  on 
the  way,  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  they  always  stopped 
to  pick  it  up  again. 

Then  he  had  painted  the  ceiling  of  the  room  white. 
How  cosy  it  looked  when  we  put  our  heads  in  that 
evening !  He  had  seen  us  a  long  way  off  on  the  Barrier, 
the  rascal,  and  now  the  table  was  laid  with  all  manner 
of  dainties.  But  seal-steaks  and  the  smell  of  coffee  were 
what  attracted  us,  and  it  was  no  small  quantity  that 
disappeared  that  evening.  Home! — that  word  has  a 
good  sound,  wherever  it  may  be,  at  sea,  on  land,  or  on 
— the  Barrier.  How  comfortable  we  made  ourselves 
that  night !  The  first  thing  we  did  now  was  to  dry  all 
our  reindeer-skin  clothes  ;  they  were  wet  through.  This 
was  not  to  be  done  in  a  hurry.  We  had  to  stretch  the 
garments  that  were  to  be  dried  on  lines  under  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  room,  so  that  we  could  not  dry  very  much  at 
a  time. 


CHANGES  IN  OUTFIT  251 

We  got  everything  ready,  and  made  some  improve- 
ments in  our  outfit  for  a  last  depot  journey  before  the 
winter  set  in.     This  time  the  destination  was  80°  S., 
with  about  a  ton  and  a  quarter  of  fresh  seal  meat.    How 
immensely  important  it  would  be  on  the  main  journey 
if  we  could  give  our  dogs  as  much  seal  meat  as  they 
could  eat  at  80°  S. ;  we  all  saw  the  importance  of  this,  and 
were  eager  to  carry  it  out.     We  set  to  work  once  more 
at  the  outfit ;  the  last  trip  had  taught  us  much  that  was 
new.     Thus  Prestrud  and  Johansen  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  a  double  sleeping-bag  was  preferable  to 
two  single  ones.     I  will  not  enter  upon  the  discussion 
that  naturally  arose  on  this  point.     The  double  bag  has 
many  advantages,  and  so  has  the  single  bag  ;  let  it  there- 
fore remain  a  matter  of  taste.     Those  two  were,  how- 
ever, the  only  ones  who  made  this  alteration.     Hanssen 
and  Wisting  were  busy  carrying  out  the  new  idea  for 
the  tents,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  had  finished. 
These  tents  are  as  much  like  a  snow  hut  in  form  as  they 
can  be ;  instead  of  being  entirely  round,  they  have  a 
more  oblong  form,  but  there  is  no  flat  side,  and  the 
wind  has  no  point  of  attack.     Our  personal  outfit  also 
underwent  some  improvements. 

The  Bay  of  Whales — the  inner  part  of  it,  from  Man's 
Head  to  West  Cape — was  now  entirely  frozen  over,  but 
outside  the  sea  lay  immense  and  dark.  Our  house  was 
now  completely  covered  with  snow.  Most  of  this  was 
Lindstrom's  work ;  the  blizzard  had  not  helped  him 


252  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

much.  This  covering  with  snow  has  a  great  deal  to  do 
with  keeping  the  hut  snug  and  warm.  Our  dogs — 107 
in  number — mostly  look  like  pigs  getting  ready  for 
Christmas ;  even  the  famished  ones  that  made  the  last 
trip  are  beginning  to  recover.  It  is  an  extraordinary 
thing  how  quickly  such  an  animal  can  put  on  flesh. 

It  was  interesting  to  watch  the  home-coming  of  the 
dogs  from  the  last  trip.  They  showed  no  sign  of  sur- 
prise when  we  came  into  camp  ;  they  might  have  been 
there  all  the  time.  It  is  true  they  were  rather  more 
hungry  than  the  rest.  The  meeting  between  Lassesen  and 
Fix  was  comic.  These  two  were  inseparable  friends  ;  the 
first-named  was  boss,  and  the  other  obeyed  him  blindly. 
On  this  last  trip  I  had  left  Fix  at  home,  as  he  did  not 
give  me  the  impression  of  being  quite  up  to  the  work  ; 
he  had  therefore  put  on  a  lot  of  flesh,  big  eater  as  he  was. 
I  stood  and  watched  their  meeting  with  intense  curiosity. 
Would  not  Fix  take  advantage  of  the  occasion  to  assume 
the  position  of  boss  ?  In  such  a  mass  of  dogs  it  took 
some  little  time  before  they  came  across  each  other. 
Then  it  was  quite  touching.  Fix  ran  straight  up  to  the 
other,  began  to  lick  him,  and  showed  every  sign  of  the 
greatest  affection  and  joy  at  seeing  him  again.  Lassesen, 
on  his  part,  took  it  all  with  a  very  superior  air,  as  befits  a 
boss.  Without  further  ceremony,  he  rolled  his  fat  friend 
in  the  snow  and  stood  over  him  for  a  while — no  doubt 
to  let  him  know  that  he  was  still  absolute  master,  beyond 
dispute.  Poor  Fix  ! — he  looked  quite  crestfallen.  But 


DAILY  BILL  OF  FARE  253 

this  did  not  last  long ;  he  soon  avenged  himself  on  the 
other,  knowing  that  he  could  tackle  him  with  safety. 

In  order  to  give  a  picture  of  our  life  as  it  was  at  this 
time,  I  will  quote  a  day  from  my  diary.  March  25— 
Saturday :  "  Beautiful  mild  weather,  +  6-8°  F.  all  day. 
Very  light  breeze  from  the  south-east.  Our  seal- 
hunters— the  party  that  came  home  from  81°  S. — were 
out  this  morning,  and  brought  back  three  seals.  This 
makes  sixty-two  seals  altogether  since  their  return  on 
March  11.  We  have  now  quite  enough  fresh  meat  both 
for  ourselves  and  for  all  our  dogs.  We  get  to  like  seal- 
steak  more  and  more  every  day.  We  should  all  be 
glad  to  eat  it  at  every  meal,  but  we  think  it  safer  to 
make  a  little  variety.  For  breakfast — eight  o'clock— 
we  now  have  regularly  hot  cakes  with  jam,  and 
Lindstrom  knows  how  to  prepare  them  in  a  way  that 
could  not  be  surpassed  in  the  best  American  houses. 
In  addition,  we  have  bread,  butter,  cheese,  and  coffee. 
For  dinner  we  mostly  have  seal  meat  (we  introduced 
rather  more  tinned  meat  into  the  menu  in  the  course  of 
the  winter),  and  sweets  in  the  form  of  tinned  Californian 
fruit,  tarts,  and  tinned  puddings.  For  supper,  seal- 
steak,  with  whortleberry  jam,  cheese,  bread,  butter,  and 
coffee.  Every  Saturday  evening  a  glass  of  toddy  and  a 
cigar.  I  must  frankly  confess  that  I  have  never  lived 
so  well.  And  the  consequence  is  that  we  are  all  in  the 
best  of  health,  and  I  feel  certain  that  the  whole  enter- 
prise will  be  crowned  with  success. 


254  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

"  It  is  strange  indeed  here  to  go  outside  in  the  evening 
and  see  the  cosy,  warm  lamp -light  through  the  window  of 
our  little  snow-covered  hut,  and  to  feel  that  this  is  our 
snug,  comfortable  home  on  the  formidable  and  dreaded 
Barrier.  All  our  little  puppies — as  round  as  Christmas 
pigs — are  wandering  about  outside,  and  at  night  they 
lie  in  crowds  about  the  door.  They  never  take  shelter 
under  a  roof  at  night.  They  must  be  hardy  beasts. 
Some  of  them  are  so  fat  that  they  waddle  just  like 
geese." 

The  aurora  australis  was  seen  for  the  first  time  on  the 
evening  of  March  28.  It  was  composed  of  shafts  and 
bands,  and  extended  from  the  south-west  to  the  north- 
east through  the  zenith.  The  light  was  pale  green  and 
red.  We  see  many  fine  sunsets  here,  unique  in  the 
splendour  of  their  colour.  No  doubt  the  surroundings 
in  this  fairyland  of  blue  and  white  do  much  to  increase 
their  beauty. 

The  departure  of  the  last  depot  journey  was  fixed  for 
Friday,  March  31.  A  few  days  before,  the  seal-hunting 
party  went  out  on  the  ice  and  shot  six  seals  for  the 
depot.  They  were  cleaned  and  all  superfluous  parts 
removed,  so  that  they  should  not  be  too  heavy.  The 
wreight  of  these  six  seals  was  then  estimated  at  about 
2,400  pounds. 

On  March  31,  at  10  a.m.,  the  last  depot  party  started. 
It  consisted  of  seven  men,  six  sledges,  and  thirty-six 
dogs.  I  did  not  go  myself  this  time.  They  had  the 


KILLING   SEALS    FOR    THE    DEPOT. 


To  face  page  254,  Vol.  I. 


LAST  DEPOT  JOURNEY  255 

most  beautiful  weather  to  begin  their  journey — dead 
calm  and  brilliantly  clear.  At  seven  o'clock  that  morn- 
ing, when  I  came  out  of  the  hut,  I  saw  a  sight  so 
beautiful  that  I  shall  never  forget  it.  The  whole 
surroundings  of  the  station  lay  in  deep,  dark  shadow,  in 
lee  of  the  ridge  to  the  east.  But  the  sun's  rays  reached 
over  the  Barrier  farther  to  the  north,  and  there  the 
Barrier  lay  golden  red,  bathed  in  the  morning  sun.  It 
glittered  and  shone,  red  and  gold,  against  the  jagged 
row  of  mighty  masses  of  ice  that  bounds  our  Barrier  on 
the  north.  A  spirit  of  peace  breathed  over  all.  But 
from  Framheim  the  smoke  ascended  quietly  into  the 
air,  and  proclaimed  that  the  spell  of  thousands  of  years 
was  broken. 

The  sledges  were  heavily  loaded  when  they  went 
southward.  I  saw  them  slowly  disappear  over  the  ridge 
by  the  starting-place.  It  was  a  quiet  time  that  followed 
after  all  the  work  and  hurry  of  preparation.  Not  that 
we  two  who  stayed  at  home  sat  still  doing  nothing.  We 
made  good  use  of  the  time.  The  first  thing  to  be  done 
was  to  put  our  meteorological  station  in  order.  On 
April  1  all  the  instruments  were  in  use.  In  the  kitchen 
were  hung  our  two  mercury  barometers,  four  aneroids, 
barograph,  thermograph,  and  one  thermometer.  They 
were  placed  in  a  well-protected  corner,  farthest  from  the 
stove.  We  had  no  house  as  yet  for  our  outside  instru- 
ments, but  the  sub-director  went  to  work  to  prepare  one 
as  quickly  as  possible,  and  so  nimble  were  his  hands 


256  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

that  when  the  depot  party  returned  there  was  the  finest 
instrument-screen  standing  ready  on  the  hill,  painted 
white  so  that  it  shone  a  long  way  off.  The  wind-vane 
was  a  work  of  art,  constructed  by  our  able  engineer, 
Sundbeck.  No  factory  could  have  supplied  a  more 
handsome  or  tasteful  one.  In  the  instrument- screen  we 
had  a  thermograph,  hygrometer,  and  thermometers. 
Observations  were  made  at  8  a.m.,  2  p.m.,  and  8  p.m. 
When  I  was  at  home  I  took  them,  and  when  I  was 
away  it  was  Lindstrom's  work. 

On  the  night  before  April  11  something  or  other  fell 
down  in  the  kitchen — according  to  Lindstrom,  a  sure  sign 
that  the  travellers  might  be  expected  home  that  day. 
And,  sure  enough,  at  noon  we  caught  sight  of  them  up 
at  the  starting-place.  They  came  across  at  such  a  pace 
that  the  snow  was  scattered  all  round  them,  and  in  an 
hour's  time  we  had  them  back.  They  had  much  to  tell 
us.  In  the  first  place,  that  everything  had  been  duly 
taken  to  the  depot  in  80°  S.  Then  they  surprised  me 
with  an  account  of  a  fearfully  crevassed  piece  of  surface 
that  they  had  come  upon,  forty-six  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  station,  where  they  had  lost  two  dogs.  This 
was  very  strange ;  we  had  now  traversed  this  stretch  of 
surface  four  times  without  being  particularly  troubled 
with  anything  of  this  sort,  and  then,  all  of  a  sudden, 
when  they  thought  the  whole  surface  was  as  solid  as 
a  rock,  they  found  themselves  in  danger  of  coming  to 
grief  altogether.  In  thick  weather  they  had  gone  too 


AN  UGLY  TRAP  257 

far  to  the  west ;  then,  instead  of  arriving  at  the  ridge, 
as  we  had  done  before,  they  came  down  into  the  valley, 
and  there  found  a  surface  so  dangerous  that  they  nearly 
had  a  catastrophe.  It  was  a  precisely  similar  piece  of 
surface  to  that  already  mentioned  to  the  south  of  81°  S., 
but  full  of  small  hummocks  everywhere.  The  ground 
was  apparently  solid  enough,  and  this  was  just  the  most 
dangerous  thing  about  it ;  but,  as  they  were  crossing  it, 
large  pieces  of  the  surface  fell  away  just  in  rear  of  them, 
disclosing  bottomless  crevasses,  big  enough  to  swallow 
up  everything — men,  dogs,  and  sledges.  With  some 
difficulty  they  got  out  of  this  ugly  place  by  steering  to 
the  east.  Now  we  knew  of  it,  and  we  should  certainly 
be  very  careful  not  to  come  that  way  again.  In  spite 
of  this,  however,  we  afterwards  had  an  even  more 
serious  encounter  with  this  nasty  trap. 

One  dog  had  also  been  left  behind  on  the  way ;  it 
had  a  wound  on  one  of  its  feet,  and  could  not  be 
harnessed  in  the  sledge.  It  had  been  let  loose  a  few 
miles  to  the  north  of  the  depot,  doubtless  with  the  idea 
that  it  would  follow  the  sledges.  But  the  dog  seemed 
to  have  taken  another  view  of  the  matter,  and  was 
never  seen  again.  There  were  some  who  thought  that 
the  dog  had  probably  returned  to  the  depot,  and  was 
now  passing  its  days  in  ease  and  luxury  among  the 
laboriously  transported  seals'  carcasses.  I  must  confess 
that  this  idea  was  not  very  attractive  to  me  ;  there  was, 
indeed,  a  possibility  that  such  a  thing  had  happened, 

VOL.  i.  17 


258  DEPOT  JOURNEYS 

and  that  the  greater  part  of  our  seal  meat  might  be 
missing  when  we  wanted  it.  But  our  fears  proved 
groundless ;  Cook  —  that  was  the  name  of  the  dog ; 
we  had  a  Peary  as  well,  of  course — was  gone  for  ever. 

The  improved  outfit  was  in  every  way  successful. 
Praises  of  the  new  tent  were  heard  on  every  hand,  and 
Prestrud  and  Johansen  were  in  the  seventh  heaven  over 
their  double  sleeping-bag.  I  fancy  the  others  were  very 
well  satisfied  with  their  single  ones. 

And  with  this  the  most  important  part  of  the 
autumn's  work  came  to  an  end.  The  foundation  was 
solidly  laid  ;  now  we  had  only  to  raise  the  edifice.  Let 
us  briefly  sum  up  the  work  accomplished  between 
January  14  and  April  11  :  The  complete  erection  of 
the  station,  with  accommodation  for  nine  men  for 
several  years ;  provision  of  fresh  meat  for  nine  men 
and  a  hundred  and  fifteen  dogs  for  half  a  year — the 
weight  of  the  seals  killed  amounted  to  about  60  tons ; 
and,  finally,  the  distribution  of  3  tons  of  supplies  in 
the  depots  in  latitudes  80°,  81°,  and  82°  S.  The  depot 
in  80°  S.  contained  seal  meat,  dogs'  pemmican,  biscuits, 
butter,  milk-powder,  chocolate,  matches,  and  paraffin, 
besides  a  quantity  of  outfit.  The  total  weight  of  this 
depot  was  4,200  pounds.  In  81°  S.,  ^  ton  of  dogs' 
pemmican.  In  82°  S.,  pemmican,  both  for  men  and 
dogs,  biscuits,  milk -powder,  chocolate,  and  paraffin, 
besides  a  quantity  of  outfit.  The  weight  of  this  depot 
amounted  to  1,366  pounds, 


CHAPTER  VII 

PREPARING   FOR   WINTER 

WINTER  !  I  believe  most  people  look  upon  winter  as 
a  time  of  storms,  cold,  and  discomfort.  They  look 
forward  to  it  with  sadness,  and  bow  before  the  in- 
evitable— Providence  ordains  it  so.  The  prospect  of 
a  ball  or  two  cheers  them  up  a  little,  and  makes  the 
horizon  somewhat  brighter ;  but,  all  the  same — darkness 
and  cold — ugh,  no !  let  us  have  summer,  they  say. 
What  my  comrades  thought  about  the  winter  that  was 
approaching  I  cannot  say ;  for  my  part,  I  looked  for- 
ward to  it  with  pleasure.  When  I  stood  out  there  on 
the  snow  hill,  and  saw  the  light  shining  out  of  the 
kitchen  window,  there  came  over  me  an  indescribable 
feeling  of  comfort  and  well-being.  And  the  blacker 
and  more  stormy  the  winter  night  might  be,  the  greater 
would  be  this  feeling  of  well-being  inside  our  snug  little 
house.  I  see  the  reader's  questioning  look,  and  know 
what  he  will  say  :  "  But  weren't  you  awfully  afraid  the 
Barrier  would  break  off,  and  float  you  out  to  sea  ?" 
I  will  answer  this  question  as  frankly  as  possible.  With 
one  exception,  we  were  all  at  this  time  of  the  opinion 

259 


260  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

that  the  part  of  the  Barrier  on  which  the  hut  stood 
rested  on  land,  so  that  any  fear  of  a  sea  voyage  was 
quite  superfluous.  As  to  the  one  who  thought  we  were 
afloat,  I  think  I  can  say  very  definitely  that  he  was  not 
afraid.  I  believe,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that  he  gradually 
came  round  to  the  same  view  as  the  rest  of  us. 

If  a  general  is  to  win  a  battle,  he  must  always  be 
prepared.  If  his  opponent  makes  a  move,  he  must  see 
that  he  is  able  to  make  a  counter-move ;  everything 
must  be  planned  in  advance,  and  nothing  unforeseen. 
We  were  in  the  same  position  ;  we  had  to  consider 
beforehand  what  the  future  might  bring,  and  make  our 
arrangements  accordingly  while  there  was  time.  When 
the  sun  had  left  us,  and  the  dark  period  had  set  in,  it 
would  be  too  late.  What  first  of  all  claimed  our  atten- 
tion and  set  our  collective  brain-machinery  to  work  was 
the  female  sex.  There  was  no  peace  for  us  even  on  the 
Barrier.  What  happened  was  that  the  entire  feminine 
population  —  eleven  in  number — had  thought  fit  to 
appear  in  a  condition  usually  considered  "  interesting," 
but  which,  under  the  circumstances,  we  by  no  means 
regarded  in  that  light.  Our  hands  were  indeed  full 
enough  without  this.  What  was  to  be  done?  Great 
deliberation.  Eleven  maternity  hospitals  seemed  rather 
a  large  order,  but  we  knew  by  experience  that  they  all 
required  first  aid.  If  we  left  several  of  them  in  the 
same  place  there  would  be  a  terrible  scene,  and  it  would 
end  in  their  eating  up  each  other's  pups.  For  what 


PUPPIES  BORN  261 

had  happened  only  a  few  days  before  ?  Kaisa,  a  big 
black-and-white  bitch,  had  taken  a  three -months -old 
pup  when  no  one  was  looking,  and  made  a  meal  off  it. 
When  we  arrived  we  saw  the  tip  of  its  tail  disappear- 
ing, so  there  was  not  much  to  be  done.  Now,  it  fortu- 
nately happened  that  one  of  the  dog -tents  became 
vacant,  as  Prestrud's  team  was  divided  among  the  other 
tents  ;  as  "  forerunner,"  he  had  no  use  for  dogs.  Here, 
with  a  little  contrivance,  we  could  get  two  of  them  dis- 
posed of ;  a  dividing  wall  could  be  put  up.  When  first 
laying  out  the  station,  we  had  taken  this  side  of  life 
into  consideration,  and  a  "  hospital "  in  the  shape  of 
a  sixteen-man  tent  had  been  erected ;  but  this  was  not 
nearly  enough.  We  then  had  recourse  to  the  material 
of  which  there  is  such  superabundance  in  these  parts 
of  the  earth — snow.  We  erected  a  splendid  big  snow- 
hut.  Besides  this,  Lindstrom  in  his  leisure  hours  had 
erected  a  little  building,  which  was  ready  when  we 
returned  from  the  second  depot  journey.  We  had 
none  of  us  asked  what  it  was  for,  but  now  we  knew 
Lindstrom's  kind  heart.  With  these  arrangements  at 
our  disposal  we  were  able  to  face  the  winter. 

Camilla,  the  sly  old  fox,  had  taken  things  in  time  ; 
she  knew  what  it  meant  to  bring  up  children  in  the 
dark,  and,  in  truth,  it  was  no  pleasure.  She  had  there- 
fore made  haste,  and  was  ready  as  soon  as  the  original 
"  hospital "  was  prepared.  She  could  now  look  forward 
to  the  future  with  calmness  in  the  last  rays  of  the 


262  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

disappearing  sun  ;  when  darkness  set  in,  her  young  ones 
would  be  able  to  look  after  themselves.  Camilla,  by 
the  way,  had  her  own  views  of  bringing  up  her  children. 
What  there  was  about  the  hospital  that  she  did  not  like 
I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  certain  that  she  preferred  any 
other  place.  It  was  no  rare  thing  to  come  across 
Camilla  in  a  tearing  gale  and  a  temperature  twenty 
below  zero  with  one  of  her  offspring  in  her  mouth. 
She  was  going  out  to  look  for  a  new  place.  Mean- 
while, the  three  others,  who  had  to  wait,  were  shrieking 
and  howling.  The  places  she  chose  were  not,  as  a  rule, 
such  as  we  should  connect  with  the  idea  of  comfort ; 
a  case,  for  instance,  standing  on  its  side,  and  fully 
exposed  to  the  wind,  or  behind  a  stack  of  planks,  with 
a  draught  coming  through  that  would  have  done  credit 
to  a  factory  chimney.  But  if  she  liked  it,  there  was 
nothing  to  be  said.  If  the  family  were  left  alone  in 
such  a  place,  she  would  spend  some  days  there  before 
moving  on  again.  She  never  returned  to  the  hospital 
voluntarily,  but  it  was  not  a  rare  thing  to  see  Johansen, 
who  was  guardian  to  the  family,  hauling  off  the  lady 
and  as  many  of  her  little  ones  as  he  could  get  hold  of  in 
a  hurry.  They  then  disappeared  into  the  hospital  with 
words  of  encouragement. 

At  the  same  time  we  introduced  a  new  order  of 
things  with  our  dogs.  Hitherto  we  had  been  obliged  to 
keep  them  tied  up  on  account  of  seal-hunting ;  otherwise 
they  went  off  by  themselves  and  ravaged.  There  were 


THE  DOGS  AT  LIBERTY  263 

certain  individuals  who  specially  distinguished  them- 
selves in  this  way,  like  Wisting's  Major.  He  was  a 
born  hunter,  afraid  of  nothing.  Then  there  was  Hassel's 
Svarten  ;  but  a  good  point  about  him  was  that  he 
went  off  alone,  while  the  Major  always  had  a  whole  staff 
with  him.  They  usually  came  back  with  their  faces  all 
covered  with  blood.  To  put  a  stop  to  this  sport  we  had 
been  obliged  to  keep  them  fast ;  but  now  that  the  seals 
had  left  us,  we  could  let  them  loose.  Naturally  the  first 
use  to  which  they  put  their  liberty  was  fighting.  In  the 
course  of  time — for  reasons  impossible  to  discover — 
bitter  feelings  and  hatred  had  arisen  between  certain  of 
the  dogs,  and  now  they  were  offered  an  opportunity 
of  deciding  which  was  the  stronger,  and  they  seized  upon 
it  with  avidity.  But  after  a  time  their  manners  im- 
proved, and  a  regular  fight  became  a  rarity.  There 
were,  of  course,  a  few  who  could  never  see  each  other 
without  flying  at  one  another's  throats,  like  Lassesen 
and  Hans,  for  instance ;  but  we  knew  their  ways,  and 
could  keep  an  eye  on  them.  The  dogs  soon  knew  their 
respective  tents,  and  their  places  in  them.  They  were 
let  loose  as  soon  as  we  came  out  in  the  morning,  and 
were  chained  up  again  in  the  evening  when  they  were 
to  be  fed.  They  got  so  used  to  this  that  we  never  had 
much  trouble ;  they  all  reported  themselves  cheerfully 
when  we  came  in  the  evening  to  fasten  them  up,  and 
every  animal  knew  his  own  master  and  tent,  and  knew 
at  once  what  was  expected  of  him.  With  howls  of 


264  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

delight  the  various  dogs  collected  about  their  masters, 
and  made  for  the  tents  in  great  jubilation.  We  kept  up 
this  arrangement  the  whole  time.  Their  food  consisted 
of  seal's  flesh  and  blubber  one  day,  and  dried  fish  the 
next ;  as  a  rule,  both  disappeared  without  any  objection, 
though  they  certainly  preferred  the  seal.  Throughout 
the  greater  part  of  the  winter  we  had  carcasses  of  seals 
lying  on  the  slope,  and  these  were  usually  a  centre 
of  great  interest.  The  spot  might  be  regarded  as  the 
market-place  of  Framheim,  and  it  was  not  always 
a  peaceful  one.  The  customers  were  many  and  the 
demand  great,  so  that  sometimes  lively  scenes  took 
place.  Our  own  store  of  seal's  flesh  was  in  the  "  meat- 
tent."  About  a  hundred  seals  had  been  cut  up  and 
stacked  there.  As  already  mentioned,  we  built  a  wall 
of  snow,  two  yards  high,  round  this  tent,  as  a  protection 
against  the  dogs.  Although  they  had  as  much  to  eat 
as  they  wanted,  and  although  they  knew  they  were  not 
allowed  to  try  to  get  in — or  possibly  this  prohibition  was 
just  the  incentive — they  were  always  casting  longing 
eyes  in  that  direction,  and  the  number  of  claw-marks  in 
the  wall  spoke  eloquently  of  what  went  on  when  we 
were  not  looking.  Snuppesen,  in  particular,  could 
not  keep  herself  away  from  that  wall,  and  she  was 
extremely  light  and  agile,  so  that  she  had  the  best 
chance.  She  never  engaged  in  this  sport  by  herself,  but 
always  enticed  out  her  attendant  cavaliers,  Fix  and 
Lasse ;  these,  however,  were  less  active,  and  had  to 


EASTER  265 

be  content  with  looking  on.  While  she  jumped  inside 
the  wall — which  she  only  succeeded  in  doing  once  or 
twice — they  ran  round  yelling.  As  soon  as  we  heard 
their  howls,  we  knew  exactly  what  was  happening,  and 
one  of  us  went  out,  armed  with  a  stick.  It  required 
some  cunning  to  catch  her  in  the  act,  for  as  soon  as  one 
approached,  her  cavaliers  stopped  howling,  and  she 
understood  that  something  was  wrong.  Her  red  fox's 
head  could  then  be  seen  over  the  top,  looking  round. 
It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  she  did  not  jump  into  the 
arms  of  the  man  with  the  stick,  but,  as  a  rule,  he  did  not 
give  up  until  he  had  caught  and  punished  her.  Fix  and 
Lasse  also  had  their  turns  ;  it  was  true  they  had  done 
nothing  wrong,  but  they  might.  They  knew  this,  and 
watched  Snuppesen's  chastisement  at  a  distance.  The 
tent  where  we  kept  the  dried  fish  stood  always  open  ; 
none  of  them  attempted  to  take  fish. 

The  sun  continued  its  daily  course,  lower  and  lower. 
We  did  not  see  much  of  it  after  the  return  from  the  last 
depot  journey ;  on  April  11  it  came,  and  vanished  again 
at  once.  Easter  came  round  on  the  Barrier,  as  in  other 
parts  of  the  globe,  and  had  to  be  kept.  Holidays  with  ^ 
us  were  marked  by  eating  a  little  more  than  usual ; 
there  was  no  other  sign.  We  did  not  dress  differently, 
nor  did  we  introduce  any  other  change.  In  the  evening 
of  a  holiday  we  generally  had  a  little  gramophone,  a 
glass  of  toddy,  and  a  cigar ;  but  we  were  careful  with 
the  gramophone.  We  knew  we  should  soon  get  tired 


266  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

of  it  if  we  used  it  too  often  ;  therefore  we  only  brought 
it  out  on  rare  occasions,  but  we  enjoyed  its  music  all  the 
more  when  we  heard  it.  When  Easter  was  over,  a 
sigh  of  relief  escaped  us  all ;  these  holidays  are  always 
tiring.  They  are  tedious  enough  in  places  which  have 
more  amusements  to  offer  than  the  Barrier,  but  here 
they  were  insufferably  long. 

Our  manner  of  life  was  now  completely  in  order,  and 
everything  worked  easily  and  well.  The  chief  work  of 
the  winter  would  be  the  perfecting  of  our  outfit  for  the 
coming  sledge  journey  to  the  South.  Our  object  was 
to  reach  the  Pole — everything  else  was  secondary.  The 
meteorological  observations  were  in  full  swing  and 
arranged  for  the  winter.  Observations  were  made  at 
8  a.m.,  2  p.m.,  and  8  p.m.  We  were  so  short-handed 
that  I  could  not  spare  anyone  for  night  duty,  besides 
which,  living  as  we  did  in  a  small  space,  it  would  have  a 
disturbing  effect  if  there  were  always  someone  moving 
about ;  there  would  never  be  any  peace.  My  special 
aim  was  that  everyone  should  be  happy  and  comfortable, 
so  that,  when  the  spring  came,  we  might  all  be  fresh  and 
well  and  eager  to  take  up  the  final  task.  It  was  not  my 
intention  that  we  should  spend  the  winter  in  idleness- 
far  from  it.  To  be  contented  and  well,  a  man  must 
always  be  occupied.  I  therefore  expected  everyone  to 
be  busy  during  the  hours  that  were  set  apart  for  work. 
At  the  end  of  the  day  each  man  was  free  to  do  what  he 
pleased.  We  had  also  to  keep  some  sort  of  order  and 


I 


THE    METEOROLOGICAL    SCREEN. 


INSIDE    A   DOG-TENT. 


To  face  page  266,  Vol.  I. 


DIVISION  OF  DUTIES  267 

tidiness,  as  well  as  circumstances  permitted.  It  was 
therefore  decided  that  each  of  us  should  take  a  week's 
duty  as  "  orderly."  This  duty  consisted  in  sweeping  the 
floor  every  morning,  emptying  ash-trays,  etc.  To  secure 
plenty  of  ventilation — especially  in  our  sleeping-places — 
a  rule  was  made  that  no  one  might  have  anything  under 
his  bunk  except  the  boots  he  had  in  wear.  Each  man 
had  two  pegs  to  hang  his  clothes  on,  and  this  was 
sufficient  for  what  he  was  wearing  every  day ;  all  super- 
fluous  clothing  was  stuffed  into  our  kit-bags  and  put  out. 
In  this  way  we  succeeded  in  maintaining  some  sort 
of  tidiness ;  in  any  case,  the  worst  of  the  dirt  was  got 
rid  of.  Whether  a  fastidious  housekeeper  would  have 
found  everything  in  order  is  doubtful. 

Everyone  had  his  regular  work.  Prestrud,  with  the 
assistance  of  Johansen,  looked  after  the  astronomical 
observations  and  the  pendulum  observations.  Hassel 
was  set  in  authority  over  coal,  wood,  and  paraffin ;  he 
was  responsible  for  the  supply  lasting  out.  As  manager 
of  the  Framheim  coal  and  wood  business,  he,  of  course, 
received  the  title  of  Director,  and  this  dignity  might 
possibly  have  gone  to  his  head  if  the  occupation  of 
errand-boy  had  not  been  combined  with  it.  But  it  was. 
Besides  receiving  the  orders,  he  had  to  deliver  the  goods, 
and  he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinction.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  hoodwinking  his  largest  customer — Lindstrom 
— to  such  an  extent  that,  in  the  course  of  the  winter,  he 
saved  a  good  deal  of  coal.  Hanssen  had  to  keep  the 


268  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

depot  in  order  and  bring  in  everything  we  required. 
Wisting  had  charge  of  the  whole  outfit,  and  was 
responsible  that  nothing  was  touched  without  per- 
mission. Bjaaland  and  Stubberud  were  to  look  after 
the  pent-house  and  the  passage  round  the  hut.  Lind- 
strom  was  occupied  in  the  kitchen — the  hardest  and 
most  thankless  work  on  an  expedition  like  this.  No 
one  says  anything  so  long  as  the  food  is  good  ;  but  let 
the  cook  be  unlucky  and  burn  the  soup  one  day,  and 
he  will  hear  something.  JLindstrom  had  the  excellent 
disposition  of  a  man  who  is  never  put  out ;  whatever 
people  might  say,  it  was  "  all  the  same  "  to  him. 

On  April  19  we  saw  the  sun  for  the  last  time,  since 
it  then  went  below  our  horizon — the  ridge  to  the  north. 
It  was  intensely  red,  and  surrounded  by  a  sea  of  flame, 
which  did  not  disappear  altogether  until  the  21st.  Now 
everything  was  well.  As  far  as  the  hut  was  concerned, 
it  could  not  be  better ;  but  the  pent-house,  which  it 
was  originally  intended  to  use  as  a  workroom,  soon 
proved  too  small,  dark,  and  cold,  besides  which  all 
the  traffic  went  through  that  room,  so  that  work  would 
be  constantly  interrupted  or  stopped  altogether  at 
times.  Except  this  dark  hole  we  had  no  workroom, 
and  we  had  a  lot  of  work  to  do.  Of  course,  we  might 
use  our  living-room,  but  then  we  should  be  in  each 
other's  way  all  day  long ;  nor  would  it  be  a  good  plan 
to  give  up  the  only  room  where  we  could  sometimes 
find  peace  and  comfort  to  be  a  workshop.  I  know  it 


EXCAVATIONS  IN  THE  SNOW         269 

is  the  usual  custom  to  do  so,  but  I  have  always  found 
it  a  bad  arrangement.  Now,  indeed,  we  were  at  our 
wits'  end,  but  circumstances  once  more  came  to  our  aid. 
For  we  may  just  as  well  confess  it :  we  had  forgotten 
to  bring  out  a  tool  which  is  a  commonplace  necessity 
on  a  Polar  expedition — namely,  a  snow -shovel.  A 
well -equipped  expedition,  as  ours  was  to  a  certain 
extent,  ought  to  have  at  least  twelve  strong,  thick  iron 
spades.  We  had  none.  We  had  two  remnants,  but 
they  did  not  help  us  very  far.  Fortunately,  however, 
we  had  a  very  good,  solid  iron  plate  with  us,  and  now 
Bjaaland  stepped  into  the  breach,  and  made  a  whole 
dozen  of  the  very  best  spades.  Stubberud  managed  the 
handles,  and  they  might  all  have  been  turned  out  by 
a  big  factory.  This  circumstance  had  very  important 
results  for  our  future  well-being,  as  will  be  seen.  If  we 
had  had  the  shovels  with  us  from  the  start,  we  should 
have  cleared  the  snow  away  from  our  door  every 
morning,  like  tidy  people.  But  as  we  had  none,  the 
snow  had  increased  daily  before  our  door,  and,  before 
Bjaaland  was  ready  with  the  spades,  had  formed  a  drift 
extending  from  the  entrance  along  the  western  side  of 
the  house.  This  snow-drift,  which  was  as  big  as  the 
house  itself,  naturally  caused  some  frowns,  when  one 
morning  all  hands  turned  out,  armed  with  the  new 
shovels,  to  make  a  clearance.  As  we  stood  there, 
afraid  to  begin,  one  of  us — it  must  have  been  Lind- 
strom,  or  Hanssen  perhaps,  or  was  it  myself  ?  well,  it 


270  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

doesn't  matter — one  of  us  had  the  bright  idea  of  taking 
Nature  in  hand,  and  working  with  her  instead  of  against 
her.  The  proposal  was  that  we  should  dig  out  a  car- 
penter's shop  in  the  big  snow-drift,  and  put  it  in  direct 
communication  with  the  hut.  This  was  no  sooner 
suggested  than  adopted  unanimously.  And  now  began 
a  work  of  tunnelling  which  lasted  a  good  while,  for  one 
excavation  led  to  another,  and  we  did  not  stop  until  we 
had  a  whole  underground  village — probably  one  of  the 
most  interesting  works  ever  executed  round  a  Polar 
station.  Let  us  begin  with  the  morning  when  we 
thrust  the  first  spade  into  the  drift ;  it  was  Thursday, 
April  20.  While  three  men  went  to  work  to  dig  right 
into  the  drift  from  the  hut  door  westward,  three  more 
were  busy  connecting  it  with  the  hut.  This  was  done 
by  stretching  boards — the  same  that  we  had  used  on 
the  Fram  as  a  false  deck  for  the  dogs — from  the  drift 
up  to  the  roof  of  the  pent-house.  The  open  part 
between  the  drift  and  the  pent-house  on  the  northern 
side  was  filled  up  entirely  into  a  solid  wall,  which  went 
up  to  join  the  roof  that  had  just  been  put  on.  The 
space  between  the  pent-house  and  the  drift  on  the 
south  wall  was  left  open  as  an  exit.  But  now  we  had 
the  building  fever  on  us,  and  one  ambitious  project 
succeeded  another.  Thus  we  agreed  to  dig  a  passage 
the  whole  length  of  the  drift,  and  terminate  it  by  a 
large  snow-hut,  in  which  we  were  to  have  a  vapour 
bath.  That  was  something  like  a  plan — a  vapour  bath 


EXCITEMENT  OF  TUNNELLING       271 

in  79°  S.  Harissen,  snow-hut  builder  by  profession, 
went  to  work  at  it.  He  built  it  quite  small  and  solid, 
and  extended  it  downward,  so  that,  when  at  last  it  was 
finished,  it  measured  12  feet  from  floor  to  roof.  Here 
we  should  have  plenty  of  room  to  fit  up  a  vapour  bath. 
Meanwhile  the  tunnellers  were  advancing  ;  we  could 
hear  the  sound  of  their  pickaxes  and  spades  coming 
nearer  and  nearer.  This  was  too  much  for  Hanssen. 
As  he  had  now  finished  the  hut,  he  set  to  work  to  dig 
his  way  to  the  others  ;  and  when  he  begins  a  thing,  it 
does  not  take  him  very  long.  We  could  hear  the  two 
parties  continually  nearing  each  other.  The  excitement 
increases.  Will  they  meet  ?  Or  are  they  digging  side 
by  side  on  different  lines  ?  The  Simplon,  Mont  Cenis, 
and  other  engineering  works,  flashed  through  my  brain. 
If  they  were  going  to  hit  it  off,  we  must  be — hullo !  I 
was  interrupted  in  my  studies  by  a  glistening  face, 
which  was  thrust  through  the  wall  just  as  I  was  going 
to  dig  my  spade  into  it.  It  was  Wisting,  pioneer  of 
the  Framheim  tunnel.  He  had  good  reason  to  be  glad 
he  escaped  with  his  nose  safe  and  sound.  In  another 
instant  I  should  have  had  it  on  my  spade.  It  was  a 
fine  sight,  this  long,  white  passage,  ending  in  the  high, 
shining  dome.  As  we  dug  forward,  we  dug  down  at 
the  same  time  so  as  not  to  weaken  the  roof.  There 
was  plenty  to  take  down  below ;  the  Barrier  was  deep 
enough. 

When  this  was  finished,  we  began  to  work  on  the 


272  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

carpenter's  shop.  This  had  to  be  dug  considerably 
deeper,  as  the  drift  was  rounded  off  a  little  to  the  side. 
We  therefore  dug  first  into  the  drift,  and  then  right 
down ;  as  far  as  I  remember,  we  went  6  feet  down  into 
the  Barrier  here.  The  shop  was  made  roomy,  with  space 
enough  for  both  carpenters  and  length  enough  for  our 
sledges.  The  planing- bench  was  cut  out  in  the  wall 
and  covered  with  boards.  The  workshop  terminated  at 
its  western  end  in  a  little  room,  where  the  carpenters 
kept  their  smaller  tools.  A  broad  stairway,  cut  in  the 
snow  and  covered  with  boards,  led  from  the  shop  into 
the  passage.  As  soon  as  the  workshop  was  finished, 
the  workmen  moved  in,  and  established  themselves 
under  the  name  of  the  Carpenters'  Union.  Here  the 
whole  sledging  outfit  for  the  Polar  journey  was  re- 
modelled. Opposite  the  carpenters  came  the  smithy, 
dug  to  the  same  depth  as  the  other  ;  this  was  less  used. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  smithy,  nearer  to  the  hut,  a 
deep  hole  was  dug  to  receive  all  the  waste  water  from 
the  kitchen.  Between  the  Carpenters'  Union  and  the 
entrance  to  the  pent-house,  opposite  the  ascent  to  the 
Barrier,  we  built  a  little  room,  which,  properly  speak- 
ing, deserves  a  very  detailed  explanation  ;  but,  for  want 
of  space,  this  must  be  deferred  till  later.  The  ascent  to 
the  Barrier,  which  had  been  left  open  while  all  these 
works  were  in  progress,  was  now  closed  by  a  con- 
trivance which  is  also  worth  mentioning.  There  are  a 
great  many  people  who  apparently  have  never  learnt 


A   WINTER   EVENING   AT    FRAMHEIM. 


THE  CARPENTERS'  SHOP, 


To  face  page  272,  Vol.  I. 


4 


ENTKANCE    TO    THE   HUT. 


To  face  page  272,  Vol.  I. 


ENTRANCE    TO    THE    WESTERN   WORKSHOP. 


PRESTRUD    IN    HIS    OBSERVATORY. 


To  face  page  272,  Vol.  1. 


DIFFICULTIES  WITH  INSTRUMENTS     273 

to  shut  a  door  after  them ;  where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together,  you  generally  find  at  least  one 
who  suffers  from  this  defect.  How  many  would  there 
be  among  us,  who  numbered  nine  ?  It  is  no  use  asking 
a  victim*  of  this  complaint  to  shut  the  door  after  him ; 
he  is  simply  incapable  of  doing  it.  I  was  not  yet  well 
enough  acquainted  with  my  companions  as  regards  the 
door-shutting  question,  and  in  order  to  be  on  the  safe 
side  we  might  just  as  well  put  up  a  self-closing  door. 
This  was  done  by  Stubberud,  by  fixing  the  door-frame 
into  the  wall  in  an  oblique  position — just  like  a  cellar- 
door  at  home.  Now  the  door  could  not  stay  open  ;  it 
had  to  fall  to.  I  was  glad  when  I  saw  it  finished  ;  we 
were  secured  against  an  invasion  of  dogs.  Four  snow 
steps  covered  with  boards  led  from  the  door  down  into 
the  passage.  In  addition  to  all  these  new  rooms,  we 
had  thus  gained  an  extra  protection  for  our  house. 

While  this  work  was  in  progress,  our  instrument- 
maker  had  his  hands  full ;  the  clockwork  mechanism 
of  the  thermograph  had  gone  wrong :  the  spindle  was 
broken,  I  believe.  This  was  particularly  annoying, 
because  this  thermograph  had  been  working  so  well  in 
low  temperatures.  The  other  thermograph  had  evi- 
dently been  constructed  with  a  view  to  the  tropics ;  at 
any  rate,  it  would  not  go  in  the  cold.  Our  instrument- 
maker  has  one  method  of  dealing  with  all  instruments — 
almost  without  exception.  He  puts  them  in  the  oven, 
and  stokes  up  the  fire.  This  time  it  worked  remark- 

VOL.  i.  18 


274  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

ably  well,  since  it  enabled  him  to  ascertain  beyond  a 
doubt  that  the  thing  was  useless.  The  thermograph 
would  not  work  in  the  cold.  Meanwhile  he  got  it 
cleared  of  all  the  old  oil  that  stuck  to  it  everywhere, 
on  wheels  and  pins,  like  fish-glue  ;  then  it  was  hung  up 
to  the  kitchen  ceiling.  The  temperature  there  may 
possibly  revive  it,  and  make  it  think  it  is  in  the  tropics. 
In  this  way  we  shall  have  the  temperature  of  the 
"  galley  "  registered,  and  later  on  we  shall  probably  be 
able  to  reckon  up  what  we  have  had  for  dinner  in  the 
course  of  the  week.  Whether  Professor  Mohn  will  be 
overjoyed  with  this  result  is  another  question,  which  the 
instrument-maker  and  director  did  not  care  to  go  into. 
Besides  these  instruments  we  have  a  hygrograph— 
we  are  well  supplied ;  but  this  takes  one  of  us  out 
of  doors  once  in  the  twenty -four  hours.  Lindstrom 
has  cleaned  it  and  oiled  it  and  set  it  going.  In  spite 
of  this,  at  three  in  the  morning  it  comes  to  a  stop. 
But  I  have  never  seen  Lindstrom  beaten  yet.  After 
many  consultations  he  was  given  the  task  of  trying  to 
construct  a  thermograph  out  of  the  hygrograph  and 
the  disabled  thermograph  ;  this  was  just  the  job  for 
him.  The  production  he  showed  me  a  few  hours  later 
made  my  hair  stand  on  end.  What  would  Steen  say  ? 
Do  you  know  what  it  was  ?  Well,  it  was  an  old  meat- 
tin  circulating  inside  the  thermograph  case.  Heavens  ! 
what  an  insult  to  the  self-registering  meteorological 
instruments  !  I  was  thunderstruck,  thinking,  of  course, 


IMPROVISED  THERMOGRAPH         275 

that  the  man  was  making  a  fool  of  me.  I  had  carefully 
studied  his  face  all  the  time  to  find  the  key  to  this 
riddle,  and  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  weep. 
Lindstrom's  face  was  certainly  serious  enough  ;  if  it 
afforded  a  measure  of  the  situation,  I  believe  tears 
would  have  been  appropriate.  But  when  my  eye  fell 
upon  the  thermograph  and  read,  "  Stavanger  Preserving 
Co.'s  finest  rissoles,"  I  could  contain  myself  no  longer. 
The  comical  side  of  it  was  too  much  for  me,  and  I 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  When  my  laughter  was 
subdued,  I  heard  the  explanation.  The  cylinder  did 
not  fit,  so  he  had  tried  the  tin,  and  it  went  splendidly. 
The  rissole-thermograph  worked  very  well  as  far  as 
—  40°  C.,  but  then  it  gave  up. 

Our  forces  were  now  divided  into  two  working  parties. 
One  of  them  was  to  dig  out  some  forty  seals  we  had 
lying  about  3  feet  under  the  snow  ;  this  took  two  days. 
The  heavy  seals'  carcasses,  hard  as  flint,  were  difficult  to 
deal  with.  The  dogs  were  greatly  interested  in  these 
proceedings.  Each  carcass,  on  being  raised  to  the  sur- 
face, was  carefully  inspected  ;  they  were  piled  up  in  two 
heaps,  and  would  provide  food  enough  for  the  dogs  for 
the  whole  winter.  Meanwhile  the  other  party  were  at 
work  under  Hassel's  direction  on  a  petroleum  cellar. 
The  barrels  which  had  been  laid  up  at  the  beginning  of 
February  were  now  deep  below  the  snow.  They  now 
dug  down  at  both  ends  of  the  store,  and  made  a  passage 
below  the  surface  along  the  barrels ;  at  the  same  time 


276  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

they  dug  far  enough  into  the  Barrier  to  give  the  requi- 
site height  for  the  barrels.  When  the  snow  had  been 
thrown  out,  one  hole  was  walled  up  again,  while  a  large 
entrance  was  constructed  over  the  other.  Stubberud's 
knowledge  of  vaulting  came  in  useful  here,  and  he  has 
the  credit  of  having  built  the  splendid  arched  entrance 
to  the  oil-store.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  go  down  into  it ; 
probably  no  one  has  had  so  fine  a  storehouse  for  petro- 
leum before.  But  Hassel  did  not  stop  here;  he  had 
the  building  fever  on  him  in  earnest.  His  great  project 
of  connecting  the  coal  and  wood  store  with  the  house 
below  the  surface  nearly  took  my  breath  away  ;  it  seemed 
to  me  an  almost  superhuman  labour,  but  they  did  it. 
The  distance  from  the  coal-tent  to  the  house  was  about 
ten  yards.  Here  Hassel  and  Stubberud  laid  out  their 
line  so  that  it  would  strike  the  passage  round  the  house 
at  the  south-east  angle.  When  they  had  done  this,  they 
dug  a  gigantic  hole  down  into  the  Barrier  half-way 
between  the  tent  and  the  house,  and  then  dug  in  both 
directions  from  here  and  soon  finished  the  work.  But 
now  Prestrud  had  an  idea.  While  the  hole  remained 
open  he  wished  to  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  of 
arranging  an  observatory  for  his  pendulum  apparatus, 
and  he  made  a  very  good  one.  He  did  it  by  digging  at 
right  angles  to  the  passage,  and  had  his  little  observatory 
between  the  coal-tent  and  the  house.  When  all  the 
snow  was  cleared  out,  the  big  hole  was  covered  over 
again,  and  now  we  could  go  from  the  kitchen  direct  to 


MORE  UNDERGROUND  ROOMS        277 

the  coal-store  without  going  out.  First  we  followed 
the  passage  round  the  house — you  remember  where  all 
the  tinned  provisions  stood  in  such  perfect  order — then, 
on  reaching  the  south-east  angle  of  the  house,  this  new 
passage  opened  out  and  led  across  to  the  coal-tent.  In 
the  middle  of  the  passage,  on  the  right-hand  side,  a  door 
led  into  the  pendulum  observatory.  Continuing  along 
the  passage,  one  came  first  to  some  steps  leading  down, 
and  then  the  passage  ended  in  a  steep  flight  of  steps 
which  led  up  through  a  hole  in  the  snow  surface.  On 
going  up  this  one  suddenly  found  oneself  in  the  middle 
of  the  coal-tent.  It  was  a  fine  piece  of  work,  and  did 
all  honour  to  its  designers.  It  paid,  too — Hassel  could 
now  fetch  coal  at  any  time  under  cover,  and  escaped 
having  to  go  out  of  doors. 

But  this  was  not  the  end  of  our  great  underground 
works.  We  wanted  a  room  where  Wisting  could  store 
all  the  things  in  his  charge ;  he  was  specially  anxious 
about  the  reindeer-skin  clothing,  and  wished  to  have  it 
under  a  roof.  We  therefore  decided  upon  a  room  suffi- 
ciently large  to  house  all  these  articles,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  provide  working- space  for  Wisting  and  Hanssen, 
who  would  have  to  lash  all  the  sledges  as  fast  as  they 
came  from  Bjaaland.  Wisting  elected  to  build  this 
room  in  a  big  snow-drift  that  had  formed  around  the 
tent  in  which  he  had  kept  all  his  stuff;  the  spot  lay  to 
the  north-east  of  the  house.  The  Clothing  Store,  as 
this  building  was  called,  was  fairly  large,  and  provided 


278  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

space  not  only  for  all  our  equipment,  but  also  for  a 
workshop.  From  it  a  door  led  into  a  very  small  room, 
where  Wisting  set  up  his  sewing-machine  and  worked 
on  it  all  through  the  winter.  Continuing  in  a  north- 
easterly direction,  we  came  to  another  big  room,  called 
the  Crystal  Palace,  in  which  all  the  ski  and  sledging 
cases  were  stored.  Here  all  the  provisions  for  the  sledge 
journey  were  packed.  For  the  time  being  this  room 
remained  separate  from  the  others,  and  we  had  to  go 
out  of  doors  to  reach  it.  Later,  when  Lindstrom  had 
dug  out  an  enormous  hole  in  the  Barrier  at  the  spot 
where  he  took  all  the  snow  and  ice  for  cooking,  we  con- 
nected this  with  the  two  rooms  last  mentioned,  and 
were  thus  finally  able  to  go  everywhere  under  the  snow. 

The  astronomical  observatory  had  also  arisen ;  it  lay 
right  alongside  the  Crystal  Palace.  But  it  had  an 
air  of  suffering  from  debility,  and  before  very  long  it 
passed  peacefully  away.  Prestrud  afterwards  invented 
many  patents ;  he  used  an  empty  barrel  for  a  time  as  a 
pedestal,  then  an  old  block  of  wood.  His  experience  of 
instrument-stands  is  manifold. 

All  these  undertakings  were  finished  at  the  beginning 
of  May.  One  last  piece  of  work  remained,  and  then  at 
last  we  should  be  ready.  This  was  the  rebuilding  of 
the  depot.  The  small  heaps  in  which  the  cases  were 
piled  proved  unsatisfactory,  as  the  passages  between  the 
different  piles  offered  a  fine  site  for  snow-drifts.  All 
the  cases  were  now  taken  out  and  laid  in  two  long  rows, 


WORK  FOR  THE  WINTER  279 

with  sufficient  intervals  between  them  to  prevent  their 
offering  resistance  to  the  drifting  snow.  This  work  was 
carried  out  in  two  days. 

The  days  were  now  fairly  short,  and  we  were  ready 
to  take  up  our  indoor  work.  The  winter  duties  were 
assigned  as  follows :  Prestrud,  scientific  observations ; 
Johansen,  packing  of  sledging  provisions ;  Hassel  had 
to  keep  Lindstrom  supplied  with  coal,  wood,  and  par- 
affin, and  to  make  whip-lashes — an  occupation  he  was 
very  familiar  with  from  the  Frams  second  expedition  ; 
Stubberud  was  to  reduce  the  weight  of  the  sledge  cases 
to  a  minimum,  besides  doing  a  lot  of  other  things. 
There  was  nothing  he  could  not  turn  his  hand  to,  so  the 
programme  of  his  winter  work  was  left  rather  vague. 
I  knew  he  would  manage  a  great  deal  more  than  the 
sledge  cases,  though  it  must  be  said  that  it  was  a  tire- 
some job  he  had.  Bjaaland  was  allotted  the  task  which 
we  all  regarded  with  intense  interest — the  alteration  of 
the  sledges.  We  knew  that  an  enormous  amount  of 
weight  could  be  saved,  but  how  much  ?  Hanssen  and 
Wisting  had  to  lash  together  the  different  parts  as  they 
were  finished ;  this  was  to  be  done  in  the  Clothing 
Store.  These  two  had  also  a  number  of  other  things 
on  their  programme  for  the  winter. 

There  are  many  who  think  that  a  Polar  expedition 
is  synonymous  with  idleness.  I  wish  I  had  had  a  few 
adherents  of  this  belief  at  Framheim  that  winter  ;  they 
would  have  gone  away  with  a  different  opinion.  Not 


280  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

that  the  hours  of  work  were  excessively  long,  the  circum- 
stances forbade  that.  But  during  those  hours  the  work 
was  brisk. 

On  several  previous  sledge  journeys  I  had  made  the 
experience  that  thermometers  are  very  fragile  things. 
It  often  happens  that  at  the  beginning  of  a  journey  one 
breaks  all  one's  thermometers,  and  is  left  without  any 
means  of  determining  the  temperature.  If  in  such  cir- 
cumstances one  had  accustomed  oneself  to  guess  the 
temperature,  it  would  have  given  the  mean  temperature 
for  the  month  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy.  The 
guesses  for  single  days  might  vary  somewhat  from 
reality  on  one  side  or  the  other,  but,  as  I  say,  one  would 
arrive  at  a  fair  estimate  of  the  mean  temperature.  With 
this  in  my  mind  I  started  a  guessing  competition.  As 
each  man  came  in  in  the  morning  he  gave  his  opinion 
of  the  temperature  of  the  day,  and  this  was  entered  in  a 
book.  At  the  end  of  the  month  the  figures  were  gone 
through,  and  the  one  who  had  guessed  correctly  the 
greatest  number  of  times  won  the  prize — a  few  cigars. 
/  Besides  giving  practice  in  guessing  the  temperature,  it 
was  a  very  good  diversion  to  begin  the  day  with.  When 
one  day  is  almost  exactly  like  another,  as  it  was  with 
us,  the  first  hour  of  the  morning  is  often  apt  to  be  a 
little  sour,  especially  before  one  has  had  one's  cup  of 
coffee.  I  may  say  at  once  that  this  morning  grumpi- 
ness  very  seldom  showed  itself  with  us.  But  one  never 
knows — one  cannot  always  be  sure.  The  most  amiable 


GUESSING  THE  TEMPERATURE       281 

man  may  often  give  one  a  surprise  before  the  coffee  has 
had  its   effect.     In   this  respect  the  guessing  was  an 
excellent  thing ;   it  took  up  everyone's  attention,  and 
diverted  the  critical  moments.     Each  man's  entrance 
was  awaited  with  excitement,  and  one  man  was  not 
allowed  to  make  his  guess  in  the  hearing  of  the  next — 
that  would  undoubtedly  have  exercised  an  influence. 
Therefore  they  had  to  speak  as  they  came  in,  one  by  one. 
"  Now,  Stubberud,  what's  the  temperature  to-day  ?" 
Stubberud  had  his   own  way  of  calculating,  which  I 
never  succeeded  in  getting  at.     One  day,  for  instance, 
he  looked  about  him   and  studied  the   various  faces. 
"  It  isn't  warm  to-day,"  he  said  at  last,  with  a  great 
deal  of  conviction.     I  could  immediately  console  him 
with  the  assurance  that  he  had  guessed  right.     It  was 
-69°  F.     The  monthly  results  were  very  interesting. 
So  far  as  I  remember,  the  best  performance  the  compe- 
tition could  show  in  any  month  was  eight  approximately 
correct  guesses.     A  man  might  keep  remarkably  close 
to  the  actual  temperature  for  a  long  time,  and  then 
suddenly  one  day  make  an  error  of  25°.     It  proved  that 
the  winner's   mean  temperature   agreed  within  a  few 
tenths  of  a  degree  with  the  actual  mean  temperature  of 
the  month,  and  if  one  took  the  mean  of  all  the  com- 
petitors' mean   temperatures,  it  gave   a   result  which, 
practically  speaking,  agreed  with  the  reality.     It  was 
especially  with  this  object  in  view  that  this  guessing 
was  instituted.     If  later  on  we  should  be  so  unlucky  as 


282  PREPARING  FOR  WINTER 

to  lose  all  our  thermometers,  we  should  not  be  entirely 
at  a  loss.  It  may  be  convenient  to  mention  here  that 
on  the  southern  sledge  journey  we  had  four  ther- 
mometers with  us.  Observations  were  taken  three  times 
daily,  and  all  four  were  brought  home  in  undamaged 
condition.  Wisting  had  charge  of  this  scientific  branch, 
and  I  think  the  feat  he  achieved  in  not  breaking  any 
thermometers  is  unparalleled. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A    DAY    AT    FRAMHEIM 

IN  order  to  understand  our  daily  life  better,  we  will 
now  make  a  tour  of  Framheim.  It  is  June  23,  early  in 
the  morning.  Perfect  stillness  lies  over  the  Barrier- 
such  stillness  as  no  one  who  has  not  been  in  these 
regions  has  any  idea  of.  We  come  up  the  old  sledge 
road  from  the  place  where  the  Fram  used  to  lie.  You 
will  stop  several  times  on  the  way  and  ask  whether  this 
can  be  real ;  anything  so  inconceivably  beautiful  has 
never  yet  been  seen.  There  lies  the  northern  edge  of 
the  Fram  Barrier,  with  Mounts  Nelson  and  Ronniken 
nearest ;  behind  them,  ridge  after  ridge,  peak  after 
peak,  the  venerable  pressure  masses  rise,  one  higher 
than  another.  The  light  is  so  wonderful ;  what  causes 
this  strange  glow  ?  It  is  clear  as  daylight,  and  yet  the 
shortest  day  of  the  year  is  at  hand.  There  are  no 
shadows,  so  it  cannot  be  the  moon.  No  ;  it  is  one 
of  the  few  really  intense  appearances  of  the  aurora 
australis  that  receives  us  now.  It  looks  as  though 
Nature  wished  to  honour  our  guests,  and  to  show 
herself  in  her  best  attire.  And  it  is  a  gorgeous  dress 

283 


284  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

she  has  chosen.  Perfectly  calm,  clear  with  a  starry 
sparkle,  and  not  a  sound  in  any  direction.  But  wait : 
what  is  that?  Like  a  stream  of  fire  the  light  shoots 
across  the  sky,  and  a  whistling  sound  follows  the  move- 
ment. Hush !  can't  you  hear  ?  It  shoots  forward 
again,  takes  the  form  of  a  band,  and  glows  in  rays 
of  red  and  green.  It  stands  still  for  a  moment,  think- 
ing of  what  direction  it  shall  take,  and  then  away  again, 
followed  by  an  intermittent  whistling  sound.  So 
Nature  has  offered  us  on  this  wonderful  morning  one 
of  her  most  mysterious,  most  incomprehensible,  pheno- 
mena— the  audible  southern  light.  "  Now  you  will  be 
able  to  go  home  and  tell  your  friends  that  you  have 
personally  seen  and  heard  the  southern  lights,  for  I  sup- 
pose you  have  no  doubt  that  you  have  really  done  so  ?" 
"  Doubt  ?  How  can  one  be  in  doubt  about  what  one 
has  heard  with  one's  own  ears  and  seen  with  one's  own 
eyes  ?"  "  And  yet  you  have  been  deceived,  like  so 
many  others !  The  whistling  northern  and  southern 
lights  have  never  existed.  They  are  only  a  creation  of 
your  own  yearning  for  the  mystical,  accompanied  by 
your  own  breath,  which  freezes  in  the  cold  air.  Good- 
bye, beautiful  dream !  It  vanishes  from  the  glorious 
landscape."  Perhaps  it  was  stupid  of  me  to  call  atten- 
tion to  that ;  my  guests  have  now  lost  much  of  the 
beautiful  mystery,  and  the  landscape  no  longer  has  the 
same  attraction. 

Meanwhile  we  have  come  up  past  Nelson  and  Ronni- 


EARLY  MORNING  285 

ken,  and  are  just  climbing  the  first  ridge.  Not  far 
away  a  big  tent  rises  before  us,  and  in  front  of  it  we 
see  two  long,  dark  lines.  It  is  our  main  depot  that  we 
are  coming  to,  and  you  can  see  that  we  keep  our  things 
in  good  order,  case  upon  case,  as  if  they  had  been  placed 
in  position  by  an  expert  builder.  And  they  all  point 
the  same  way ;  all  the  numbers  face  the  north. 
'•"  What  made  you  choose  that  particular  direction  ?" 
is  the  natural  question.  "  Had  you  any  special  object  ?" 
"  Oh  yes,  we  had.  If  you  will  look  towards  the  east, 
you  will  notice  that  on  the  horizon  the  sky  has  a  rather 
lighter,  brighter  colour  there  than  in  any  other  part. 
That  is  the  day  as  we  see  it  now.  At  present  we  can- 
not see  to  do  anything  by  its  light.  It  would  have  been 
impossible  to  see  that  these  cases  were  lying  with  their 
numbers  to  the  north  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  brilliant 
aurora  australis.  But  that  light  colour  will  rise  and 
grow  stronger.  At  nine  o'clock  it  will  be  in  the  north- 
east, and  we  shall  be  able  to  trace  it  ten  degrees  above 
the  horizon.  You  would  not  then  think  it  gave  so 
much  light  as  it  really  does,  but  you  would  be  able 
without  an  effort  to  read  the  numbers.  What  is  more, 
you  would  be  able  to  read  the  makers'  names  which  are 
marked  on  several  of  the  cases,  and  when  the  flush  of 
daylight  has  moved  to  the  north,  you  will  be  able  to 
see  them  even  more  clearly.  No  doubt  these  figures 
and  letters  are  big — about  2  inches  high  and  1 J  inches 
broad — but  it  shows,  nevertheless,  that  we  have  day- 


286  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

light  here  at  the  darkest  time  of  the  year,  so  there 
is  not  the  absolute  darkness  that  people  think.  The 
tent  that  stands  behind  there  contains  dried  fish ;  we 
have  a  great  deal  of  that  commodity,  and  our  dogs  can 
never  suffer  hunger.  But  now  we  must  hurry  on,  if  we 
are  to  see  how  the  day  begins  at  Framheim. 

"What  we  are  passing  now  is  the  mark-flag.  We 
have  five  of  them  standing  between  the  camp  and  the 
depot ;  they  are  useful  on  dark  days,  when  the  east 
wind  is  blowing  and  the  snow  falling.  And  there  on 
the  slope  of  the  hill  you  see  Framheim.  At  present 
it  looks  like  a  dark  shadow  on  the  snow,  although  it  is 
not  far  away.  The  sharp  peaks  you  see  pointing  to  the 
sky  are  all  our  dog  tents.  The  hut  itself  you  cannot 
see ;  it  is  completely  snowed  under  and  hidden  in  the 
Barrier. 

"  But  I  see  you  are  getting  warm  with  walking.  We 
will  go  a  little  more  slowly,  so  that  you  won't  perspire 
too  much.  It  is  not  more  than  -51°,  so  you  have 
every  reason  to  be  warm  walking.  With  that  tempera- 
ture and  calm  weather  like  to-day  one  soon  feels  warm 
if  one  moves  about  a  little.  .  .  .  The  flat  place  we 
have  now  come  down  into  is  a  sort  of  basin ;  if  you 
bend  down  and  look  round  the  horizon,  you  will  be  able 
with  an  effort  to  follow  the  ridges  and  hummocks  the 
whole  way  round.  Our  house  lies  on  the  slope  we  are 
now  approaching.  We  chose  that  particular  spot,  as 
we  thought  it  would  offer  the  best  protection,  and  it 


ENTERING  THE  HUT  287 

turned  out  that  we  were  right.     The  wind  we  have  had 
has  nearly  always  come  from  the  east,  when  there  was 
any  strength  in  it,  and  against  such  winds  the  slope 
provides  an  excellent  shelter.     If  we  had  placed  our 
house  over  there  where  the  depot  stands,  we  should 
have  felt  the  weather  much  more  severely.     But  now 
you  must  be  careful  when  we  come  near  to  the  house, 
so  that  the  dogs  don't  hear  us.     We  have  now  about 
a  hundred  and  twenty  of  them,  and  if  they  once  start 
making  a  noise,  then  good-bye  to  the  peaceful  Polar 
morning.      Now  we  are  there,  and  in  such  daylight 
as  there  is,  you  can  see  the  immediate  surroundings. 
You  can't  see  the  house,  you  say.     No  ;  I  can  quite 
believe  it.     That  chimney  sticking  out  of  the  snow  is 
all  there  is  left  above  the  Barrier.     This  trap-door  we 
are  coming  to  you  might  take  for  a  loose  piece  of  board- 
ing thrown  out  on  the  snow,  but  that  is  not  the  case :  it 
is  the  way  down  into  our  home.     You  must  stoop  a  bit 
when  you  go  down  into  the  Barrier.     Everything  is  on 
a  reduced  scale  here  in  the  Polar  regions ;   we  can't 
afford  to  be  extravagant.     Now  you  have  four  steps 
down ;   take  care,  they  are  rather  high.     Luckily  we 
have  come  in  time  to  see  the  day  started.     I  see  the 
passage-lamp  is  not  yet  lighted,  so  Lindstrom  has  not 
turned  out.     Take  hold  of  the  tail  of  my  anorak  and 
follow  me.     This  is  a  passage  in  the  snow  that  we  are 
in,  leading  to  the  pent-house.     Oh  !  I'm  so  sorry ;  you 
must  forgive  me !     Did  you  hurt   yourself  ?     I   quite 


288  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

forgot  to  tell  you  to  look  out  for  the  threshold  of  the 
pent-house  door.  It  is  not  the  first  time  someone  has 
fallen  over  it.  That's  a  trap  we  have  all  fallen  into  ;  but 
now  we  know  it,  and  it  doesn't  catch  us  any  more. 

"  If  you  will  wait  a  second  I'll  strike  a  match,  and 
then  we  shall  see  our  way.  Here  we  are  in  the  kitchen. 
Now  make  yourself  invisible  and  follow  me  all  day,  and 
you  will  see  what  our  life  is  like.  As  you  know,  it  is 
St.  John's  Eve,  so  we  shall  only  work  during  the  fore- 
noon ;  but  you  will  be  able  to  see  how  we  spend  a 
holiday  evening.  When  you  send  your  account  home, 
you  must  promise  me  not  to  paint  it  in  too  strong 
colours.  Good-bye  for  the  present." 

Br-r-r-r-r-r !  There's  the  alarm-clock.  I  wait  and 
wait  and  wait.  At  home  1  am  always  accustomed  to 
hear  that  noise  followed  by  the  passage  of  a  pair  of  bare 
feet  across  the  floor,  and  a  yawn  or  so.  Here — not  a 
sound.  When  Amundsen  left  me  he  forgot  to  say 
where  I  could  best  put  myself.  I  tried  to  follow  him 
into  the  room,  but  the  atmosphere  there — no  thanks ! 
I  could  easily  guess  that  nine  men  were  sleeping  in 
a  room  19  feet  by  13  feet ;  it  did  not  require  anyone  to 
tell  me  that.  Still  not  a  sound.  I  suppose  they  only 
keep  that  alarm-clock  to  make  themselves  imagine 
they  are  turning  out.  Wait  a  minute,  though.  "  Lind- 
trom  !  Lindtrom  !"  He  went  by  the  name  of  Lindtrom, 
not  Lindstrom.  "  Now,  by  Jove  !  you've  got  to  get  up  ! 
The  clock's  made  row  enough."  That's  Wisting ;  I 


LINDSTROM  GETS  UP  289 

know  his  voice — I  know  him  at  home.     He  was  always 
an  early  bird.     A  frightful  crash  !     That's  Lindstrom 
slipping  out  of  his  bunk.     But  if  he  was  late  in  turning 
out,  it  did  not  take  him  long  to  get  into  his  clothes. 
One !  two !  three !  and  there  he  stood  in  the  doorway, 
with  a  little  lamp  in  his  hand.     It  was  now  six  o'clock. 
He  looked  well ;  round  and  fat,  as  when  I  saw  him  last. 
He  is  in  dark  blue  clothes,  with  a  knitted  helmet  over 
his  .head.     I  should  like  to  know  why ;  it  is  certainly 
not  cold  in  here.     For  that  matter,  I  have  often  felt  it 
colder  in  kitchens  at  home  in  the  winter,  so  that  cannot 
be  the  reason.     Oh,  I  have  it !     He  is  bald,  and  doesn't 
like  to  show  it.     That  is  often  the  way  with  bald  men  ; 
they  hate  anyone  seeing  it.     The  first  thing  he  does  is 
to  lay  the  fire.     The  range  is  under  the  window,  and 
takes   up   half  the   6   feet   by  13   feet  kitchen.      His 
method  of  laying  a  fire  is  the  first  thing  that  attracts 
my  attention.   At  home  we  generally  begin  by  splitting 
sticks  and  laying  the  wood   in  very   carefully.      But 
Lindstrom  just  shoves  the  wood  in  anyhow,  all  over 
the  place.     Well,  if  he  can  make  that  burn,  he's  clever. 
I  am  still  wondering  how  he  will  manage  it,  when  he 
suddenly  stoops  down  and  picks  up  a  can.     Without 
the   slightest  hesitation,  as  though  it  were  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world,  he  pours  paraffin  over  the 
wood.     Not  one  or  two  drops — oh  no;   he  throws  on 
enough  to  make  sure.     A  match — and  then  I  under- 
stood how  Lindstrom  got  it  to  light.     It  was  smartly 
VOL.  i.  19 


290  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

done,  I  must  say — but  Hassel  ought  to  have  seen  it ! 
Amundsen  had  told  me  something  of  their  arrange- 
ments on  the  way  up,  and  I  knew  Hassel  was  re- 
sponsible for  coal,  wood,  and  oil. 

The  water-pot  had  been  filled  the  evening  before, 
and  he  had  only  to  push  it  to  one  side  to  make  room 
for  the  kettle,  and  this  did  not  take  long  to  boil  with 
the  heat  he  had  set  going.  The  fire  burned  up  so  that 
it  roared  in  the  chimney — this  fellow  is  not  short  of 
fuel.  Strange,  what  a  hurry  he  is  in  to  get  that  coffee 
ready !  I  thought  breakfast  was  at  eight,  and  it  is 
now  not  more  than  a  quarter  past  six.  He  grinds  the 
coffee  till  his  cheeks  shake  to  and  fro — incessantly.  If 
the  quality  is  in  proportion  to  the  quantity,  it  must  be 
good  enough.  "  Devil  take  it" — Lindstrom's  morning 
greeting — "  this  coffee-mill  is  not  worth  throwing  to  the 
pigs  !  Might  just  as  well  chew  the  beans.  It  wouldn't 
take  so  long."  And  he  is  right ;  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  hard  work  he  has  only  ground  just  enough.  Now 
it  is  half-past  six.  On  with  the  coffee  !  Ah,  what  a  per- 
fume !  I  would  give  something  to  know  where  Amund- 
sen got  it  from.  Meanwhile  the  cook  has  taken  out  his 
pipe,  and  is  smoking  away  gaily  on  an  empty  stomach  ; 
it  does  not  seem  to  do  him  any  harm.  Hullo  !  there's 
the  coffee  boiling  over. 

While  the  coffee  was  boiling  and  Lindstrom  smoked, 
I  was  still  wondering  why  he  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  get 
the  coffee  ready.  You  ass  !  I  thought ;  can't  you  see  ? 


AT  WORK  IN  THE  KITCHEN          291 

Of  course,  he  is  going  to  give  himself  a  drink  of  fresh,  !/ 
hot  coffee  before  the  others  are  up  ;  that's  clear  enough. 
When  the  coffee  was  ready,  I  sat  down  on  a  camp-stool 
that  stood  in  a  corner,  and  watched  him.  But  I  must  say 
he  surprised  me  again.  He  pushed  the  coffee-kettle  away 
from  the  fire  and  took  down  a  cup  from  the  wall ;  then 
went  to  a  jug  that  stood  on  the  bench  and  poured  out — 
would  you  believe  it  ? — a  cugjof  cold  tea !  If  he  goes  on  in 
this  way,  we  shall  have  surprises  enough  before  evening, 
I  thought  to  myself.  Then  he  began  to  be  deeply 
interested  in  an  enamelled  iron  bowl,  which  stood  on 
a  shelf  above  the  range.  The  heat,  which  was  now 
intense  (I  looked  at  the  thermograph  which  hung  from 
the  ceiling;  it  registered  84°  F.),  did  not  seem  to  be 
sufficient  for  its  mysterious  contents.  It  was  also 
wrapped  up  in  towels  and  cloths,  and  gave  me  the 
impression  of  having  caught  a  severe  cold.  The  glances 
he  threw  into  it  from  time  to  time  were  anxious ;  he 
looked  at  the  clock,  and  seemed  to  have  something 
on  his  mind.  Then  suddenly  I  saw  his  face  brighten ; 
he  gave  a  long,  not  very  melodious  whistle,  bent  down, 
seized  a  dust-pan,  and  hurried  out  into  the  pent-house. 
Now  I  was  really  excited.  What  was  coming  next  ?  He 
came  back  at  once  with  a  happy  smile  all  over  his  face, 
and  the  dust-pan  full  of— coal !  If  I  had  been  curious 
before,  I  was  now  anxious.  I  withdrew  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  range,  sat  down  on  the  floor  itself,  and  fixed 
my  eyes  on  the  thermograph.  As  I  thought,  the  pen 


292  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

began  to  move  upward  with  rapid  steps.  This  was  too 
bad.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Meteoro- 
logical Institute  as  soon  as  I  got  home,  and  tell  them 
what  I  had  seen  with  my  own  eyes.  But  now  the  heat 
seemed  intolerable  down  on  the  floor,  where  I  was 
sitting ;  what  must  it  be  like — heavens  above,  the  man 
was  sitting  on  the  stove  !  He  must  have  gone  out 
of  his  mind.  I  was  just  going  to  give  a  cry  of  terror, 
when  the  door  opened,  and  in  came  Amundsen  from  the 
room.  I  gave  a  deep  sigh.  Now  it  would  be  all  right 
the  time  was  ten  minutes  past  seven.  "  'Morning, 
Fatty  !"— "  'Morning."— "  What's  it  like  outside?"— 
"  Easterly  breeze  and  thick  when  I  was  out ;  but  that's 
a  good  while  ago."  This  fairly  took  my  breath  away 
He  stood  there  with  the  coolest  air  in  the  world  and 
talked  about  the  weather,  and  I  could  take  my  oath  he 
had  not  been  outside  the  door  that  morning.  "  How's 
it  getting  on  to-day — is  it  coming  ?"  Amundsen  looks 
with  interest  at  the  mysterious  bowl.  Lindstrom  takes 
another  peep  under  the  cloth.  "  Yes,  it's  coming  at 
last ;  but  I've  had  to  give  it  a  lot  to-day." — "  Yes, 
it  feels  like  it,"  answers  the  other,  and  goes  out.  My 
interest  is  now  divided  between  "  it "  in  the  bowl  and 
Amundsen's  return,  with  the  meteorological  discussion 
that  will  ensue.  It  is  not  long  before  he  reappears  ; 
evidently  the  temperature  outside  is  not  inviting. 
"  Let's  hear  again,  my  friend  "  — he  seats  himself  on  the 
camp-stool  beside  which  I  am  sitting  on  the  floor — 


BUCKWHEAT  CAKES  293 

"  what  kind  of  weather  did  you  say  it  was  ?"  I  prick  up 
my  ears  ;  there  is  going  to  be  fun.  "  It  was  an  easterly 
breeze  and  thick  as  a  wall,  when  I  was  out  at  six 
o'clock." — "  Hm!  then  it  has  cleared  remarkably  quickly. 
It's  a  dead  calm  now,  and  quite  clear." — "  Ah,  that's  just 
what  I  should  have  thought !  I  could  see  it  was  falling 
light,  and  it  was  getting  brighter  in  the  east."  He  got 
out  of  that  well.  Meanwhile  it  was  again  the  turn 
of  the  bowl.  It  was  taken  down  from  the  shelf  over  the 
range  and  put  on  the  bench  ;  the  various  cloths  were 
removed  one  by  one  until  it  was  left  perfectly  bare. 
I  could  not  resist  any  longer ;  I  had  to  get  up  and  look. 
And  indeed  it  was  worth  looking  at.  The  bowl  was 
filled  to  the  brim  with  golden-yellow  dough,  full  of  air- 
bubbles,  and  showing  every  sign  that  he  had  got  it  to 
rise.  Now  I  began  to  respect  Lindstrom  ;  he  was  a 
devil  of  a  fellow.  No  confectioner  in  our  native  latitudes 
could  have  shown  a  finer  dough.  It  was  now  7.25  ; 
everything  seems  to  go  by  the  clock  here. 

Lindstrom  threw  a  last  tender  glance  at  his  bowl, 
picked  up  a  little  bottle  of  spirit,  and  went  into  the  next 
room.  I  saw  my  chance  of  following  him  in.  There 
was  not  going  to  be  any  fun  out  there  with  Amundsen, 
who  was  sitting  on  the  camp-stool  half  asleep.  In 
the  other  room  it  was  pitch-dark,  and  an  atmosphere- 
no,  ten  atmospheres  at  least !  I  stood  still  in  the  door- 
way and  breathed  heavily.  Lindstrom  stumbled  forward 
in  the  darkness,  felt  for  and  found  the  matches.  He 


294  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

struck  one,  and  lighted  a  spirit-holder  that  hung  beneath 
a  hanging  lamp.  There  was  not  much  to  be  seen  by 
the  light  of  the  spirit  flame ;  one  could  still  only  guess. 
Hear  too,  perhaps.  They  were  sound  sleepers,  those 
boys.  One  grunted  here  and  another  there  ;  they  were 
snoring  in  every  corner.  The  spirit  might  have  been 
burning  for  a  couple  of  minutes,  when  Lindstrom  had  to 
set  to  work  in  a  hurry.  He  was  off  just  as  the  flame 
went  out,  leaving  the  room  in  black  darkness.  I  heard 
the  spirit  bottle  and  the  nearest  stool  upset,  and  what 
followed  1  don't  know,  as  I  was  unfamiliar  with  the 
surroundings — but  there  was  a  good  deal  of  it.  I  heard 
a  click — had  no  idea  what  it  was — and  then  the  same 
movement  back  again  to  the  lamp.  Of  course,  he  now 
fell  over  the  stool  he  had  upset  before.  Meanwhile 
there  was  a  hissing  sound,  and  a  stifling  smell  of 
paraffin.  I  was  thinking  of  making  my  escape  through 
the  door,  when  suddenly,  just  as  I  suppose  it  happened 
on  the  first  day  of  Creation,  in  an  instant  there  was 
light.  But  it  was  a  light  that  defies  description ;  it 
dazzled  and  hurt  the  eyes,  it  was  so  bright.  It  was 
perfectly  white  and  extremely  agreeable — when  one 
was  not  looking  at  it.  Evidently  it  was  one  of  the 
200-candle  Lux  lamps.  My  admiration  for  Lindstrom 
had  now  risen  to  enthusiasm.  What  would  I  not  have 
given  to  be  able  to  make  myself  visible,  embrace  him, 
and  tell  him  what  I  thought  of  him  !  But  that  could 
not  be ;  I  should  not  then  be  able  to  see  life  at  Framheim 


LAYING  BREAKFAST  295 

as  it  really  was.  So  I  stood  still.  Lindstrorn  first  tried 
to  put  straight  what  he  had  upset  in  his  struggle  with 
the  lamp.  The  spirit  had,  of  course,  run  out  of  the 
bottle  when  it  fell,  and  was  now  flowing  all  over  the 
table.  This  did  not  seem  to  make  the  slightest  impres- 
sion on  him ;  a  little  scoop  with  his  hand,  and  it  all 
landed  on  Johansen's  clothes,  which  were  lying  close 
by.  This  fellow  seemed  to  be  as  well  off  for  spirit  as 
for  paraffin.  Then  he  vanished  into  the  kitchen,  but 
reappeared  immediately  with  plates,  cups,  knives  and 
forks.  Lindstrom's  laying  of  the  breakfast-table  was 
the  finest  clattering  performance  I  have  ever  heard. 
If  he  wanted  to  put  a  spoon  into  a  cup,  he  did  not  do  it 
in  the  ordinary  way  ;  no,  he  put  down  the  cup,  lifted  the 
spoon  high  in  the  air,  and  then  dropped  it  into  the  cup. 
The  noise  he  made  in  this  way  was  infernal.  Now 
I  began  to  see  why  Amundsen  had  got  up  so  early ;  he 
wanted  to  escape  this  process  of  laying  the  table,  I 
expect.  But  this  gave  me  at  once  an  insight  into  the 
good -humour  of  the  gentlemen  in  bed :  if  this  had 
happened  anywhere  else,  Lindstrom  would  have  had 
a  boot  at  his  head.  But  here — they  must  have  been  the 
most  peaceable  men  in  the  world. 

Meanwhile  I  had  had  time  to  look  around  me. 
Close  to  the  door  where  I  was  standing  a  pipe  came 
down  to  the  floor.  It  struck  me  at  once  that  this  was 
a  ventilating-pipe.  I  bent  down  and  put  my  hand  over 
the  opening  ;  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  hint  of  air  to 


296  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHE1M 

be  felt.  So  this  was  the  cause  of  the  bad  atmosphere. 
The  next  things  that  caught  my  eye  were  the  bunks — 
nine  of  them :  three  on  the  right  hand  and  six  on  the 
left.  Most  of  the  sleepers — if  they  could  be  regarded 
as  such  while  the  table  was  being  laid — slept  in  bags- 
sleeping-bags.  They  must  have  been  warm  enough. 
The  rest  of  the  space  was  taken  up  by  a  long  table, 
with  small  stools  on  two  sides  of  it.  Order  appeared 
to  reign  ;  most  of  the  clothes  were  hung  up.  Of  course, 
a  few  lay  on  the  floor,  but  then  Lindstrom  had  been 
running  about  in  the  dark,  and  perhaps  he  had  pulled 
them  down.  On  the  table,  by  the  window,  stood  a 
gramophone  and  some  tobacco-boxes  and  ash-trays. 
The  furniture  was  not  plentiful,  nor  was  it  in  the  style 
of  Louis  Quinze  or  Louis  Seize,  but  it  was  sufficient. 
On  the  wall  with  the  window  hung  a  few  paintings, 
and  on  the  other  portraits  of  the  King,  Queen,  and 
Crown  Prince  Olav,  apparently  cut  out  of  an  illustrated 
paper,  and  pasted  on  blue  cardboard.  In  the  corner 
nearest  the  door  on  the  right,  where  there  was  no  bunk, 
the  space  seem  to  be  occupied  by  clothes,  some  hanging 
on  the  wall,  some  on  lines  stretched  across.  So  that 
was  the  drying-place,  modest  in  its  simplicity.  Under 
the  table  were  some  varnished  boxes — Heaven  knows 
what  they  were  for ! 

Now  there  seemed  to  be  life  in  one  of  the  bunks.  It 
was  Wisting,  who  was  getting  tired  of  the  noise  that 
still  continued.  Lindstrom  took  his  time,  rattling  the 


STIRRING  THEM  UP  297 

spoons,  smiling  maliciously  to  himself,  and  looking  up  at 
the  bunks.  He  did  not  make  all  this  racket  for  nothing. 
Wisting,  then,  was  the  first  to  respond,  and  apparently 
the  only  one  ;  at  any  rate,  there  was  not  a  sign  of  move- 
ment in  any  of  the  others.  "  Good-morning,  Fatty !" 
"  Thought  you  were  going  to  stop  there  till  dinner." 
This  is  Lindstrom's  greeting.  "  Look  after  yourself,  old 
'un.  If  I  hadn't  got  you  out,  you'd  have  been  asleep 
still."  That  was  paying  him  in  his  own  coin :  Wisting 
was  evidently  not  to  be  trifled  with.  However,  they 
smiled  and  nodded  to  each  other  in  a  way  that  showed 
that  there  was  no  harm  meant.  At  last  Lindstrom  had 
got  rid  of  the  last  cup,  and  brought  down  the  curtain 
on  that  act  with  the  dropping  of  the  final  spoon.  I 
thought  now  that  he  would  go  back  to  his  work  in  the 
kitchen  ;  but  it  looked  as  if  he  had  something  else  to 
do  first.  He  straightened  himself,  thrust  his  chin  in 
the  air  and  put  his  head  back — reminding  me  very 
forcibly  of  a  young  cockerel  preparing  to  crow — and 
roared  with  the  full  force  of  his  lungs  :  "  Turn  out, 
boys,  and  look  sharp !"  Now  he  had  finished  his  morn- 
ing duty  there.  The  sleeping-bags  seemed  suddenly  to 
awake  to  life,  arid  such  remarks  as,  "  That's  a  devil  of  a 
fellow  1"  or  "  Shut  up,  you  old  chatterbox  1"  showed  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Framheim  were  now  awake.  Beaming 
with  joy,  the  cause  of  the  trouble  disappeared  into  the 
kitchen. 

And  now,  one  after  the  other  they  stick  their  heads 


298  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

out,  followed  by  the  rest  of  them.  That  must  be 
Helmer  Hanssen,  who  was  on  the  Gjoa  ;  he  looks  as  if 
he  could  handle  a  rope.  Ah,  and  there  we  have  Olav 
Olavson  Bjaaland  !  I  could  have  cried  aloud  for  joy— 
my  old  friend  from  Holmenkollen,  The  great  long- 
distance runner,  you  remember.  And  he  managed 
the  jump,  too  —  50  metres,  I  think  —  standing.  If 
Amundsen  has  a  few  like  him,  he  will  get  to  the 
Pole  all  right.  And  there  comes  Stubberud,  the  man 
the  Aftenpost  said  was  so  clever  at  double-entry  book- 
keeping. As  I  see  him  now,  he  does  not  give  me  the 
impression  of  being  a  book-keeper — but  one  can't  tell. 
And  here  come  Hassel,  Johansen,  and  Prestrud ;  now 
they  are  all  up,  and  will  soon  begin  the  day's  work. 

"  Stubberud  1"  It  is  Liridstrom  putting  his  head  in 
at  the  door.  "  If  you  want  any  hot  cakes,  you  must 
get  some  air  down."  Stubberud  merely  smiles ;  he 
looks  as  if  he  felt  sure  of  getting  them,  all  the  same. 
What  was  it  he  talked  about  ?  Hot  cakes  ?  They 
must  be  connected  with  the  beautiful  dough  and  the 
delicate,  seductive  smell  of  cooking  that  is  now  pene- 
trating through  the  crack  of  the  door.  Stubberud  is 
going,  and  I  must  go  with  him.  Yes,  as  I  thought — 
there  stands  Lindstrom  in  all  his  glory  before  the 
range,  brandishing  the  weapon  with  which  he  turns  the 
cakes ;  and  in  a  pan  lie  three  brownish-yellow  buck- 
wheat cakes  quivering  with  the  heat  of  the  fire. 
Heavens,  how  hungry  it  made  me  !  I  take  up  my 


LINDSTROM   WITH    THE    BUCKWHEAT   CAKES. 


To  face  page  298,  Vol.  I. 


TOOTH-BRUSHING  PERFORMANCE    299 

old  position,  so  as  not  to  be  in  anyone's  way,  and  watch 
Lindstrom.  He's  the  man — he  produces  hot  cakes  with 
astonishing  dexterity ;  it  almost  reminds  one  of  a  juggler 
throwing  up  balls,  so  rapid  and  regular  is  the  process. 
The  way  he  manipulates  the  cake-slice  shows  a  fabulous 
proficiency.  With  the  skimmer  in  one  hand  he  dumps 
fresh  dough  into  the  pan,  and  with  the  cake-slice  in  the 
other  he  removes  those  that  are  done,  all  at  the  same 
time ;  it  seems  almost  more  than  human  ! 

There  comes  Wisting,  salutes,  and  holds  out  a  little 
tin  mug.  Flattered  by  the  honour,  the  cook  fills  his 
mug  with  boiling  water,  and  he  disappears  into  the 
pent-house.  But  this  interruption  puts  Lindstrom  off 
his  jugglery  with  the  hot  cakes — one  of  them  rolls  down 
on  to  the  floor.  This  fellow  is  extraordinarily  phlegmatic ; 
I  can't  make  out  whether  he  missed  that  cake  or  not. 
I  believe  the  sigh  that  escaped  him  at  the  same  instant 
meant  something  like  :  "  Well,  we  must  leave  some  for 
the  dogs." 

And  now  they  all  come  in  single  file  with  their  little 
mugs,  and  get  each  a  drop  of  boiling  water.  I  get  up, 
interested  in  this  proceeding,  and  slip  out  with  one  of 
them  into  the  pent-house  and  so  on  to  the  Barrier. 
You  will  hardly  believe  me,  when  I  tell  you  what  I 
saw — all  the  Polar  explorers  standing  in  a  row,  brushing 
their  teeth  1  What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  So  they  are 
not  such  absolute  pigs,  after  all.  There  was  a  scent  of 
Stomatol  everywhere. 


300  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

Here  comes  Amundsen.  He  has  evidently  been  out 
taking  the  meteorological  observations,  as  he  holds  the 
anemometer  in  one  hand.  I  follow  him  through  the 
passage,  and,  when  no  one  is  looking,  take  the  oppor- 
tunity of  slapping  him  on  the  shoulder  and  saying: 
"A  grand  lot  of  boys."  He  only  smiled;  but  a  smile 
may  often  say  more  than  many  words.  I  understood 
what  it  meant ;  he  had  known  that  a  long  while  and  a 
good  deal  more. 

It  was  now  eight  o'clock.  The  door  from  the  kitchen 
to  the  room  was  left  wide  open,  and  the  warmth  streamed 
in  and  mixed  with  the  fresh  air  that  Stubberud  had  now 
forced  to  come  down  the  right  way.  Now  it  was 
pleasanter  inside — fresh,  warm  air  everywhere.  Then 
came  a  very  interesting  scene.  As  the  tooth-brushing 
gentlemen  returned,  they  had  to  guess  the  temperature, 
one  by  one.  This  gave  occasion  for  much  joking  and 
fun,  and,  amid  laughter  and  chat,  the  first  meal  of  the 
day  was  taken.  In  after-dinner  speeches,  amid  toasts 
and  enthusiasm,  our  Polar  explorers  are  often  compared 
with  our  forefathers,  the  bold  vikings.  This  comparison 
never  occurred  to  me  for  a  moment  when  I  saw  this 
assemblage  of  ordinary,  everyday  men — brushing  their 
teeth.  But  now  that  they  were  busy  with  the  dishes,  I 
was  bound  to  acknowledge  its  aptitude ;  for  our  fore- 
fathers the  vikings  could  not  possibly  have  attacked 
their  food  with  greater  energy  than  these  nine  men 
did. 


BREAKFAST  301 

One  pile  of  "  hot-chek  "  after  another  disappeared  as  if 
they  had  been  made  of  air — and  I,  in  my  simplicity,  had 
imagined  that  one  of  them  was  a  man's  ration  !     Spread 
with  butter  arid  surmounted  with  jam,  these  cakes  slipped 
down  with  fabulous  rapidity.     With  a  smile  I  thought 
of  the  conjurer,  holding  an  egg  in  his  hand  one  minute 
and  making  it  disappear  the  next.     If  it  is  a  cook's  best 
reward  to  see  his  food  appreciated,  then,  indeed,  Lind- 
strom  had  good  wages.     The  cakes  were  washed  down 
with  big  bowls  of  strong,  aromatic  coffee.     One  could 
soon  trace  the  effect,  and  conversation  became  general. 
The  first  great  subject  was  a  novel,  which  was  obviously 
very  popular,  and  was  called  "  The  Rome  Express."     It 
appeared  to  me,  from  what  was  said — I  have  unfortu- 
nately never  read  this  celebrated  work — that  a  murder 
had  been  committed  in  this  train,  and  a  lively  discussion 
arose  as  to  who  had  committed  it.     I  believe  the  general 
verdict  was  one  of  suicide.     I  have  always   supposed 
that  subjects  of  conversation  must  be  very  difficult  to 
find  on  expeditions  like  these,  where  the  same  people 
mix  day  after  day  for  years  ;  but  there  was  certainly  no 
sign  of  any  such  difficulty  here.     No  sooner  had  the 
express  vanished  in  the  distance  than  in  steamed — the 
language  question.     And  it  came  at  full  steam,  too.     It 
was   clear  that   there  were   adherents   of  both   camps 
present.     For   fear   of  hurting   the   feelings   of  either 
party,  I  shall  abstain  from  setting  down  what  I  heard : 
but  I  may  say  as  much  as  this — that  the  party  of  reform 


302  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

ended  by  declaring  the  maal*  to  be  the  only  proper 
speech  of  Norway,  while  their  opponents  maintained 
the  same  of  their  language. 

After  a  while  pipes  came  out,  and  the  scent  of  "  plug  " 
soon  struggled  with  the  fresh  air  for  supremacy.  Over 
the  tobacco  the  work  for  the  day  was  discussed. 
"  Well,  I'll  have  enough  to  do  supplying  that  wood- 
swallower  over  the  holiday,"  said  Hassel.  I  gave  a 
chuckle.  If  Hassel  had  known  of  the  way  the  paraffin 
was  used  that  morning,  he  would  have  added  something 
about  the  "  oil-drinker,"  I  expect.  It  was  now  half-past 
eight,  and  Stubberud  and  Bjaaland  got  up.  From  the 
number  of  different  garments  they  took  out  and  put  on, 
I  guessed  they  were  going  out.  Without  saying  any- 
thing, they  trudged  out.  Meanwhile  the  others  con- 
tinued their  morning  smoke,  and  some  even  began  to 
read,  but  by  about  nine  they  were  all  on  the  move. 
They  put  on  their  skin  clothing  and  made  ready  to  go 
out.  By  this  time  Bjaaland  and  Stubberud  had  returned 
from  a  walk,  as  1  understood  from  such  remarks  as 
"  Beastly  cold,"  "  Sharp  snow  by  the  depot,"  and  the 
like.  Prestrud  was  the  only  one  who  did  not  get  ready 
to  go  out ;  he  went  to  an  open  space  underneath  the 
farthest  bunk,  where  there  was  a  box.  He  raised  the 
lid  of  this,  and  three  chronometers  appeared ;  at  the 

*  A  language  based  on  that  of  the  country  districts,  as  opposed  to 
the  literary  language,  which  is  practically  the  same  as  Danish.  The 
maal  is  more  closely  related  to  Old  Norse. — TR. 


AMONG  THE  DOGS  303 

same  moment  three  of  the  men  produced  their  watches, 
and  a  comparison  was  made  and  entered  in  a  book. 
After  each  watch  had  been  compared,  its  owner  went 
outside,  taking  his  watch  with  him.  I  took  the  oppor- 
tunity of  slipping  out  with  the  last  man — Prestrud  and 
his  chronometers  were  too  serious  for  me ;  I  wanted  to 
see  what  the  others  were  about. 

There  was  plenty  of  life  outside  ;  dogs'  howls  in  every 
key  came  from  the  tents.  Some  of  those  who  had  left 
the  house  before  us  were  out  of  sight,  so  they  had 
probably  gone  to  their  respective  tents,  and  presently 
one  could  see  by  the  lights  that  they  were  in  the  act  of 
letting  their  dogs  loose.  How  well  the  lighted-up  tents 
looked  against  the  dark,  star-strewn  sky !  Though  it 
could  no  longer  be  called  dark  :  the  little  flush  of  dawn 
had  spread  and  overpowered  the  glow  of  the  aurora 
australis,  which  had  greatly  decreased  since  I  last  saw 
it ;  evidently  it  was  near  its  end.  Now  the  four-footed 
band  began  to  swarm  out,  darting  like  rockets  from  the 
tents.  Here  were  all  colours — grey,  black,  red,  brown, 
white,  and  a  mixture  of  all  of  them.  What  surprised 
me  was  that  they  were  all  so  small ;  but  otherwise  they 
looked  splendid.  Plump  and  round,  well  kept  and 
groomed,  bursting  with  life.  They  instantly  collected 
into  little  groups  of  from  two  to  five,  and  it  was  easy  to 
see  that  these  groups  consisted  of  intimate  friends — they 
absolutely  petted  each  other.  In  each  of  these  clusters 
there  was  one  in  particular  who  was  made  much  of ;  all 


304  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

the  others  came  round  him,  licked  him,  fawned  upon 
him,  and  gave  him  every  sign  of  deference. 

They  all  run  about  without  a  sign  of  unfriendliness. 
Their  chief  interest  seems  to  be  centred  in  two  large 
black  mounds  that  are  visible  in  the  foreground  of  the 
camp  ;  what  they  are  I  am  unable  to  make  out — there  is 
not  light  enough  for  that — but  I  am  probably  not  far 
wrong  in  guessing  that  they  are  seals.  They  are  rather 
hard  eating,  anyhow,  for  I  can  hear  them  crunching 
under  the  dogs'  teeth.  Here  there  is  an  occasional 
disturbance  of  the  peace  ;  they  do  not  seem  to  agree  so 
well  over  their  food,  but  there  is  never  a  regular  battle. 
A  watchman  is  present,  armed  with  a  stick,  and  when 
he  shows  himself  and  makes  his  voice  heard,  they  soon 
separate.  They  appear  to  be  well  disciplined. 

What  appealed  to  me  most  was  the  youngsters  and 
the  youngest  of  all.  The  young  ones,  to  judge  from 
their  appearance,  were  about  ten  months  old.  They 
were  perfect  in  every  way  ;  one  could  see  they  had  been 
well  cared  for  from  their  birth.  Their  coats  were 
surprisingly  thick — much  more  so  than  those  of  the 
older  dogs.  They  were  remarkably  plucky,  and  would 
not  give  in  to  anyone. 

And  there  are  the  smallest  of  all — like  little  balls  of 
wool ;  they  roll  themselves  in  the  snow  and  have  great 
fun.  I  am  astonished  that  they  can  stand  the  cold  as 
they  do  ;  I  should  never  have  thought  that  such  young 
animals  could  live  through  the  winter.  Afterwards  I 





FIX'S  EXPLOITS  305 

was  told  that  they  not  only  bore  the  cold  well,  but  were 
far  more  hardy  than  the  older  ones.  While  the  grown- 
up dogs  were  glad  to  go  into  their  tents  in  the  evening, 
the  little  ones  refused  to  do  so ;  they  preferred  to  sleep 
outside.  And  they  did  so  for  a  great  part  of  the 
winter. 

Now  all  the  men  have  finished  unchaining  their  dogs, 
and,  with  their  lanterns  in  their  hands,  they  move  in 
various  directions  and  disappear — apparently  into  the 
Barrier  surface.  There  will  be  many  interesting  things 
to  see  here  in  the  course  of  the  day — I  can  understand 
that.  What  on  earth  became  of  all  these  people  ?  There 
we  have  Amundsen ;  he  is  left  alone,  and  appears  to  be 
in  charge  of  the  dogs.  I  go  up  to  him  and  make  myself 
known. 

"  Ah,  I'm  glad  you  came,"  he  says ;  "  now  I  can  intro- 
duce you  to  some  of  our  celebrities.  To  begin  with, 
here  is  the  trio — Fix,  Lasse,  and  Snuppesen.  They 
always  behave  like  this  when  I  am  out — could  not  think 
of  leaving  me  in  peace  for  an  instant.  Fix,  that  big 
grey  one  that  looks  like  a  wolf,  has  many  a  snap  on  his 
conscience.  His  first  exploit  was  on  Flekkero,  near 
Christiansand,  where  all  the  dogs  were  kept  for  a  month 
after  they  arrived  from  Greenland  ;  there  he  gave  Lind- 
strom  a  nasty  bite  when  his  back  was  turned.  What 
do  you  think  of  a  bite  of  a  mouth  like  that  ?" 

Fix  is  now  tame,  and  without  a  growl  allows  his 
master  to  take  hold  of  his  upper  and  under  jaws  and 

VOL.  i.  20 


306  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

open  his  mouth — ye  gods,  what  teeth !  I  inwardly 
rejoice  that  I  was  not  in  Lindstrom's  trousers  that  day. 
"  If  you  notice,"  he  continues,  with  a  smile,  "  you  will 
see  that  Lindstrom  still  sits  down  cautiously.  I  myself 
have  a  mark  on  my  left  calf,  and  a  good  many  more  of 
us  have  the  same.  There  are  several  of  us  who  still 
treat  him  with  respect.  And  here  we  have  Lassesen 
— that's  his  pet  name ;  he  was  christened  Lasse — 
almost  pure  black,  as  you  see.  I  believe  he  was  the 
wildest  of  the  lot  when  they  came  on  board.  I  had 
him  fastened  up  on  the  bridge  with  my  other  dogs, 
beside  Fix — those  two  were  friends  from  their  Green- 
land days.  But  I  can  tell  you  that  when  I  had  to  pass 
Lasse,  I  always  judged  the  distance  first.  As  a  rule,  he 
just  stood  looking  down  at  the  deck — exactly  like  a  mad 
bull.  If  I  tried  to  make  overtures,  he  didn't  move— 
stood  quite  still ;  but  I  could  see  how  he  drew  back  his 
upper  lip  and  showed  a  row  of  teeth,  with  which  I  had 
no  desire  to  become  acquainted.  A  fortnight  passed  in 
this  way.  Then  at  last  the  upper  lip  sank  and  the  head 
was  raised  a  little,  as  though  he  wanted  to  see  who  it 
was  that  brought  him  food  and  water  every  day.  But 
the  way  from  that  to  friendship  was  long  and  tortuous. 
In  the  time  that  followed,  I  used  to  scratch  him  on  the 
back  with  a  stick ;  at  first  he  jumped  round,  seized  the 
stick,  and  crushed  it  between  his  teeth.  I  thought 
myself  lucky  that  it  was  not  my  hand.  I  came  a  little 
nearer  to  him  every  day,  until  one  day  I  risked  my 


THE  PROFESSIONAL  SINGER          307 

hand.  He  gave  me  an  ugly  look,  but  did  nothing ;  and 
then  came  the  beginning  of  our  friendship.  Day  by 
day  we  became  better  friends,  and  now  you  can  see 
what  footing  we  are  on.  The  third  is  Snuppesen,  a 
dark  red  lady  ;  she  is  their  sworn  friend,  and  never  leaves 
them.  She  is  the  quickest  and  most  active  of  our  dogs. 
You  can  see  that  she  is  fond  of  me ;  she  is  generally  on 
her  hind  legs,  and  makes  every  effort  to  get  at  my  face. 
I  have  tried  to  get  her  out  of  the  way  of  that,  but  in 
vain  ;  she  will  have  her  own  way.  I  have  no  other 
animals  for  the  moment  that  are  worth  showing — unless 
you  would  care  to  hear  a  song.  If  so,  there  is  Uranus, 
who  is  a  professional  singer.  We'll  take  the  trio  with 
us,  and  you  shall  hear." 

We  made  for  two  black-and-white  dogs  that  were 
lying  by  themselves  on  the  snow  a  little  way  off,  while 
the  three  jumped  and  danced  about  us.  As  we  ap- 
proached the  other  two,  and  they  caught  sight  of  the 
trio,  they  both  jumped  up  as  though  at  a  word  of  com- 
mand, and  I  guessed  that  we  had  found  the  singer. 
Lord  save  us,  what  an  awful  voice !  I  could  see  that 
the  concert  was  for  Lasse's  benefit,  and  Uranus  kept  it 
up  as  long  as  we  stood  in  his  vicinity.  But  then  my 
attention  was  suddenly  aroused  by  the  appearance  of 
another  trio,  which  made  an  extraordinary  favourable 
impression.  I  turned  to  my  companion  for  information. 

"  Yes,"  he  continued,  "  those  are  three  of  Hanssen's 
team ;  probably  some  of  our  best  animals.  The  big 


308  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

black-and-white  one  is  called  Zanko — he  appears  to  be 
rather  old ;  the  two  others,  which  look  like  sausages 
with  matches  underneath,  are  Ring  and  Mylius.  As 
you  see,  they  are  not  very  big,  rather  on  the  small  side, 
but  they  are  undoubtedly  among  our  best  workers. 
From  their  looks  we  have  concluded  that  they  are 
brothers — they  are  as  like  as  two  drops  of  water.  Now 
we  will  go  straight  through  the  mass  and  see  whether 
we  come  across  any  more  celebrities.  There  we  have 
Karertius,  Sauen,  Schwartz,  and  Lucy ;  they  belong  to 
Stubberud,  and  are  a  power  in  the  camp.  Bjaaland's 
tent  is  close  by ;  his  favourites  are  lying  there — Kvsen, 
Lap,  Pan,  Gorki,  and  Jaala.  They  are  small,  all  of 
them,  but  fine  dogs.  There,  in  the  south-east  corner, 
stands  Hassel's  tent,  but  we  shall  not  see  any  of  his 
dogs  here  now.  They  are  all  lying  outside  the  entrance 
to  the  oil-store,  where  he  is  generally  to  be  found.  The 
next  tent  is  Wisting's.  We  must  take  a  turn  round 
there  and  see  if  we  can  find  his  lot.  There  they  are— 
those  four  playing  there.  The  big,  reddish-brown  one 
on  the  right  is  the  Colonel,  our  handsomest  animal. 
His  three  companions  are  Suggen,  Arne,  and  Brun.  1 
must  tell  you  a  little  story  about  the  Colonel  when  he 
was  on  Flekkero.  He  was  perfectly  wild  then,  and  he 
broke  loose  and  jumped  into  the  sea.  He  wasn't  dis- 
covered till  he  was  half-way  between  Flekkero  and  the 
mainland,  where  he  was  probably  going  in  search  of  a 
joint  of  mutton.  Wisting  and  Lindstrom,  who  were 


DOGS    EXERCISING. 


HELMER   HANSSEN    ON    A    SEAL-HUNT. 


To  face  page  BOS,  Vol.  I. 


UNDERGROUND  FRAMHEIM          309 

then  in  charge  of  the  dogs,  put  off  in  a  boat,  and  finally 
succeeded  in  overtaking  him,  but  they  had  a  hard  tussle 
before  they  managed  to  get  him  on  board.  Afterwards 
Wisting  had  a  swimming-race  with  the  Colonel,  but  I 
don't  remember  what  was  the  result.  We  can  expect  a 
great  deal  of  these  dogs.  There's  Johansen's  tent  over 
in  the  corner ;  there  is  not  much  to  be  said  about 
his  dogs.  The  most  remarkable  of  them  is  Camilla. 
She  is  an  excellent  mother,  and  brings  up  her 
children  very  well ;  she  usually  has  a  whole  army  of 
them,  too. 

"  Now  I  expect  you  have  seen  dogs  enough,  so,  if  you 
have  no  objection,  I  will  show  you  underground  Fram- 
heim  and  what  goes  on  there.  I  may  just  as  well  add 
that  we  are  proud  of  this  work,  and  you  will  probably 
find  that  we  have  a  right  to  be.  We'll  begin  with 
Hassel,  as  his  department  is  nearest." 

We  now  went  in  the  direction  of  the  house,  passed 
its  western  end,  and  soon  arrived  at  an  erection  that 
looked  like  a  derrick.  Underneath  it  was  a  large  trap- 
door. Where  the  three  legs  of  the  derrick  met,  there 
was  made  fast  a  small  block,  and  through  the  block  ran 
a  rope,  made  fast  at  one  end  to  the  trap-door.  A 
weight  hung  at  the  other  end,  some  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  snow. 

"  Now  we  are  at  Hassel's,"  said  my  companion.  It 
was  a  good  thing  he  could  not  see  me,  for  I  must  have 
looked  rather  foolish.  At  Hassel's  ?  I  said  to  myself. 


310  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

What  in  the  world  does  the  man  mean  ?     We  were 
standing  on  the  bare  Barrier. 

"  Do  you   hear  that  noise  ?     That's  Hassel  sawing 
wood." 

Now  he  bent  down  and  raised  the  heavy  trap-door 
easily  with  the  help  of  the  weight.  Broad  steps  of  snow 
led  down,  deep  down,  into  the  Barrier.  We  left  the 
trap-door  open,  so  as  to  have  the  benefit  of  the  little 
daylight  there  was.  My  host  went  first ;  I  followed. 
After  descending  four  or  five  steps,  we  came  to  a  door- 
way which  was  covered  with  a  woollen  curtain.  We 
pushed  this  aside.  The  sound  that  had  first  reached 
me  as  a  low  rumbling  now  became  sharper,  and  I  could 
plainly  hear  that  it  was  caused  by  sawing.  We  went 
in.  The  room  we  entered  was  long  and  narrow,  cut  out 
of  the  Barrier.  On  a  solid  shelf  of  snow  there  lay  barrel 
after  barrel  arranged  in  exemplary  order ;  if  they  were 
all  full  of  paraffin,  I  began  to  understand  Lindstrom's 
extravagance  in  lighting  his  fire  in  the  morning : 
here  was  paraffin  enough  for  several  years.  In  the 
middle  of  the  room  a  lantern  was  hanging,  an  ordinary 
one  with  wire  netting  round  the  glass.  In  a  dark  room 
it  certainly  would  not  have  given  much  light,  but  in 
these  white  surroundings  it  shone  like  the  sun.  A 
Primus  lamp  was  burning  on  the  floor.  The  ther- 
mometer, which  hung  a  little  way  from  the  Primus, 
showed  -  5°  F.,  so  Hassel  could  hardly  complain  of  the 
heat,  but  he  had  to  saw,  so  it  did  not  matter.  We 


HASSEL  AND  THE  COAL  311 

approached  Hassel.  He  looked  as  if  he  had  plenty  to 
do,  and  was  sawing  away  so  that  the  sawdust  was 
flying.  "  'Morning." — "  'Morning."  The  sawdust  flew 
faster  and  faster.  "You  seem  to  be  busy  to-day." — 
"  Oh  yes  !" — the  saw  was  now  working  with  dangerous 
rapidity — "if  I'm  to  get  finished  for  the  holiday,  I 
must  hurry  up." — "  How's  the  coal-supply  getting  on  ?" 
That  took  effect.  The  saw  stopped  instantly,  was 
raised,  and  put  down  by  the  wall.  1  waited  for  the 
next  step  in  suppressed  excitement ;  something  hitherto 
undreamt  of  must  be  going  to  happen.  Hassel  looked 
round — one  can  never  be  careful  enough — approached 
my  host,  and  whispered,  with  every  sign  of  caution: 
"  I  did  him  out  of  twenty-five  kilos  last  week."  I 
breathed  again  ;  I  had  expected  something  much  worse 
than  that.  With  a  smile  of  satisfaction  Hassel  re- 
sumed his  interrupted  work,  and  I  believe  nothing  in 
the  world  would  have  stopped  him  again.  The  last  I 
saw  as  we  returned  through  the  doorway  was  Hassel 
surrounded  by  a  halo  of  sawdust. 

We  were  back  on  the  Barrier  surface  ;  a  touch  of  the 
finger,  and  the  trap -door  swung  over  and  fell  noise- 
lessly into  its  place.  I  could  see  that  Hassel  was 
capable  of  other  things  besides  sawing  birchwood. 
Outside  lay  his  team,  guarding  all  his  movements — 
Mikkel,  Rgeven,  Masmas,  and  Else.  They  all  looked 
well.  Now  we  were  going  to  see  the  others. 

We  went  over  to  the  entrance  of  the  hut  and  raised 


312  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

the  trap-door  ;  a  dazzling  light  met  my  eyes.  In  the 
wall  of  the  steps  leading  down  from  the  surface  a 
recess  had  been  cut  to  hold  a  wooden  case  lined  with 
bright  tin  ;  this  contained  a  little  lamp  which  produced 
this  powerful  light.  But  it  was  the  surroundings  that 
made  it  so  bright — ice  and  snow  everywhere.  Now  I 
could  look  about  me  for  the  first  time  ;  it  had  been 
dark  when  I  came  in  the  morning.  There  was  the 
snow-tunnel  leading  to  the  pent-house ;  I  could  see 
that  by  the  threshold  that  grinned  at  me.  But  there, 
in  the  opposite  direction,  what  was  there  ?  I  could  see 
that  the  passage  was  continued,  but  where  did  it  lead  ? 
Standing  in  the  bright  light,  it  looked  quite  dark  in  the 
tunnel. 

"  Now  we  will  go  and  see  Bjaaland  first."  With 
these  words  my  companion  bent  down,  and  set  off 
through  the  dark  passage.  "  Look  there,  in  the  snow- 
wall — just  under  our  feet — can  you  see  the  light  ?"  By 
degrees  my  eyes  had  accustomed  themselves  to  the 
darkness  of  the  tunnel,  and  I  could  see  a  greenish  light 
shining  through  the  snow- wall  where  he  pointed.  And 
now  another  noise  fell  on  my  ears — a  monotonous 
sound — coming  from  below. 

"  Look  out  for  the  steps  !"  Yes,  he  could  be  sure  of 
that ;  I  had  come  one  cropper  that  day,  and  it  was 
enough.  We  once  more  descended  into  the  Barrier  by 
broad,  solid  snow-steps  covered  with  boards.  Suddenly 
a  door  was  opened — a  sliding- door  in  the  snow- wall — 


HANSSEN   AND    WISTING   LASHING   THE    NEW    SLEDGES. 


PASSAGE    IN    THE    ICE. 

To  face  page  312,  Vol.  I. 


REDUCING  THE  SLEDGES  313 

and  I  stood  in  Bjaaland's  and  Stubberud's  premises. 
The  place  might  be  about  6  feet  high,  15  feet  long,  and 
7  feet  wide.  On  the  floor  lay  masses  of  shavings,  which 
made  it  warm  and  cosy.  At  one  end  stood  a  Primus 
lamp  with  a  large  tin  case  over  it,  from  which  steam 
was  issuing.  "  How  is  it  going  ?"—  "  All  right.  We're 
just  bending  the  runners.  I've  made  a  rough  estimate 
of  the  weight,  and  find  I  can  bring  it  down  to 
48  pounds."  This  seemed  to  me  almost  incredible. 
Amundsen  had  told  me  on  the  way  up  this  morning  of 
the  heavy  sledges  they  had — 165  pounds  each.  And 
now  Bjaaland  was  going  to  bring  them  down  to 
48  pounds,  less  than  a  third  of  their  original  weight. 
In  the  snow- walls  of  the  room  were  fixed  hooks  and 
shelves,  where  the  tools  were  kept.  Bjaaland's  car- 
penter's bench  was  massive  enough — cut  out  in  the  snow 
and  covered  with  boards.  Along  the  opposite  wall  was 
another  planing-bench,  equally  massive,  but  somewhat 
shorter  than  the  first.  This  was  evidently  Stubberud's 
place.  He  was  not  here  to-day,  but  I  could  see  that 
he  was  engaged  in  planing  down  the  sledge  cases  and 
making  them  lighter.  One  of  them  was  finished ;  I 
leaned  forward  and  looked  at  it.  On  the  top,  where 
a  little  round  aluminium  lid  was  let  in,  was  written : 
"  Original  weight,  9  kilos  ;  reduced  weight,  6  kilos." 
I  could  understand  what  this  saving  of  weight  meant 
to  men  who  were  going  on  such  a  journey  as  these  had 
before  them.  One  lamp  provided  all  the  illumination, 


314  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHETM 

but  it  gave  an  excellent  light.  We  left  Bjaalarid.  I 
felt  sure  that  the  sledging  outfit  was  in  the  best  of 
hands. 

We  then  made  our  way  into  the  pent-house,  and  here 
we  met  Stubberud.  He  was  engaged  in  cleaning  up 
and  putting  things  straight  for  the  holiday.  All  the 
steam  that  came  out  of  the  kitchen,  when  the  door  was 
opened,  had  condensed  on  the  roof  and  walls  in  the 
form  of  rime  several  inches  thick,  and  Stubberud  was 
now  clearing  this  off  with  a  long  broom.  Everything 
was  going  to  be  shipshape  for  Midwinter  Eve ;  I  could 
see  that.  We  went  in.  Dinner  was  on,  humming  and 
boiling.  The  kitchen  floor  was  scrubbed  clean,  and  the 
linoleum  with  which  it  was  covered  shone  gaily.  It  was 
the  same  in  the  living-room  ;  everything  was  cleaned. 
The  linoleum  on  the  floor  and  the  American  cloth  on 
the  table  were  equally  bright.  The  air  was  pure— 
absolutely  pure.  All  the  bunks  were  made  tidy,  and 
the  stools  put  in  their  places.  There  was  no  one  here. 

"  You  have  only  seen  a  fraction  of  our  underground 
palaces,  but  I  thought  we  would  take  a  turn  in  the 
loft  first  and  see  what  it  is  like.  Follow  me."  We 
went  out  into  the  kitchen,  and  then  up  some  steps 
fastened  in  the  wall,  and  through  the  trap-door  to  the 
loft.  With  the  help  of  a  little  electric  lamp,  we  were 
able  to  look  about  us.  The  first  thing  that  met  my 
eyes  was  the  library.  There  stood  the  Framheim  library, 
and  it  made  the  same  good  impression  as  everything  else — 


DANGERS  OF  THE  PASSAGE          315 

books  numbered  from  1  to  80  in  three  shelves.  The 
catalogue  lay  by  the  side  of  them,  and  I  cast  my  eye 
over  it.  Here  were  books  to  suit  all  tastes;  "Librarian, 
Adolf  Henrik  Lindstrom,"  I  read  at  the  end.  So  he 
was  librarian,  too — truly  a  many-sided  man.  Long 
rows  of  cases  stood  here,  full  of  whortleberry  jam, 
cranberries,  syrup,  cream,  sugar,  and  pickles.  In  one 
corner  I  saw  every  sign  of  a  dark-room ;  a  curtain  was 
hung  up  to  keep  the  light  off,  and  there  was  an  array 
of  developing-dishes,  measuring-glasses,  etc.  This  loft 
was  made  good  use  of.  We  had  now  seen  everything, 
and  descended  again  to  continue  our  inspection. 

Just  as  we  reached  the  pent-house,  Lindstrom  came 
in  with  a  big  bucket  of  ice ;  I  understood  that  it  was  to 
be  used  in  the  manufacture  of  water.  My  companion 
had  armed  himself  with  a  large  and  powerful  lantern, 
and  I  saw  that  we  were  going  to  begin  our  underground 
travels.  In  the  north  wall  of  the  pent-house  there  was 
a  door,  and  through  this  we  went,  entering  a  passage 
built  against  the  house,  and  dark  as  the  grave.  The 
lantern  had  lost  its  power  of  illumination ;  it  burned 
with  a  dull,  dead  light,  which  did  not  seem  to  penetrate 
beyond  the  glass.  I  stretched  my  hands  in  front  of  me. 
My  host  stopped  and  gave  me  a  lecture  on  the  wonder- 
ful order  and  tidiness  they  had  succeeded  in  establishing 
among  them.  I  was  a  willing  listener,  for  I  had  already 
seen  enough  to  be  able  to  certify  the  truth  of  what  he 
told  me  without  hesitation.  But  in  the  place  we  were 


316  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

now  in,  I  had  to  take  his  word  for  it,  for  it  was  all  as 
black  as  bilge-water.     We  had  just  started  to  move  on 
again,  and  I  felt  so  secure,  after  all  he  had  told  me  about 
the  orderly  way  things  were  kept,  that  I  let  go   my 
guide's  anorak,  which  I  had  been  holding.     But  that 
was  foolish  of  me.     Smack!  I  went  down  at  full  length. 
I  had  trodden   on   something   round — something  that 
brought  me  down.     As  I  fell,  I  caught  hold  of  some- 
thing— also  round — and  I  lay  convulsively  clutching  it. 
I   wanted  to  convince  myself  of  what  it  was  that  lay 
about  on  the  floor  of  such  a  tidy  house.     The  glimmer 
of  the   lantern,   though    not   particularly   strong,   was 
enough  to  show  me  what  I  held  in  my  arms — a  Dutch 
cheese  !     I  put  it  back  in  the  same  place — for  the  sake 
of  tidiness — sat  up,  and  looked  down  at  my  feet.     What 
was  it  I  had  stumbled  over  ?     A  Dutch  cheese — if  it 
wasn't  another  of  the  same  family !     I  began  to  form 
my  own  opinion  of  the  tidiness  now,  but  said  nothing. 
But  I  should  like  to  know  why  he  didn't  fall  over  the 
cheeses,  as  he  was  walking  in  front.     Oh,  I  answered 
myself,  I  guess  he  knew  what  sort  of  order  the  place 
was  in. 

At  the  eastern  end  of  the  house  the  passage  was 
brilliantly  lighted  up  by  the  window  that  looked  out 
on  this  side  ;  I  could  now  see  more  clearly  where  I  was. 
Opposite  the  window,  in  the  part  of  the  Barrier  that 
here  formed  the  other  wall  of  the  passage,  a  great  hole 
had  been  dug ;  nothing  was  to  be  seen  in  it  but  black 


HANSSEN  AT  WORK  317 

darkness.  My  companion  knew  his  way,  so  I  could  rely 
upon  him,  but  I  should  have  hesitated  to  go  in  there 
alone.  The  hole  extended  into  the  Barrier,  and  finally 
formed  a  fairly  large  room  with  a  vaulted  roof.  A  spade 
and  an  axe  on  the  floor  were  all  I  saw.  What  in  the 
world  was  this  hall  used  for  ?  "  You  see,  all  the  ice  and 
snow  from  here  has  gone  to  our  water-supply."  So  this 
was  Lindstrom's  quarry,  from  which  he  had  hewn  out 
ice  and  snow  all  these  months  for  cooking,  drinking,  and 
washing.  In  one  of  the  walls,  close  to  the  floor,  there 
was  a  little  hole  just  big  enough  for  a  man  to  crawl 
through. 

"  Now  you  must  make  yourself  small  and  follow  me  ; 
we  are  going  to  visit  Hanssen  and  Wisting."  And  my 
companion  disappeared  like  a  snake  into  the  hole.  I 
threw  myself  down,  quick  as  lightning,  and  followed. 
I  would  not  have  cared  to  be  left  alone  there  in  pitch- 
darkness.  I  managed  to  get  hold  of  one  of  his  calves, 
and  did  not  let  go  until  I  saw  light  on  the  other  side. 
The  passage  we  crept  through  was  equally  narrow  all 
the  way,  and  forced  one  to  crawl  on  hands  and  knees  ; 
fortunately,  it  was  not  long.  It  ended  in  a  fairly  large, 
square  room.  A  low  table  stood  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  and  on  it  Helmer  Hanssen  was  engaged  in  lashing 
sledges.  The  room  gave  one  the  impression  of  being 
badly  lighted,  though  it  had  a  lamp  and  candles.  On  a 
closer  examination,  I  found  that  this  was  due  to  the 
number  of  dark  objects  the  place  contained.  Against  one 


318  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

of  the  walls  there  was  clothing— immense  piles  of  skin- 
clothing.  Over  this  were  spread  blankets  to  protect  it 
from  the  rime  that  was  formed  on  the  roof  and  fell  down. 
Against  the  opposite  wall  was  a  stack  of  sledges,  and 
at  the  end,  opposite  the  door,  were  piles  of  woollen 
underclothing.  Any  outfitter  in  Christiania  might 
have  envied  this  stock ;  here  one  saw  Iceland  jackets, 
sweaters,  underclothes  of  immense  thickness  and  dimen- 
sions, stockings,  mits,  etc.  In  the  corner  formed  by 
this  wall  and  the  one  where  the  sledges  stood  was  the 
little  hole  by  which  we  had  entered.  Beyond  the  sledges, 
in  the  same  wall,  there  was  a  door  with  a  curtain  in 
front  of  it,  and  from  within  it  came  a  strange  humming. 
I  was  much  interested  to  know  what  this  might  be,  but 
had  to  hear  first  what  these  two  had  to  say. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  lashings  now,  Hanssen  ?" 
"  Oh,  they'll  hold  right  enough ;  at  any  rate,  they'll 
be  better  than  they  were  before.    Look  here,  how  they've 
pointed  the  ends  !" 

I  leaned  forward  to  see  what  was  wrong  with  the 
sledge-lashings,  and,  I  must  say,  what  I  saw  surprised 
me.  Is  such  a  thing  possible?  The  pointing  of  a 
lashing  is  a  thing  a  sailor  is  very  careful  about.  He 
knows  that  if  the  end  is  badly  pointed,  it  does  not 
matter  how  well  the  lashing  is  put  on ;  therefore  it  is 
an  invariable  rule  that  lashings  must  be  pointed  as 
carefully  as  possible.  When  I  looked  at  this  one,  what 
do  you  think  I  saw  ?  Why,  the  end  of  the  lashing  was 


WISTING'S  ICE-CABIN  319 

nailed  down  with  a  little  tack,  such  as  one  would  use 
to  fasten  labels.  "  That  would  be  a  nice  thing  to  take 
to  the  Pole !"  This  final  observation  of  Hanssen's  was 
doubtless  the  mildest  expression  of  what  he  thought  of 
the  work.  I  saw  how  the  new  lashings  were  being  put 
on,  and  I  was  quite  ready  to  agree  with  Hanssen  that 
they  would  do  the  work.  It  was,  by  the  way,  no  easy 
job,  this  lashing  at  —15°  F.,  as  the  thermometer  showed, 
but  Hanssen  did  not  seem  to  mind  it. 

I  had  heard  that  Wisting  also  took  part  in  this  work, 
but  he  was  not  to  be  seen.  Where  could  he  be  ?  My 
eyes  involuntarily  sought  the  curtain,  behind  which  the 
humming  sound  was  audible.  I  was  now  ready  to 
burst  with  curiosity.  At  last  the  lashing  question 
appears  to  be  thrashed  out,  and  my  companion  shows 
signs  of  moving  on.  He  leaves  his  lantern  and  goes  up 
to  the  curtain.  "  Wisting !" — "  Yes  !"  The  answer  seems 
to  come  from  a  far  distance.  The  humming  ceases,  and 
the  curtain  is  thrust  aside.  Then  I  am  confronted  by 
the  sight  that  has  impressed  me  most  of  all  on  this 
eventful  day.  There  sits  Wisting,  in  the  middle  of  the 
Barrier,  working  a  sewing-machine.  The  temperature 
outside  is  now  —60°  F.  This  seems  to  me  to  require 
some  explanation ;  I  slink  through  the  opening  to  get  a 
closer  view.  Then — ugh  !  I  am  met  by  a  regular 
tropical  blast.  I  glance  at  the  thermometer  ;  it  shows 
+  50°  F.  But  how  can  this  be  ?  Here  he  is,  sewing  in 
an  ice-cellar  at  +50°.  I  was  told  in  my  school-days 


820  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

that  ice  melts  at  about  +  32°.  If  the  same  law  is  still 
in  operation,  he  ought  to  be  sitting  in  a  shower-bath. 
I  go  right  in ;  the  sewing-room  is  not  large,  about 
6  feet  each  way.  Besides  the  sewing-machine — a  modern 
treadle-machine — the  room  contains  a  number  of  instru- 
ments, compasses,  and  so  forth,  besides  the  large  tent  he 
is  now  working  on.  But  what  interests  me  most  is  the 
way  in  which  he  circumvents  the  shower-bath.  I  see  it 
now ;  it  is  very  cleverly  contrived.  He  has  covered  the 
roof  and  walls  with  tin  and  canvas,  so  arranged  that  all 
the  melting  ice  goes  the  same  way,  and  runs  into  a 
wash-tub  that  stands  below.  In  this  manner  he  collects 
washing  water,  which  is  such  a  precious  commodity  in 
these  regions — wily  man !  I  afterwards  hear  that  nearly 
all  the  outfit  for  the  Polar  journey  is  being  made  in  this 
little  ice-cabin.  Well,  with  men  like  these  1  don't  think 
Amundsen  will  deserve  any  credit  for  reaching  the  Pole. 
He  ought  to  be  thrashed  if  he  doesn't. 

Now  we  have  finished  here,  and  must  in  all  probability 
have  seen  everything.  My  guide  goes  over  to  the  wall 
where  the  clothing  is  lying  and  begins  to  rummage  in  it. 
A  clothing  inspection,  I  say  to  myself;  there's  no  great 
fun  in  that.  I  sit  down  on  the  pile  of  sledges  by  the 
opposite  wall,  and  am  going  over  in  my  mind  all  I  have 
seen,  when  suddenly  he  thrusts  his  head  forward — like  a 
man  who  is  going  to  make  a  dive — and  disappears 
among  the  bundles  of  skins.  I  jump  up  and  make  for 
the  piles  of  clothing ;  I  am  beginning  to  feel  quite 


THE  CRYSTAL  PALACE  321 

lost  in  this  mysterious  world.  In  my  hurry  I  collide 
with  Hanssen's  sledge,  which  falls  off  the  table ;  he 
looks  round  furiously.  It  is  a  good  thing  he  could 
not  see  me ;  he  looked  like  murder.  I  squeeze  in 
between  the  bundles  of  clothing,  and  what  do  I  see  ? 
Another  hole  in  the  wall ;  another  low,  dark  passage. 
I  pluck  up  courage  and  plunge  in.  This  tunnel  is 
rather  higher  than  the  other,  and  I  can  walk,  bending 
double.  Fortunately,  the  light  at  the  other  end  shows 
up  at  once,  so  that  my  journey  in  the  dark  is  not  a  long 
one  this  time.  I  come  out  into  another  large  room  of 
about  the  same  size  as  the  last,  and  afterwards  learn 
that  it  is  known  as  the  Crystal  Palace.  The  name  is 
appropriate,  as  crystals  sparkle  on  every  side.  Against 
one  wall  a  number  of  pairs  of  ski  are  resting  ;  elsewhere 
there  are  cases,  some  yellow  and  some  black.  I  guess 
the  meaning  of  this  at  once,  after  my  visit  to  Stubberud. 
The  yellow  cases  are  the  original  ones,  and  the  black  the 
improved  ones.  They  think  of  everything  here.  Of 
course,  in  snow  black  is  a  far  better  colour  than  light 
yellow  ;  the  cases  will  be  pleasanter  to  look  at,  and  very 
much  easier  to  see  at  a  distance.  And  if  they  happen 
to  run  short  of  marks,  all  they  need  do  will  be  to  break 
up  a  case  and  make  as  many  black  marks  as  they  want ; 
they  will  be  easily  seen  in  the  snow.  The  lids  of  these 
cases  surprise  me.  They  are  no  bigger  than  ordinary 
large  milk-can  lids,  and  of  the  same  form ;  they  are 
loose,  as  with  a  milk-can,  and  are  put  on  in  the  same 
VOL.  if  21 


322  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

way.  Then  it  suddenly  occurs  to  me.  When  I  was 
sitting  on  the  sledges  in  Hanssen's  workshop,  I  noticed 
little  pieces  of  wire  rope  fixed  to  both  ribs  of  the  sledge. 
There  were  eight  of  them  on  each  side — just  the  right 
number.  They  are  lashings  for  four  cases,  and  they  will 
hardly  take  more  than  that  on  a  sledge.  On  one  rib  all 
the  wire  ropes  ended  in  eyes  ;  on  the  other  they  ended 
in  thin  lashings.  Obviously  there  were  four  of  them  to 
each  case — two  forward  and  two  aft  of  the  lid.  If  these 
were  reeved  and  drawn  taut,  the  cases  would  be  held  as 
in  a  vice,  and  the  lids  could  be  taken  off  freely  at  any 
time.  It  was  an  ingenious  idea,  which  would  save  a  lot 
of  work. 

But  there  sits  Johansen  in  the  middle  of  the  Palace, 
packing.  He  seems  to  have  a  difficult  problem  to 
solve  ;  he  looks  so  profoundly  thoughtful.  Before  him 
is  a  case  half  packed,  marked  "  Sledge  No.  V.,  Case  No.  4." 
More  singular  contents  I  have  never  seen — a  mixture  of 
pemmican  and  sausage.  I  have  never  heard  of  sausages 
on  a  sledge  journey ;  it  must  be  something  quite  new. 
The  pieces  of  pemmican  are  cylindrical  in  shape,  about 
2  inches  high  and  4|  inches  in  diameter  ;  when  they  are 
packed,  there  will  be  large  star-shaped  openings  between 
every  four  of  them.  Each  of  these  openings  is  filled  up 
with  a  sausage,  which  stands  straight  up  and  down,  and 
is  of  exactly  the  height  of  the  case.  But  sausage — let 
me  see.  Ah  !  there's  a  sausage  with  a  tear  in  its  skin  ; 
I  run  across  and  look  at  it.  Oh,  the  cunning  rascals  !  if 


JOHANSEN  PACKING  PROVISIONS  IN  THE  "  CRYSTAL  PALACE. 


A   CORNER  OF   THE    KITCHEN. 

To  face  page  S2S,  Vol.  I. 


STUBBERUD    TAKING   IT    EASY. 


JOHANSEN   PACKING   BISCUITS    IN    THE    "CRYSTAL   PALACE." 


To  face  page  322,  Vol.  I. 


PACKING  PROVISIONS  323 

it  isn't  milk-powder  they  are  smuggling  in  like  this  ! 
So  every  bit  of  space  is  utilized.  The  gaps  left  by  these 
round  pieces  of  pemmican  at  the  sides  of  the  cases  are, 
of  course,  only  half  as  large  as  the  rest,  and  so  cannot 
take  a  milk-sausage ;  but  don't  imagine  that  the  space 
is  wasted.  No  ;  chocolate  is  broken  up  into  small  pieces 
and  stowed  in  there.  When  all  these  cases  are  packed, 
they  will  be  as  full  as  if  they  were  of  solid  wood.  There 
is  one  ready  packed ;  I  must  see  what  it  contains. 
Biscuits — 5,400  biscuits  is  marked  on  the  lid.  They  say 
that  angels  are  specially  gifted  with  patience,  but  theirs 
must  be  a  trifle  compared  with  Johansen's.  There  was 
absolutely  not  a  fraction  of  an  inch  left  in  that  case. 

The  Crystal  Palace  at  present  reminds  one  strongly 
of  a  grocer's  and  chandler's  store — pemmican,  biscuits, 
chocolate,  and  milk-sausage,  lie  about  everywhere.  In 
the  other  wall,  opposite  the  ski,  there  is  an  opening.  I 
see  my  companion  making  for  it,  but  this  time  I  intend 
to  keep  an  eye  on  him.  He  goes  up  two  steps,  pushes 
a  trap- door,  and  there  he  stands  on  the  Barrier — but  I 
am  there,  too.  The  trap-door  is  replaced,  and  I  see 
that  we  are  close  to  another  door  in  the  Barrier,  but 
this  is  a  modern  sliding-door.  It  leads  into  the  clothing 
store.  I  turn  to  my  host  and  give  him  my  best  thanks 
for  the  interesting  circular  trip  through  the  Barrier, 
expressing  my  admiration  of  all  the  fine  engineering 
works  I  have  seen,  and  so  on.  He  cuts  me  short  with 
the  remark  that  we  are  not  nearly  done  yet.  He  has 


324  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

only  brought  me  up  this  way  to  save  my  having  to  crawl 
back  again.  "  We  are  going  in  now,"  he  adds,  "  to  con- 
tinue our  journey  under  the  surface."  I  see  that  there 
is  no  getting  out  of  it,  although  I  am  beginning  to  have 
enough  of  these  underground  passages.  My  host  seems 
to  guess  my  thoughts,  as  he  adds :  "  We  must  see  them 
now  when  the  men  are  working.  Afterwards  they  will 
not  have  the  same  interest."  I  see  that  he  is  right,  pull 
myself  together,  and  follow  him. 

But  Fate  wills  it  otherwise.  As  we  come  out  on  the 
Barrier,  Hanssen  is  standing  there  with  his  sledge  and  six 
fresh  dogs  harnessed.  My  companion  has  just  time  to 
whisper  to  me,  "  Jump  on ;  I'll  wait  here,"  when  the 
sledge  starts  off  at  a  terrific  pace  with  me  as  a  pas- 
senger, unsuspected  by  Hanssen. 

We  went  along  so  that  the  snow  dashed  over  us. 
He  had  his  dogs  well  in  hand,  this  fellow,  I  could  see 
that ;  but  they  were  a  wild  lot  of  rascals  he  had  to  deal 
with.  I  heard  the  names  of  Hok  and  Togo  in  par- 
ticular ;  they  seemed  inclined  for  mischief.  All  of  a 
sudden  they  darted  back  on  their  companions  under  the 
traces,  and  got  the  whole  team  in  a  tangle ;  but  they 
were  not  able  to  do  very  much,  as  the  whip,  which  was 
wielded  with  great  dexterity,  constantly  sang  about  their 
ears.  The  two  sausages  I  had  noticed  on  the  slope — 
Ring  and  Mylius — were  leaders  ;  they,  too,  were  full  of 
pranks,  but  kept  their  places.  Hai  and  Rap  were  also 
in  the  team.  Rap,  whose  ear  was  split,  would  have 


A  DRIVE  WITH  HANSSEN  325 

liked  very  much  to  get  his  friend  Hai  to  join  in  a  little 
fight  with  Hok  and  Togo,  but  for  the  whip.  It  swished 
to  and  fro,  in  and  out,  among  them  without  mercy, 
and  made  them  behave  like  good  boys.  After  us,  some 
yards  behind,  came  Zanko.  He  seemed  to  be  put  out 
because  he  had  not  been  harnessed.  Meanwhile  we 
went  at  a  gallop  up  the  hill  to  the  depot,  and  the  last 
flag  was  passed.  There  was  a  marked  difference  in  the 
daylight  here  now.  It  was  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  flush 
of  dawn  had  risen  a  good  way  in  the  sky  and  was 
approaching  the  north.  The  numbers  and  marks  on 
the  cases  were  easily  visible. 

Hanssen  drew  up  smartly  by  the  rows  of  cases  and 
halted.  We  stepped  off  the  sledge.  He  stood  still  for 
a  moment  and  looked  round,  then  turned  the  sledge 
over,  with  the  runners  in  the  air.  I  supposed  he  did 
this  to  prevent  the  dogs  making  off  when  his  back  was 
turned  ;  personally,  I  thought  it  was  a  poor  safeguard. 
I  jumped  up  on  a  case,  and  sat  there  to  await  what 
developments  might  come.  And  they  came  in  the  form 
of  Zanko.  Hanssen  had  moved  off  a  little  way  with  a 
piece  of  paper  in  his  hand,  and  seemed  to  be  examin- 
ing the  cases  as  he  went  along.  Zanko  had  now 
reached  his  friends,  Ring  and  Mylius,  and  the  meeting 
was  a  very  cordial  one  on  both  sides.  This  was  too 
much  for  Hok ;  he  was  on  to  them  like  a  rocket,  fol- 
lowed by  his  friend  Togo.  Hai  and  Rap  never  let  such 
an  opportunity  escape  them,  and  they  eagerly  flung 


326  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

themselves  into  the  thick  of  the  fight.  "  Stop  that,  you 
blackguards  !"  It  was  Hanssen  who  threw  this  admoni- 
tion in  advance,  as  he  came  rushing  back.  Zanko,  who 
was  free,  had  kept  his  head  sufficiently  to  observe  the 
approaching  danger  ;  without  much  hesitation,  he  cut 
away  and  made  for  Framheim  with  all  possible  speed. 
Whether  the  others  missed  their  sixth  combatant,  or 
whether  they,  too,  became  aware  of  Hanssen's  threaten- 
ing approach,  I  am  unable  to  determine ;  certain  it  is 
that  they  all  got  clear  of  each  other,  as  though  at  a 
given  signal,  and  made  off  the  same  way.  The  capsized 
sledge  made  no  difference  to  them  ;  they  went  like  the 
wind  over  the  slope,  and  disappeared  by  the  flagstaff. 
Hanssen  did  not  take  long  to  make  up  his  mind,  but 
what  was  the  use  ?  He  went  as  fast  as  he  could,  no 
doubt,  but  had  reached  no  farther  than  to  the  flagstaff, 
when  the  dogs,  with  the  capsized  sledge  behind  them, 
ran  into  Framheim  and  were  stopped  there. 

I  went  quietly  back,  well  pleased  with  the  additional 
experience.  Down  on  the  level  I  met  Hanssen  on  his 
way  to  the  depot  a  second  time  ;  he  looked  extremely 
angry,  and  the  way  in  which  he  used  the  whip  did  not 
promise  well  for  the  dogs'  backs.  Zanko  was  now 
harnessed  in  the  team.  On  my  return  to  Framheim  1 
saw  no  one,  so  I  slipped  into  the  pent-house,  and  waited 
for  an  opportunity  of  getting  into  the  kitchen.  This 
was  not  long  in  coming.  Puffing  and  gasping  like  a 
small  locomotive,  Lindstrom  swung  in  from  the  passage 


LINDSTROM  AMUSES  HIMSELF       327 

that  led  round  the  house.     In  his  arms  he  again  carried 
the  big  bucket  full  of  ice,  and  an  electric  lamp  hung 
from  his  mouth.     In  order  to  open  the  kitchen-door,  he 
had  only  to  give  it  a  push  with  his  knee  ;  I  slipped  in. 
The  house  was  empty.     Now,  I  thought,  I  shall  have  a 
good  chance  of  seeing  what  Lindstrom  does  when  he  is 
left  alone.    He  put  down  the  bucket  of  ice,  and  gradually 
filled  up  the  water-pot  which  was  on  the  fire.    Then  he 
looked   at   the   clock:    a   quarter-past   eleven — good; 
dinner  will  be  ready  in  time.     He  drew  a  long,  deep 
sigh,  then  went  into  the  room,  filled  and  lit  his  pipe. 
Thereupon  he  sat  down  and  took  up  a  doll  that  was 
sitting  on  a  letter-weight.     His  whole  face  lighted  up  ; 
one  could  see  how  pleased  he  was.     He  wound  up  the 
doll  and  put  it  on  the  table ;  as  soon  as  he  let  it  go,  it 
began  to  turn  somersaults,  one  after  another,  endlessly. 
And  Lindstrom  ?     Well,  he  laughed  till  he  must  have 
been  near  convulsions,  crying  out  all  the  while  :  "  That's 
right,  Olava ;  go  it  again  1"     I  then  looked  at  the  doll 
carefully,  and  it  was  certainly  something  out  of  the 
common.     The  head  was  that  of  an  old  woman — evi- 
dently a   disagreeable   old   maid — with  yellow  hair,  a 
hanging  under-jaw,  and  a  love-sick  expression.      She 
wore  a  dress  of  red -and -white  check,  and  when  she 
turned  head  over  heels  it  caused,  as  might  be  expected, 
some  disturbance  of  her  costume.    The  figure,  one  could 
see,  had  originally  been  an  acrobat,  but  these  ingenious 
Polar  explorers   had  transformed  it  into  this  hideous 


328  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

shape.  When  the  experiment  was  repeated,  and  I 
understood  the  situation,  I  could  not  help  roaring,  too, 
but  Lindstrom  was  so  deeply  occupied  that  he  did  not 
hear  me.  After  amusing  himself  for  about  ten  minutes 
with  this,  he  got  tired  of  Olava,  and  put  her  up  on  the 
weight  again.  She  sat  there  nodding  and  bowing  until 
she  was  forgotten. 

Meanwhile  Lindstrom  had  gone  to  his  bunk,  and 
was  lying  half  in  it.  Now,  I  thought  to  myself,  he 
is  going  to  take  a  little  nap  before  dinner.  But  no  ;  he 
came  out  again  at  once,  holding  a  tattered  old  pack  of 
cards  in  his  hand.  He  went  back  to  his  place,  and  began 
a  quiet  and  serious  game,j^^p^tifiJQ.ge.  It  did  not  take 
long,  and  was  probably  not  very  complicated,  but  it 
served  its  purpose.  One  could  see  what  a  pleasure  it 
was  to  him  whenever  a  card  came  in  its  right  place. 
Finally,  all  the  cards  were  in  order ;  he  had  finished  the 
game.  He  sat  a  little  while  longer,  enjoying  the  sight 
of  the  finished  packs  ;  then  he  picked  them  all  up  with 
a  sigh,  and  rose,  mumbling :  "  Yes,  he'll  get  to  the 
Pole,  that's  sure ;  and,  what's  more,  he'll  get  there 
first."  He  put  the  cards  back  on  the  shelf  in  his  bunk, 
and  looked  well  pleased  with  himself. 

Then  the  process  of  laying  the  table  began  once 
more,  but  with  far  less  noise  than  in  the  morning ; 
there  was  nobody  to  be  annoyed  by  it  now.  At  five 
minutes  to  twelve  a  big  ship's  bell  was  rung,  and  not  long 
after  the  diners  began  to  arrive.  They  did  not  make 


MYSTERIOUS  MOVEMENTS  329 

any  elaborate  toilet,  but  sat  down  to  table  at  once. 
The  dishes  were  not  many:  a  thick,  black  seal  soup, 
with  all  manner  of  curious  things  in  it — seal  meat  cut 
into  "  small  dice  "  is  no  doubt  the  expression,  but  it 
would  be  misleading  here  ;  "large  dice  "  we  had  better 
call  them — with  potatoes,  carrots,  cabbage,  turnips, 
peas,  celery,  prunes,  and  apples.  I  should  like  to  know 
what  our  cooks  at  home  would  call  that  dish.  Two 
large  jugs  of  syrup  arid  water  stood  on  the  table.  Now 
I  had  another  surprise ;  I  was  under  the  impression 
that  a  dinner  like  this  passed  off  in  silence,  but  that  was 
by  no  means  the  case  here.  They  talked  the  whole 
time,  and  the  conversation  chiefly  turned  on  what  they 
had  been  doing  during  the  forenoon.  For  dessert  they 
had  some  green  plums.  Pipes  and  books  soon  made 
their  appearance. 

By  about  two  o'clock  the  boys  gave  fresh  signs  of 
life.  I  knew  they  were  not  going  to  work  that  after- 
noon— St.  Hans'  Eve — but  habit  is  a  strange  thing. 
Bjaaland  rose  in  a  peremptory  fashion,  and  asked  who 
was  going  to  have  the  first  turn.  After  a  lot  of  ques- 
tions and  answers,  it  was  decided  that  Hassel  should  be 
the  first.  What  it  was  I  could  not  make  out.  I  heard 
them  talk  about  one  or  two  Primuses,  and  say  that 
half  an  hour  was  the  most  one  could  stand,  but  that  did 
not  mean  anything  to  me.  I  should  have  to  stick  to 
Hassel ;  he  was  going  first.  If  there  should  be  no 
second  man,  I  should,  at  any  rate,  have  seen  what  the 


330  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

first  one  did.  Everything  became  quiet  again  ;  it  was 
only  in  the  kitchen  that  one  could  tell  that  the  Barrier 
was  inhabited. 

At  half-past  two  Bjaaland,  who  had  been  out,  came 
in  and  announced  that  now  it  was  all  a  mass  of  steam. 
I  watched  Hassel  anxiously.  Yes  ;  this  announcement 
seemed  to  put  life  into  him.  He  got  up  and  began  to 
undress.  Very  strange,  I  thought ;  what  can  this  be  ? 
I  tried  the  Sherlock  Holmes  method — first  Bjaaland 
goes  out ;  that  is  fact  number  one.  Then  he  comes 
back ;  that  I  could  also  make  sure  of.  So  far  the 
method  worked  well.  But  then  comes  the  third  item : 
"  It  is  all  a  mass  of  steam."  What  in  the  world  does 
that  mean  ?  The  man  has  gone  out — if  not  out  on  to 
the  Barrier,  then  certainly  into  it — into  snow-ice,  and 
then  he  comes  back  and  says  that  it  is  all  a  mass  of 
steam.  It  seems  ridiculous — absurd.  I  send  Sherlock 
Holmes  to  the  deuce,  and  watch  Hassel  with  increasing 
excitement ;  if  he  takes  any  more  off—  I  felt  I  was 
blushing,  and  half  turned  my  head,  but  there  he  stopped. 
Then  he  picked  up  a  towel,  and  away  we  went :  out 
through  the  pent-house  door — it  was  all  I  could  do  to 

follow  him — along  the  snow  tunnel  in  nothing  but 

Here  steam  really  began  to  meet  us,  getting  thicker 
and  thicker  as  we  came  into  the  Barrier.  The  tunnel 
became  so  full  of  steam  that  I  could  see  nothing. 
I  thought  with  longing  of  the  tail  of  Amundsen's 
anorak  that  was  so  useful  on  such  occasions,  but  here 


HASSEL   AND    THE    VAPOUR-BATH. 


To  face  page  330,  Vol.  1. 


THE  VAPOUR-BATH  331 

there  was  nothing  to  take  hold  of.  Far  away  in  the 
fog  I  could  see  a  light,  and  made  my  way  to  it  with 
caution.  Before  I  knew  where  I  was,  I  stood  at  the 
other  end  of  the  passage,  which  led  into  a  large  room, 
covered  with  rime,  and  closed  overhead  by  a  mighty 
dome  of  ice.  The  steam  was  troublesome,  and  spoilt 
my  view  of  the  room.  But  what  had  become  of 
Hassel?  I  could  only  see  Bjaaland.  Then  suddenly 
the  fog  seemed  to  clear  for  an  instant,  and  I  caught 
sight  of  a  bare  leg  disappearing  into  a  big  black  box, 
and  a  moment  later  I  saw  Hassel's  smiling  face  on  the 
top  of  the  box.  A  shudder  passed  through  my  frame 
—he  looked  as  if  he  had  been  decapitated.  On  further 
consideration,  his  features  were  too  smiling ;  the  head 
could  not  be  severed  from  the  body  yet.  Now  the 
steam  began  to  clear  away  little  by  little,  and  at  last  one 
could  see  clearly  what  was  going  on.  I  had  to  laugh  ; 
it  was  all  very  easy  to  understand  now.  But  I  think 
Sherlock  Holmes  would  have  found  it  a  hard  nut  to 
crack  if  he  had  been  set  down  blindfold  on  the 
Antarctic  Barrier,  as  I  was,  so  to  speak,  and  asked 
to  explain  the  situation.  It  was  one  of  those  folding 
American  vapour-baths  that  Hassel  sat  in.  The  bath- 
room, which  had  looked  so  spacious  and  elegant  in  the 
fog,  reduced  itself  to  a  little  snow-hut  of  insignificant 
appearance.  The  steam  was  now  collected  in  the  bath, 
and  one  could  see  by  the  face  above  that  it  was  begin- 
ning to  be  warm  there.  The  last  thing  I  saw  Bjaaland 


332  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

do  was  to  pump  two  Primus  lamps  that  were  placed 
just  under  the  bath  up  to  high  pressure,  and  then  dis- 
appear. What  a  lesson  an  actor  might  have  had  in 
watching  the  face  before  me !  It  began  with  such 
a  pleasant  expression  —  well-being  was  written  upon 
it  in  the  brightest  characters — then  by  degrees  the 
smile  wore  off,  and  gave  place  to  seriousness.  But  this 
did  not  last  long ;  there  was  a  trembling  of  the  nostrils, 
and  very  soon  it  could  clearly  be  seen  that  the  bath  was 
no  longer  of  a  pleasant  nature.  The  complexion,  from 
being  normal,  had  changed  to  an  ultra-violet  tint ;  the 
eyes  opened  wider  and  wider,  and  I  was  anxiously 
awaiting  a  catastrophe. 

It  came,  but  in  a  very  different  form  from  that  I  had 
expected.  Suddenly  and  noiselessly  the  bath  was  raised, 
and  the  steam  poured  out,  laying  a  soft  white  curtain 
over  what  followed.  I  could  see  nothing ;  only  heard 
that  the  two  Primuses  were  turned  down.  I  think  it 
took  about  five  minutes  for  the  steam  to  disappear,  and 
what  did  I  see  then  ? — Hassel,  bright  as  a  new  shilling, 
dressed  in  his  best  for  St.  Hans'  Eve.  I  availed  myself 
of  the  opportunity  to  examine  the  first,  and  probably 
the  only,  vapour-bath  on  the  Antarctic  Barrier.  It  was, 
like  everything  else  I  had  seen,  very  ingeniously  con- 
trived. The  bath  was  a  high  box  without  bottom,  and 
with  a  hole,  large  enough  for  the  head,  in  the  top.  Ail  the 
walls  were  double  and  were  made  of  windproof  material, 
with  about  an  inch  between  for  the  air  to  circulate. 


FEEDING  THE  DOGS  333 

This  box  stood  on  a  platform,  which  was  raised  a  couple 
of  feet  above  the  snow  surface.  The  box  fitted  into 
a  groove,  and  was  thus  absolutely  tight.  In  the  plat- 
form immediately  under  the  bath  a  rectangular  opening 
was  cut,  lined  round  with  rubber  packing,  and  into  this 
opening  a  tin  box  fitted  accurately.  Under  the  tin  box 
stood  two  Primus  lamps,  and  now  everyone  will  be  able 
to  understand  why  Hassel  felt  warm.  A  block  hung 
from  the  top  of  the  hut,  with  a  rope  reeved  in  it ;  one 
end  was  made  fast  to  the  upper  edge  of  the  bath,  and 
the  other  went  down  into  the  bath.  In  this  way  the 
bather  himself  could  raise  the  bath  without  assistance, 
and  free  himself  when  the  heat  became  too  great.  The 
temperature  outside  the  snow  -  wall  was  —  65°  F. 
Cunning  lads  !  I  afterwards  heard  that  Bjaaland  and 
Hassel  had  constructed  this  ingenious  bath. 

I  now  went  back  to  the  house,  and  saw  how  they 
all — almost — made  use  of  the  vapour-bath.  By  a 
quarter-past  five  all  the  bathing  was  concluded,  and 
everyone  put  on  his  furs  ;  it  was  evident  that  they  were 
going  out.  I  followed  the  first  man  who  left  the  hut ; 
he  was  provided  with  a  lantern,  and  indeed  it  was 
wanted.  The  weather  had  changed  :  a  south  -west  wind 
had  sprung  up  suddenly,  and  now  the  air  was  thick  with 
snow.  It  was  not  a  fall  of  snow,  for  one  could  see  the 
stars  in  the  zenith,  but  snow  caught  up  by  the  wind 
and  whirled  along.  A  man  had  to  know  the  surround- 
ings well  to  find  his  way  now ;  one  had  to  feel — it 


334  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

was  impossible  to  keep  one's  eyes  open.  I  took  up  a  posi- 
tion in  lee  of  a  snow-drift,  and  waited  to  see  what  would 
happen.  The  dogs  did  not  seem  to  be  inconvenienced 
by  the  change  of  weather ;  some  of  them  lay  curled  up 
in  a  ring,  with  their  nose  under  their  tail,  on  the  snow, 
while  others  were  running  about.  One  by  one  the  men 
came  out ;  each  had  a  lantern  in  his  hand.  As  they 
arrived  at  the  place  where  the  dogs  were,  each  was  sur- 
rounded by  his  team,  who  followed  him  to  the  tents 
with  joyous  howls.  But  everything  did  not  pass  off 
peacefully  ;  I  heard — I  think  it  was  in  Bjaaland's  tent — 
a  deafening  noise  going  on,  and  looked  in  at  the  door. 
Down  there,  deep  below  the  surface,  they  were  having  a 
warm  time.  All  the  dogs  were  mixed  up  together  in 
one  mass :  some  were  biting,  some  shrieking,  some 
howling.  In  the  midst  of  this  mass  of  raging  dogs  I  saw 
a  human  figure  swinging  round,  with  a  bunch  of  dog- 
collars  in  one  hand,  while  he  dealt  blows  right  and  left 
with  the  other,  and  blessed  the  dogs  all  the  time. 
I  thought  of  my  calves  and  withdrew.  But  the  human 
figure  that  I  had  seen  evidently  won  the  mastery,  as  the 
noise  gradually  subsided  and  all  became  quiet.  As  each 
man  got  his  dogs  tied  up,  he  went  over  to  the  meat-tent 
and  took  a  box  of  cut-up  seal  meat,  which  stood  on  the 
wall  out  of  the  dogs'  reach.  This  meat  had  been  cut  up 
earlier  in  the  day  by  two  men.  They  took  it  in  turns,  I 
heard  ;  two  men  had  this  duty  daily.  The  dogs  were 
then  fed,  and  half  an  hour  after  this  was  done  the  camp 


NAPOLEON  CAKES  335 

again  lay  as  I  had  found  it  in  the  morning,  quiet  and 
peaceful.  With  a  temperature  of  —  65°  F..  and  a 
velocity  of  twenty- two  miles  an  hour,  the  south-wester 
swept  over  the  Barrier,  and  whirled  the  snow  high  into 
the  air  above  Framheim  ;  but  in  their  tents  the  dogs 
lay,  full-fed  and  contented,  and  felt  nothing  of  the 
storm. 

In  the  hut  preparations  for  a  feast  were  going  on,  and 
now  one  could  really  appreciate  a  good  house.  The 
change  from  the  howling  wind,  the  driving  snow,  the 
intense  cold,  and  the  absolute  darkness,  was  great  indeed 
when  one  came  in.  Everything  was  newly  washed,  and 
the  table  was  gaily  decorated.  Small  Norwegian  flags 
were  everywhere,  on  the  table  and  walls.  The  festival 
began  at  six,  and  all  the  "  vikings "  came  merrily  in. 
Lindstrom  had  done  his  best,  and  that  is  not  saying 
a  little.  I  specially  admired  his  powers  and  his 
liberality — and  I  think,  even  in  the  short  time  I  have 
observed  him,  he  has  shown  no  sign  of  being  stingy — 
when  he  appeared  with  the  "  Napoleon  "  cakes.  Now 
I  must  tell  you  that  these  cakes  were  served  after  every 
man  had  put  away  a  quarter  of  a  plum-pudding.  The 
cakes  were  delightful  to  look  at — the  finest  puff-pastry, 
with  layers  of  vanilla  custard  and  cream.  They  made 
my  mouth  water.  But  the  size  of  them  ! — there  could 
not  be  one  of  those  mountains  of  cake  to  every  man  ? 
One  among  them  all,  perhaps — if  they  could  be  expected 
to  eat  Napoleon  cakes  at  all  after  plum-pudding.  But 


336  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

why  had  he  brought  in  eight — two  enormous  dishes  with 
four  on  each  ?  Good  heavens !  — one  of  the  vikings 
had  just  started,  and  was  making  short  work  of  his 
mountain.  And  one  after  another  they  all  walked  into 
them,  until  the  whole  eight  had  disappeared.  I  should 
have  nothing  to  say  about  hunger,  misery,  and  cold, 
when  I  came  home.  My  head  was  going  round  ;  the 
temperature  must  have  been  as  many  degrees  above 
zero  in  here  as  it  was  below  zero  outside.  I  looked 
up  at  Wisting's  bunk,  where  a  thermometer  was  hanging : 
+  95°  F.  The  vikings  did  not  seem  to  take  the  slightest 
notice  of  this  trifle  ;  their  work  with  the  "  Napoleons  " 
continued  undisturbed. 

Soon  the  gorgeous  cake  was  a  thing  of  the  past,  and 
cigars  came  out.  Everyone,  without  exception,  allowed 
himself  this  luxury.  Up  to  now  they  had  not  shown 
much  sign  of  abstinence  ;  I  wanted  to  know  what  was 
their  attitude  with  regard  to  strong  drinks.  I  had 
heard,  of  course,  that  indulgence  in  alcohol  on  Polar 
expeditions  was  very  harmful,  not  to  say  dangerous. 
"  Poor  boys  !"  I  thought  to  myself;  "that  must  be  the 
reason  of  your  fondness  for  cake.  A  man  must  have 
one  vice,  at  least.  Deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  drink- 
ing, they  make  up  for  it  in  gluttony."  Yes,  now  I 
could  see  it  quite  plainly,  and  I  was  heartily  sorry  for 
them.  I  wondered  how  the  "  Napoleons  "  felt  now  ; 
they  looked  rather  depressed.  No  doubt  the  cake  took 
some  time  to  settle  down. 


"TO  BE  SERVED  COLD'5  337 

Lindstrom,  who  now  seemed  unquestionably  the  most 
wideawake  of  them  all,  came  in  and  began  to  clear  the 
table.  I  expected  to  see  every  man  roll  into  his  bunk 
to  digest.  But  no  ;  that  side  of  the  question  did  not 
appear  to  trouble  them  much.  They  remained  seated, 
as  though  expecting  more.  Oh  yes,  of  course ;  there 
was  coffee  to  come.  Lindstrom  was  already  in  the 
doorway  with  cups  and  jugs.  A  cup  of  coffee  would 
be  just  the  thing  after  such  a  meal. 

"  Stubberud  !" — this  was  Lindstrom's  voice,  calling 
from  some  place  in  the  far  distance — "  hurry  up,  before 
they  get  warm  !"  I  rushed  after  Stubberud  to  see  what 
the  things  were  that  were  not  to  get  warm ;  I  thought 
it  might  possibly  be  something  that  was  to  be  taken 
outside.  Great  Heaven !  there  was  Lindstrom  lying 
on  his  stomach  up  in  the  loft,  and  handing  down 
through  the  trap-door — what  do  you  think? — a  bottle 
of  Benedictine  and  a  bottle  of  punch,  both  white  with 
frost !  Now  I  could  see  that  the  fish  were  to  swim — 
what's  more,  they  were  to  be  drowned.  A  happier 
smile  than  that  with  which  Stubberud  received  the 
bottles,  or  more  careful  and  affectionate  handling  than 
they  received  on  their  way  through  the  kitchen,  I  have 
never  seen.  I  was  touched.  Ah,  these  boys  knew  c 
how  a  liqueur  should  be  served  !  "  Must  be  served 
cold,"  was  on  the  label  of  the  punch  bottle.  I  can 
assure  P.  A.  Larsen  that  his  prescription  was  followed 
to  the  letter  that  evening.  Then  the  gramophone  made 

VOL.  i.  22 


338  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

its  appearance,  and  it  did  me  good  to  see  the  delight 
with  which  it  was  received.  They  seemed  to  like  this 
best,  after  all,  and  every  man  had  music  to  suit  his 
taste.  All  agreed  to  honour  the  cook  for  all  his  pains, 
and  the  concert  therefore  began  with  "  Tarara-boom-de- 
ay,"  followed  by  the  "  Apache  "  waltz.  His  part  of  the 
programme  was  concluded  with  a  humorous  recitation. 
Meanwhile  he  stood  in  the  doorway  with  a  beatific 
smile  ;  this  did  him  good.  In  this  way  the  music  went 
the  round,  and  all  had  their  favourite  tunes.  Certain 
numbers  were  kept  to  the  last ;  I  could  see  that  they 
were  to  the  taste  of  all.  First  came  an  air  from  "  The 
Huguenots,"  sung  by  Michalowa ;  this  showed  the 
vikings  to  be  musical.  It  was  beautifully  sung.  "  But 
look  here,"  cried  an  impatient  voice :  "  aren't  we  going 
to  have  Borghild  Bryhn  to-night  ?"  "  Yes,"  was  the 
answer;  "here  she  comes."  And  Solveig's  Song  fol- 
lowed. It  was  a  pity  Borghild  Bryhn  was  not  there  ;  I 
believe  the  most  rapturous  applause  would  not  have 
moved  her  so  much  as  the  way  her  song  was  received 
here  that  evening.  As  the  notes  rang  clear  and  pure 
through  the  room,  one  could  see  the  faces  grow  serious. 
No  doubt  the  words  of  the  poem  affected  them  all  as 
they  sat  there  in  the  dark  winter  night  on  the  vast 
wilderness  of  ice,  thousands  and  thousands  of  miles 
from  all  that  was  dear  to  them.  I  think  that  was  so  ; 
but  it  was  the  lovely  melody,  given  with  perfect  finish 
and  rich  natural  powers,  that  opened  their  hearts.  One 


A  GRAMOPHONE  CONCERT  339 

could  see  how  it  did  them  good  ;  it  was  as  though  they 
were  afraid  of  the  sound  of  their  own  voices  afterwards. 
At  last  one  of  them  could  keep  silence  no  longer. 
"  My  word,  how  beautifully  she  sings  !"  he  exclaimed  ; 
"  especially  the  ending.  I  was  a  little  bit  afraid  that 
she  would  give  the  last  note  too  sharp,  in  spite  of  the 
masterly  way  in  which  she  controls  her  voice.  And  it 
is  outrageously  high,  too.  But  instead  of  that,  the  note 
came  so  pure  and  soft  and  full  that  it  alone  was  enough 
to  make  a  better  man  of  one."  And  then  this  enthu- 
siastic listener  tells  them  how  he  once  heard  the  same 
song,  but  with  a  very  different  result.  "  It  went  quite 
well,"  he  says,  "  until  it  came  to  the  final  note.  Then 
you  could  see  the  singer  fill  her  mighty  bosom  for  the 
effort,  and  out  came  a  note  so  shrill  that — well,  you 
remember  the  walls  of  Jericho."  After  this  the  gramo- 
phone is  put  away.  No  one  seems  to  want  any  more. 

Now  it  is  already  half-past  eight,  it  must  be  nearly 
bed-time.  The  feast  has  lasted  long  enough,  with  food, 
drink,  and  music.  Then  they  all  get  on  their  feet,  and 
there  is  a  cry  of  "  Bow.  and  arrows."  Now,  I  say  to 
myself,  as  I  withdraw  into  the  corner  where  the  clothes 
are  hanging — now  the  alcohol  is  beginning  to  take  effect. 
It  is  evident  that  something  extraordinarily  interesting 
is  going  to  take  place,  as  they  are  all  so  active.  One  of 
them  goes  behind  the  door  and  fetches  out  a  little  cork 
target,  and  another  brings  out  of  his  bunk  a  box  of 
darts.  So  it  is  dart-throwing — the  children  must  be 


340  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

amused.  The  target  is  hung  up  on  the  door  of  the 
kitchen  leading  to  the  pent-house,  and  the  man  who 
is  to  throw  first  takes  up  his  position  at  the  end  of 
the  table 'at  a  distance  of  three  yards.  And  now  the 
shooting  competition  begins,  amid  laughter  and  noise. 
There  are  marksmen  of  all  kinds,  good,  bad,  and  in- 
different. Here  comes  the  champion — one  can  see  that 
by  the  determined  way  in  which  he  raises  the  dart  and 
sends  it  flying ;  his  will,  no  doubt,  be  the  top  score. 
That  is  Stubberud ;  of  the  five  darts  he  throws,  two  are 
in  the  bull's-eye  and  three  close  to  it.  The  next  is 
Johansen ;  he  is  not  bad,  either,  but  does  not  equal  the 
other's  score.  Then  comes  Bjaaland  ;  I  wonder  whether 
he  is  as  smart  at  this  game  as  he  is  on  ski  ?  He  places 
himself  at  the  end  of  the  table,  like  the  others,  but  takes 
a  giant's  stride  forward.  He  is  a  leery  one,  this ;  now 
he  is  not  more  than  a  yard  and  a  half  from  the  target. 
He  throws  well ;  the  darts  describe  a  great  round  arch. 
This  is  what  is  known  as  throwing  "  with  a  high 
trajectory,"  and  it  is  received  with  great  applause.  The 
trajectory  turns  out  to  be  too  high,  and  all  his  darts 
land  in  the  wall  above  the  door.  Hassel  throws  with 
"calculation."  What  he  calculates  it  is  not  easy  to 
understand.  Not  on  hitting  the  target,  apparently  ;  but 
if  his  calculations  have  to  do  with  the  kitchen-door,  then 
they  are  more  successful.  Whether  Amundsen  "  calcu- 
lates "  or  not  makes  very  little  difference ;  his  are  all 
misses  in  any  case.  Wisting's  form  is  the  same. 


A  RACE  TO  BED  341 

Prestrud  is  about  half-way  between  the  good  shots  and 
the  bad.  Hanssen  throws  like  a  professional,  slinging 
his  dart  with  great  force.  He  evidently  thinks  he  is 
hunting  walrus.  All  the  scores  are  carefully  entered  in 
a  book,  and  prizes  will  be  given  later  on. 

Meanwhile  Lindstrom  is  playing  patience  ;  his  day's 
work  is  now  done.  But,  besides  his  cards,  he  is  much 
interested  in  what  is  going  on  round  the  target,  and  puts 
in  a  good  word  here  and  there.  Then  he  gets  up  with  a 
determined  look  ;  he  has  one  more  duty  to  perform. 
This  consists  of  changing  the  light  from  the  big  lamp 
under  the  ceiling  to  two  small  lamps,  and  the  reason 
for  the  change  is  that  the  heat  of  the  big  lamp  would  be 
too  strongly  felt  in  the  upper  bunks.  This  operation  is 
a  gentle  hint  that  the  time  has  come  for  certain  people 
to  turn  in.  The  room  looks  dark  now  that  the  great 
sun  under  the  ceiling  is  extinguished ;  the  two  lamps 
that  are  now  alight  are  good  enough,  but  one  seems, 
nevertheless,  to  have  made  a  retrograde  step  towards  the 
days  of  pine- wood  torches. 

By  degrees,  then,  the  vikings  began  to  retire  to 
rest.  My  description  of  the  day's  life  at  Framheim 
would  be  incomplete  if  I  did  not  include  this  scene  in 
it.  Lindstrom's  chief  pride,  I  had  been  told,  was  that 
he  wras  always  the  first  man  in  bed  ;  he  would  willingly 
sacrifice  a  great  deal  to  hold  this  record.  As  a  rule,  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  fulfilling  his  desire,  as  nobody  tried 
to  be  before  him  ;  but  this  evening  it  was  otherwise. 


342  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

Stubberud  was  far  advanced  with  his  undressing  when 
Lindstrom  came  in,  and,  seeing  a  chance  at  last  of  being 
"  first  in  bed,"  at  once  challenged  the  cook.  Lindstrom, 
who  did  not  quite  grasp  the  situation,  accepted  the 
challenge,  and  then  the  race  began,  and  was  followed  by 
the  others  with  great  excitement.  Now  Stubberud  is 
ready,  and  is  just  going  to  jump  into  his  bunk,  which 
is  over  Lindstrom's,  when  he  suddenly  feels  himself 
clutched  by  the  leg  and  held  back.  Lindstrom  hangs 
on  to  the  leg  with  all  his  force,  crying  out,  in  the 
most  pitiable  voice  :  "  Wait  a  bit,  old  man,  till  I'm 
undressed  too  !"  It  reminded  me  rather  of  the  man  who 
was  going  to  fight,  and  called  out :  "  Wait  till  I  get  a 
hold  of  you  !"  But  the  other  was  not  to  be  persuaded  ; 
he  was  determined  to  win.  Then  Lindstrom  let  go, 
tore  off  his  braces — he  had  no  time  for  more — and  dived 
head  first  into  his  bunk.  Stubberud  tried  to  protest ; 
this  was  not  fair,  he  was  not  undressed,  and  so  on. 
"  That  doesn't  matter,"  replied  the  fat  man  ;  "  I  was 
first,  all  the  same." 

The  scene  was  followed  with  great  amusement  and 
shouts  of  encouragement,  and  ended  in  a  storm  of 
applause  when  Lindstrom  disappeared  into  his  bunk 
with  his  clothes  on.  But  that  was  not  the  end  of  the 
business,  for  his  leap  into  the  bunk  was  followed  by  a 
fearful  crash,  to  which  no  one  paid  any  attention  in  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  himself  least  of  all.  But 
now  the  consequences  appeared.  The  shelf  along  the 


LIGHTS  OUT  343 

side  of  his  bunk,  on  which  he  kept  a  large  assortment 
of  things,  had  fallen  down,  and  filled  the  bunk  with  rifles, 
ammunition,  gramophone-discs,  tool-boxes,  sweetmeat- 
boxes,  pipes,  tins  of  tobacco,  ash-trays,  boxes  of  matches, 
etc.,  and  there  was  no  room  left  for  the  man  himself. 
He  had  to  get  out  again,  and  his  defeat  was  doubly 
hard.  With  shame  he  acknowledged  Stubberud  as 
the  victor  ;  "  but,"  he  added,  "  you  shan't  be  first  another 
time."  One  by  one  the  others  turned  in ;  books  were 
produced — here  and  there  a  pipe  as  well — and  in  this 
way  the  last  hour  was  passed.  At  eleven  o'clock 
precisely  the  lamps  were  put  out,  and  the  day  was  at 
an  end. 

Soon  after,  my  host  goes  to  the  door,  and  1  follow 
him  out.  I  had  told  him  I  had  to  leave  again  this 
evening,  and  he  is  going  to  see  me  off.  "I'll  take  you 
as  far  as  the  depot,"  he  says  ;  "  the  rest  of  the  way  you 
can  manage  by  yourself."  The  weather  has  improved 
considerably,  but  it  is  dark — horribly  dark.  "  So  that 
we  may  find  the  way  more  easily,"  he  says,  "  I'll  take 
my  trio.  If  they  don't  see  the  way,  they'll  smell  it 
out."  Having  let  loose  the  three  dogs,  who  evidently 
wonder  what  the  meaning  of  it  may  be,  he  puts  a  lantern 
on  a  stack  of  timber — to  show  him  the  way  back,  I 
suppose — and  we  go  off.  The  dogs  are  evidently 
accustomed  to  go  this  way,  for  they  set  off  at  once 
in  the  direction  of  the  depot. 

"  Yes,"  says  my  companion,  "  it's  not  to  be  wondered 


344  A  DAY  AT  FRAMHEIM 

at  that  they  know  the  way.  They  have  gone  it  every 
day — once  at  least,  often  two  or  three  times — since  we 
came  here.  There  are  three  of  us  who  always  take  our 
daily  walk  in  this  direction — Bjaaland,  Stubberud.  and  I. 
As  you  saw  this  morning,  those  two  went  out  at  half- 
past  eight.  They  did  that  so  as  to  be  back  to  work  at 
nine.  We  have  so  much  to  do  that  we  can't  afford  to 
lose  any  time.  So  they  take  their  walk  to  the  depot 
and  back ;  at  nine  I  generally  do  the  same.  The 
others  began  the  winter  with  the  same  good  resolution ; 
they  were  all  so  enthusiastic  for  a  morning  walk.  But 
the  enthusiasm  didn't  last  long,  and  now  we  three  are 
the  only  enthusiasts  left.  But,  short  as  the  way  is 
—about  650  yards — we  should  not  venture  to  go  with- 
out those  marks  that  you  saw,  and  without  our  dogs. 
I  have  often  hung  out  a  lantern,  too  ;  but  when  it  is 
as  cold  as  this  evening,  the  paraffin  freezes  and  the 
light  goes  out.  Losing  one's  way  here  might  be  a  very 
serious  matter,  and  I  don't  want  to  run  the  risk  of  it. 

"  Here  we  have  the  first  mark-post ;  we  were  lucky 
to  come  straight  upon  it.  The  dogs  are  on  ahead, 
making  for  the  depot.  Another  reason  for  being  very 
careful  on  the  way  to  the  depot  is  that  there  is  a 
big  hole,  20  feet  deep,  just  by  a  hummock  on  that 
slope  where,  you  remember,  the  last  flag  stands.  If 
one  missed  one's  way  and  fell  into  it,  one  might  get 
hurt."  We  passed  close  to  the  second  mark.  "  The 
next  two  marks  are  more  difficult  to  hit  off — they  are  so 


THE  VISITOR  DEPARTS  345 

low ;  and  I  often  wait  and  call  the  dogs  to  me  to  find 
the  way — as  I  am  going  to  do  now,  for  instance.  It 
is  impossible  to  see  anything  unless  you  come  right  on 
it,  so  we  must  wait  and  let  the  dogs  help  us.  I  know 
exactly  the  number  of  paces  between  each  mark,  and 
when  I  have  gone  that  number,  I  stop  and  first 
examine  the  ground  close  by.  If  that  is  no  good,  I 
whistle  for  the  dogs,  who  come  at  once.  Now  you'll 
see" — a  long  whistle — "it  won't  be  long  before  they 
are  here.  I  can  hear  them  already."  He  was  right ; 
the  dogs  came  running  out  of  the  darkness  straight 
towards  us.  "  To  let  them  see  that  we  want  to  find 
the  way  to  the  depot,  we  must  begin  to  walk  on."  We 
did  so.  As  soon  as  the  dogs  saw  this,  they  went  forward 
again,  but  this  time  at  a  pace  that  allowed  us  to  keep 
up  with  them  at  a  trot,  and  soon  after  we  were  at  the 
last  mark. 

"  As  you  see,  my  lantern  over  at  the  camp  is  just 
going  out,  so  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  accompanying 
you  farther.  You  know  your  way,  anyhow." 

With  these  words  we  parted,  and  my  host  went  back, 
followed  by  the  faithful  trio,  whilst  I  ... 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    END    OF   THE    WINTER 

AFTER  Midwinter  Day  the  time  began  to  pass  even 
more  quickly  than  before.  The  darkest  period  was  over, 
and  the  sun  was  daily  drawing  nearer.  In  the  middle 
of  the  darkest  time,  Hassel  came  in  one  morning  and 
announced  that  Else  had  eight  puppies.  Six  of  these 
were  ladies,  so  their  fate  was  sealed  at  once  ;  they  were 
killed  and  given  to  their  elder  relations,  who  appreciated 
them  highly.  It  could  hardly  be  seen  that  they  chewed 
them  at  all ;  they  went  down  practically  whole.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  of  their  approval,  as  the  next  day  the 
other  two  had  also  disappeared. 

The  weather  conditions  we  encountered  down  here 
surprised  us  greatly.  In  every  quarter  of  the  Antarctic 
regions  of  which  we  had  any  information,  the  conditions 
had  always  proved  very  unsettled.  On  the  Belgica,  in 
the  drift-ice  to  the  west  of  Graham  Land,  we  always 
had  rough,  unpleasant  weather.  Nordenskj old's  stay  in 
the  regions  to  the  east  of  the  same  land  gave  the  same 
report — storm  after  storm  the  whole  time.  And  from 
the  various  English  expeditions  that  have  visited 

346 


WINTER  TEMPERATURES  347 

McMurdo  Sound  we  hear  of  continual  violent  winds. 
Indeed,  we  know  now  that  while  we  were  living  on  the 
Barrier  in  the  most  splendid  weather — calms  or  light 
breezes— Scott  at  his  station  some  four  hundred  miles  to 
the  west  of  us  was  troubled  by  frequent  storms,  which 
greatly  hindered  his  work. 

I  had  expected  the  temperature  to  remain  high,  as 
throughout  the  winter  we  could  very  clearly  see  the 
dark  sky  over  the  sea.  Whenever  the  state  of  the  air 
was  favourable,  the  dark,  heavy  water-sky  was  visible  in 
a  marked  degree,  leaving  no  doubt  that  a  large  extent 
of  Ross  Sea  was  open  the  whole  year  round.  Never- 
theless, the  temperature  went  very  low,  and  without 
doubt  the  mean  temperature  shown  by  our  observations 
for  the  year  is  the  lowest  that  has  ever  been  recorded. 
Our  lowest  temperature,  on  August  13,  1911,  was 
—  74'2°  F.  For  five  months  of  the  year  we  were  able 
to  record  temperatures  below  -58°  F.  The  tempera- 
ture rose  with  every  wind,  except  the  south-west ;  with 
that  it  more  usually  went  down. 

We  observed  the  aurora  australis  many  times,  but 
only  a  few  of  its  appearances  were  specially  powerful. 
They  were  of  all  possible  forms,  though  the  form  of 
ribbon-like  bands  seemed  to  be  commonest.  Most  of 
the  aurorse  were  multicoloured— red  and  green. 

My  hypothesis  of  the  solidity  of  the  Barrier — that  is, 
of  its  resting  upon  underlying  land — seems  to  be  con- 
firmed at  all  points  by  our  observations  during  our 


348  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

twelve  months'  stay  on  it.  In  the  course  of  the  winter 
and  spring  the  pack-ice  is  forced  up  against  the  Barrier 
into  pressure-ridges  of  as  much  as  40  feet  in  height. 
This  took  place  only  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from 
our  hut,  without  our  noticing  its  effect  in  the  slightest 
degree.  In  my  opinion,  if  this  Barrier  had  been  afloat, 
the  effect  of  the  violent  shock  which  took  place  at  its 
edge  would  not  merely  have  been  noticeable,  but  would 
have  shaken  our  house.  While  building  the  house, 
Stubberud  and  Bjaaland  heard  a  loud  noise  a  long  way 
off,  but  could  feel  nothing.  During  our  whole  stay  we 
never  heard  a  sound  or  felt  a  movement  on  this  spot. 
Another  very  good  proof  seems  to  be  afforded  by  the 
large  theodolite  that  Prestrud  used.  It  would  take 
next  to  nothing  to  disturb  its  level — a  slight  change  of 
temperature  might  be  enough.  So  delicate  an  instru- 
ment would  have  soon  shown  an  inclination  if  the  Barrier 
had  been  afloat. 

The  day  we  entered  the  bay  for  the  first  time,  a  small 
piece  of  its  western  cape  broke  away.  During  the  spring 
the  drift-ice  pressed  in  an  insignificant  part  of  one  of 
the  many  points  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  Barrier. 
With  these  exceptions,  we  left  the  Barrier  as  we  found 
it,  entirely  unaltered.  The  soundings,  which  showed  a 
rapid  rise  in  the  bottom  as  the  Fram  changed  her  posi- 
tion southward  along  the  Barrier,  are  also  a  clear  sign 
that  land  is  close  at  hand.  Finally,  the  formations  of 
the  Barrier  appear  to  be  the  best  proof.  It  could  not 


WORK  ON  THE  SLEDGES  349 

rise  to  1,100  feet — which  we  measured  as  the  rise  from 
Framheim  to  a  point  about  thirty-one  miles  to  the  south 
— without  subjacent  land. 

Work  now  proceeded  on  the  sledging  outfit  with 
feverish  haste.  We  had  for  a  long  time  been  aware 
that  we  should  have  to  do  our  utmost  and  make  the 
best  use  of  our  time  if  we  were  to  have  the  general 
outfit  for  our  common  use  ready  by  the  middle  of 
August.  For  preparing  our  personal  outfit  we  had  to 
use  our  leisure  time.  By  the  first  half  of  August  we 
could  begin  to  see  the  end  of  our  labour.  Bjaaland  had 
now  finished  the  four  sledges.  It  was  a  masterly  piece 
of  work  that  he  had  carried  out  in  the  course  of  the 
winter  ;  they  were  extremely  lightly  constructed,  but 
very  strong.  They  were  of  the  same  length  as  the 
original  sledges — about  12  feet — and  were  not  shod. 
We  should  have  a  couple  of  the  old  Fram  sledges  with 
us,  and  these  were  shod  with  strong  steel  plates,  so  that 
they  could  be  used  if  the  surface  and  going  rendered  it 
necessary.  The  average  weight  of  the  new  sledges  wras 
53  pounds.  We  had  thus  saved  as  much  as  110  pounds 
per  sledge. 

When  Bjaaland  had  finished  them,  they  were  taken 
into  the  "  Clothing  Store."  The  way  in  which  Hanssen 
and  Wisting  lashed  the  various  parts  together  was  a 
guarantee  of  their  soundness ;  in  fact,  the  only  way  in 
which  one  can  expect  work  to  be  properly  and  carefully 
carried  out  is  to  have  it  done  by  the  very  men  who  are 


350  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

to  use  the  things.  They  know  what  is  at  stake.  They 
do  it  so  that  they  may  reach  their  destination ;  more 
than  that,  they  do  it  so  that  they  may  come  back  again. 
Every  piece  of  binding  is  first  carefully  examined  and 
tested  ;  then  it  is  put  on,  cautiously  and  accurately. 
Every  turn  is  hauled  taut,  taking  care  that  it  is  in  its 
right  place.  And,  finally,  the  lashing  is  pointed  in  such 
a  way  that  one  would  do  best  to  use  a  knife  or  an  axe  if 
it  has  to  be  undone  again;  there  is  no  danger  of  jerking 
it  out  with  the  fingers.  A  sledge  journey  of  the  kind 
we  had  before  us  is  a  serious  undertaking,  and  the  work 
has  to  be  done  seriously. 

It  was  no  warm  and  comfortable  workshop  that  they 
had  for  doing  this.  The  Clothing  Store  was  always 
the  coldest  place,  probably  because  there  was  always  a 
draught  through  it.  There  was  a  door  out  on  to  the 
Barrier,  and  an  open  passage  leading  to  the  house. 
Fresh  air  was  constantly  passing  through,  though  not 
in  any  very  great  quantity  ;  but  it  does  not  take  much 
to  make  itself  felt  when  the  air  is  at  a  temperature  of 
about  —75°  F.,  and  when  one  is  working  with  bare 
fingers.  There  were  always  some  degrees  of  frost  here. 
In  order  to  keep  the  lashings  pliable  while  they  were 
being  put  on,  they  used  a  Primus  lamp  on  a  stone  close 
to  where  they  were  working.  I  often  admired  their 
patience  when  I  stood  watching  them ;  I  have  seen 
them  more  than  once  working  barehanded  by  the  hour 
together  in  a  temperature  of  about  -  22°  F.  This  may 


THE  NEW  TENTS  351 

pass  for  a  short  time ;  but  through  the  coldest  and 
darkest  part  of  the  winter,  working  day  after  day,  as 
they  did,  it  is  pretty  severe,  and  a  great  trial  of  patience. 
Nor  were  their  feet  very  well  off  either  ;  it  makes  hardly 
any  difference  what  one  puts  on  them  if  one  has  to  stay 
still.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  cold,  it  was  found  that 
boots  with  wooden  soles  were  the  best  for  sedentary 
work ;  but  for  some  reason  or  other  the  occupants  of 
the  Clothing  Store  would  not  give  their  adherence  to 
the  wooden-sole  principle,  and  continued  to  work  all 
through  the  winter  in  their  reindeer-skin  and  sealskin 
boots.  They  preferred  stamping  their  feet  to  acknow- 
ledging the  incontestable  superiority  of  wooden  soles  in 
such  conditions. 

As  the  sledges  were  finished,  they  were  numbered 
from  one  to  seven,  and  stored  in  the  clothing  depart- 
ment. The  three  old  sledges  we  should  have  to  use 
were  made  for  the  Frams  second  expedition.  They 
were  extremely  strong,  and,  of  course,  heavier  than  the 
new  ones.  They  were  all  carefully  overhauled  ;  all  the 
bindings  and  lashings  were  examined,  and  replaced 
wherever  necessary.  The  steel  shoes  were  taken  off 
one,  but  retained  on  the  other  two,  in  case  we  should 
meet  with  conditions  where  they  would  be  required. 

In  addition  to  this  work  of  lashing,  these  two  had 
plenty  of  other  occupation.  Whenever  Wisting  was 
not  taken  up  by  the  work  on  the  sledges,  one  could 
hear  the  hum  of  his  sewing-machine.  He  had  a  thousand 


352  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

different  things  to  do  in  his  sewing-room,  and  was  in 
there  nearly  every  day  till  late  in  the  evening.  It  was 
only  when  the  target  and  darts  came  out  at  half-past 
eight  that  he  showed  himself,  and  if  it  had  not  been 
that  he  had  undertaken  the  position  of  marker  at  these 
competitions,  we  should  hardly  have  seen  him  even 
then.  His  first  important  piece  of  work  was  making 
four  three-man  tents  into  two.  It  was  not  easy  to 
manage  these  rather  large  tents  in  the  little  hole  that 
went  by  the  name  of  the  sewing- room  ;  of  course,  he  used 
the  table  in  the  Clothing  Store  for  cutting  out,  but, 
all  the  same,  it  is  a  mystery  how  he  contrived  to  get 
hold  of  the  right  seams  when  he  sat  in  his  hole.  I  was 
prepared  to  see  the  most  curious-looking  tents  when 
once  they  were  brought  out  and  set  up  in  daylight ;  one 
might  imagine  that  the  floor  of  one  would  be  sewed  on 
to  the  side  of  another.  But  nothing  of  the  sort  hap- 
pened. When  the  tents  were  brought  out  for  the  first 
time  and  set  up,  they  proved  to  be  perfect.  One 
would  have  thought  they  had  been  made  in  a  big 
sail -loft  instead  of  in  a  snow-drift.  Neat -fingered 
fellows  like  this  are  priceless  on  such  an  expedition 
as  ours. 

On  the  second  Fram  expedition  they  used  double 
tents,  and  as,  of  course,  nothing  is  so  good  and  service- 
able as  the  thing  one  has  not  got,  the  praises  of  double 
tents  were  now  sung  in  every  key.  Well,  I  naturally 
had  to  admit  that  a  house  with  double  walls  is  warmer 


COLOUR  OF  TENTS  353 

than  one  with  single  walls,  but,  at  the  same  time,  one 
must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  double-walled 
house  is  also  twice  as  heavy ;  and  when  one  has  to  con- 
sider the  weight  of  a  pocket-handkerchief,  it  will  be 
understood  that  the  question  of  the  real  advantages 
of  the  double-walled  house  had  to  be  thoroughly  con- 
sidered before  taking  the  step  of  committing  oneself  to 
it.  I  had  thought  that  with  double  walls  one  would 
possibly  avoid  some  of  the  rime  that  is  generally  so 
troublesome  in  the  tents,  and  often  becomes  a  serious 
matter.  If,  then,  the  double  walls  would  in  any  way 
prevent  or  improve  this  condition  of  things,  I  could 
see  the  advantage  of  having  them  ;  for  the  increased 
weight  caused  by  the  daily  deposit  of  rime  would  in 
a  short  time  be  equal  to,  if  not  greater  than,  the  ad- 
ditional weight  of  the  double  tent.  These  double  tents 
are  made  so  that  the  outer  tent  is  fast  and  the  inner 
loose.  In  the  course  of  our  discussion,  it  appeared  that 
the  deposit  of  rime  occurred  just  as  quickly  on  a  double 
tent  as  on  a  single  one,  and  thus  the  utility  of  the 
double  tent  appeared  to  me  to  be  rather  doubtful.  If 
the  object  was  merely  to  have  it  a  few  degrees  warmer 
in  the  tent,  I  thought  it  best  to  sacrifice  this  comfort  to 
the  weight  we  should  thereby  save.  Moreover,  we  were 
so  plentifully  supplied  with  warm  sleeping  things  that 
we  should  not  have  to  suffer  any  hardship. 

But  another  question  cropped  up  as  a  result  of  this 
discussion — the  question  of  what  was  the  most  useful 

VOL.  i.  23 


354  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

colour  for  a  tent.  We  were  soon  agreed  that  a  dark- 
coloured  tent  was  best,  for  several  reasons :  In  the  first 
place,  as  a  relief  to  the  eyes.  We  knew  well  enough 
what  a  comfort  it  would  be  to  come  into  a  dark  tent 
after  travelling  all  day  on  the  glistening  Barrier  surface. 
In  the  next  place,  the  dark  colour  would  make  the  tent 
a  good  deal  warmer  when  the  sun  was  up — another 
important  consideration.  One  may  easily  prove  this  by 
walking  in  dark  clothes  in  a  hot  sun.  and  afterwards 
changing  to  white  ones.  And,  finally,  a  dark  tent  would 
be  far  easier  to  see  on  the  white  surface  than  a  light  one. 
When  all  these  questions  had  been  discussed,  and  the 
superiority  of  a  dark  tent  admitted,  we  were  doubly 
keen  on  it,  since  all  our  tents  happened  to  be  light,  not 
to  say  white,  and  the  possibility  of  getting  dark  ones  was 
not  very  apparent.  It  is  true  that  we  had  a  few  yards 
of  darkish  "gabardine,"  or  light  windproof  material, 
which  would  have  been  extremely  suitable  for  this 
purpose,  but  every  yard  of  it  had  long  ago  been  destined 
for  some  other  use,  so  that  did  not  get  us  out  of  the 
difficulty.  "  But,"  said  somebody — and  he  had  a  very 
cunning  air  as  he  uttered  that  "  but  " — "  but  haven't  we 
got  ink  and  ink -powder  that  we  can  dye  our  tents  dark 
with  ?"  Yes,  of  course  !  We  all  smiled  indulgently  ; 
the  thing  was  so  plain  that  it  was  almost  silly  to  mention 
it,  but  all  the  same — the  man  was  forgiven  his  silliness? 
and  dye-works  were  established.  Wisting  accepted  the 
position  of  dyer,  in  addition  to  his  other  duties,  and 


COVERS  FOR  TENTS  355 

succeeded  so  well  that  before  very  long  we  had  two 
dark  blue  tents  instead  of  the  white  ones. 

These  looked  very  well,  no  doubt,  freshly  dyed  as  they 
were,  but  the  question  was,  What  would  they  look  like 
after  a  couple  of  months'  use  ?  The  general  opinion  was 
that  they  would  probably,  to  a  great  extent,  have  re- 
verted to  their  original  colour — or  lack  of  colour.  Some 
better  patent  had  to  be  invented.  As  we  were  sitting 
over  our  coffee  after  dinner  one  day,  someone  suddenly 
suggested  :  "  But  look  here — suppose  we  took  our  bunk- 
curtains  and  made  an  outer  tent  of  them  ?"  This  time 
the  smile  that  passed  over  the  company,  as  they  put 
down  their  cups,  was  almost  compassionate.  Nothing 
was  said,  but  the  silence  meant  something  like  :  "  Poor 
chap  ! — as  if  we  hadn't  all  thought  of  that  long  ago  1" 
The  proposal  was  adopted  without  discussion,  and 
Wisting  had  another  long  job,  in  addition  to  all  the  rest. 
Our  bunk-curtains  were  dark  red,  and  made  of  very 
light  material ;  they  were  sewed  together,  curtain  to 
curtain,  and  finally  the  whole  was  made  into  an  outer 
tent.  The  curtains  only  sufficed  for  one  tent,  but, 
remembering  that  half  a  loaf  is  better  than  no  bread,  we 
had  to  be  satisfied  with  this.  The  red  tent,  which  was 
set  up  a  few  days  after,  met  with  unqualified  approval ; 
it  would  be  visible  some  miles  away  in  the  snow. 
Another  important  advantage  was  that  it  would  protect 
and  preserve  the  main  tent.  Inside,  the  effect  of  the 
combination  of  red  and  blue  was  to  give  an  agreeably 


356  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

dark  shade.  Another  question  was  how  to  protect  the 
tent  from  a  hundred  loose  dogs,  who  were  no  better 
behaved  than  others  of  their  kind.  If  the  tent  became 
stiff  and  brittle,  it  might  be  spoilt  in  a  very  short  time. 
And  the  demands  we  made  on  our  tents  were  consider- 
able ;  we  expected  them  to  last  at  least  120  days. 
I  therefore  got  Wisting  to  make  two  tent-protectors,  or 
guards.  These  guards  consisted  simply  of  a  piece 
of  gabardine  long  enough  to  stretch  all  round  the  tent, 
and  to  act  as  a  fence  in  preventing  the  dogs  from 
coming  in  direct  contact  with  the  tents.  The  guards 
were  made  with  loops,  so  that  they  could  be  stretched 
upon  ski-poles.  They  looked  very  fine  when  they  were 
finished,  but  they  never  came  to  be  used  ;  for,  as  soon  as 
we  began  the  journey,  we  found  a  material  that  was 
even  more  suitable  and  always  to  be  had — snow. 
Idiots  ! — of  course,  we  all  knew  that,  only  we  wouldn't 
say  so.  Well,  that  was  one  against  us.  However,  the 
guards  came  in  well  as  reserve  material  on  the  trip,  and 
many  were  the  uses  they  were  put  to. 

In  the  next  place,  Wisting  had  to  make  wind-clothing 
for  every  man.  That  we  had  brought  out  proved  to  be 
too  small,  but  the  things  he  made  were  big  enough. 
There  was  easily  room  for  two  more  in  my  trousers  ;  but 
they  have  to  be  so.  In  these  regions  one  soon  finds  out 
that  everything  that  is  roomy  is  warm  and  comfortable, 
while  everything  that  is  tight — foot-gear,  of  course, 
excepted — is  warm  and  uncomfortable.  One  quickly 


WINDPROOF  STOCKINGS  357 

gets  into  a  perspiration,  and  spoils  the  clothes.  Besides 
the  breeches  and  anorak  of  light  wind-cloth,  he  made 
stockings  of  the  same  material.  I  assumed  that  these 
stockings — worn  among  the  other  stockings  we  had  on— 
would  have  an  insulating  effect.  Opinions  were  greatly 
divided  on  this  point ;  but  I  must  confess — in  common 
with  my  four  companions  on  the  Polar  journey — that  I 
would  never  make  a  serious  trip  without  them.  They 
fulfilled  all  our  expectations.  The  rime  was  deposited 
on  them  freely,  and  was  easily  brushed  off.  If  they  got 
wet,  it  was  easy  to  dry  them  in  almost  all  weathers  ; 
I  know  of  no  material  that  dries  so  quickly  as  this 
windproof  stuff.  Another  thing  was  that  they  pro 
tected  the  other  stockings  against  tears,  and  made  them 
last  much  longer  than  would  otherwise  have  been  the 
case. 

As  evidence  of  how  pleased  we  who  took  part  in  the 
long  sledge  journey  were  with  these  stockings,  I  may 
mention  that  when  we  reached  the  depot  in  80°  S. — on 
the  homeward  trip,  be  it  noted  ;  that  is,  when  we  looked 
upon  the  journey  as  over — we  found  there  some  bags 
with  various  articles  of  clothing.  In  one  of  these  were 
two  pairs  of  windproof  stockings— the  bag  presumably 
belonged  to  an  opponent  of  the  idea — and  it  may  be 
imagined  that  there  was  some  fun.  We  all  wanted 
them — all,  without  exception.  The  two  lucky  ones  each 
seized  his  pair  and  hid  it,  as  if  it  was  the  most  costly 
treasure.  What  they  wanted  with  them  I  cannot  guess, 


358  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

as  we  were  at  home ;  but  this  example  shows  how  we 
had  learnt  to  appreciate  them. 

I  recommend  them  most  warmly  to  men  who  are 
undertaking  similar  expeditions.  But — I  must  add — 
they  must  give  themselves  the  trouble  of  taking  off 
their  foot-gear  every  evening,  and  brushing  the  rime  oft 
their  stockings ;  if  one  does  not  do  this,  of  course,  the 
rime  will  thaw  in  the  course  of  the  night,  and  every- 
thing will  be  soaking  wet  in  the  morning.  In  that  case 
you  must  not  blame  the  stockings,  but  yourself. 

After  this  it  was  the  turn  of  the  underclothing ; 
there  was  nothing  in  the  tailoring  and  outfitting  depart- 
ment that  Wisting  could  not  manage.  Among  our 
medical  stores  we  had  two  large  rolls  of  the  most 
beautiful  fine  light  flannel,  and  of  this  he  made  under- 
clothing for  all  of  us.  What  we  had  brought  out  from 
home  was  made  of  extremely  thick  woollen  material, 
and  we  were  afraid  this  would  be  too  warm.  Personally, 
I  wore  Wisting's  make  the  whole  trip,  and  have  never 
known  anything  so  perfect.  Then  he  had  covers  for 
the  sleeping-bags  to  sew  and  patch,  and  one  thing  and 
another.  Some  people  give  one  the  impression  of  being 
able  to  make  anything,  and  to  get  it  done  in  no  time- 
others  not. 

Hanssen  had  his  days  well  occupied,  industrious  and 
handy  as  he  was.  He  was  an  expert  at  anything 
relating  to  sledges,  and  knew  exactly  what  had  to  be 
done.  Whatever  he  had  a  hand  in,  I  could  feel  sure 


WHIP-HANDLES  359 

of ;  he  never  left  anything  to  chance.  Besides  lashing 
the  sledges,  he  had  a  number  of  other  things  to  do. 
Amongst  them,  he  was  to  prepare  all  the  whips  we 
required— two  for  each  driver,  or  fourteen  altogether. 
Stubberud  was  to  supply  the  handles.  In  consultation 
with  the  "  Carpenters'  Union,"  I  had  chosen  a  handle 
made  of  three  narrow  strips  of  hickory.  I  assumed  that 
if  these  were  securely  lashed  together,  and  the  lashings 
covered  with  leather,  they  would  make  as  strong  a 
handle  as  one  could  expect  to  get.  The  idea  of  the 
composite  handle  of  three  pieces  of  wood  was  that  it 
would  give  and  bend  instead  of  breaking.  We  knew 
by  experience  that  a  solid  whip-handle  did  not  last  very 
long.  It  was  arranged,  then,  that  the  handles  were  to 
be  made  by  Stubberud,  and  passed  on  to  Hanssen. 

The  whip-lashes  were  made  by  Hassel,  in  the  course 
of  the  winter,  on  the  Eskimo  model.  They  were  round 
and  heavy — as  they  should  be — and  dangerous  to  come 
near,  when  they  were  wielded  by  an  experienced  hand. 
Hanssen  received  these  different  parts  to  join  them 
together  and  make  the  whip.  As  usual,  this  was  done 
with  all  possible  care.  Three  strong  lashings  were  put 
on  each  handle,  and  these  again  were  covered  with 
leather.  Personally,  Hanssen  was  not  in  favour  of  the 
triple^Jiickory  handle,  but  he  did  the  work  without 
raising  any  objection.  We  all  remarked,  it  is  true,  that 
at  this  time,  contrary  to  his  habit,  he  spent  the  hours 
after  supper  with  Wisting.  I  wondered  a  little  at  this, 


360  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

as  I  knew  Hanssen  was  very  fond  of  a  game  of  whist 
after  supper,  and  never  missed  it  unless  he  had  work 
to  do.  I  happened  one  evening  to  express  my  surprise 
at  this,  and  Stubberud  answered  at  once  :  "  He's  making 
handles."—"  What  sort  of  handles  ?"— "  Whip-handles  ; 
but,"  Stubberud  added,  "I'll  guarantee  those  hickory 
handles  I'm  making.  You  can't  have  anything  tougher 
and  stronger  than  those."  He  was  rather  sore  about 
it,  that  was  easy  to  see ;  the  idea  was  his  own,  too. 
Then — talk  of  the  devil — in  walked  Hanssen,  with  a 
fine  big  whip  in  his  hand.  I,  of  course,  appeared 
extremely  surprised.  "  What,"  I  said,  "  more  whips  ?" 
—"Yes,"  said  he  ;  "I  don't  believe  in  those  I'm  making 
in  the  daytime.  But  here's  a  whip  that  I  can  trust." 
I  must  admit  that  it  looked  well.  The  whole  handle 
was  covered,  so  that  one  could  not  see  what  it  was 
made  of.  "  But,"  I  ventured  to  object,  "  are  you  sure 
it  is  as  strong  as  the  others  ?" — "  Oh,  as  to  that," 
he  answered,  "I'm  quite  ready  to  back  it  against  any 

of  those "     He  did  not  say  the  word,  nor  was  there 

any  need.  His  meaning  was  unmistakable,  and  "rotten 
whiD£  "  sounded  in  our  ears  as  plainly  as  if  he  had  shouted 
it.  I  had  no  time  to  observe  the  effect  of  this  terrible 
utterance,  for  a  determined  voice  called  out :  "  We'll 
see  about  that !"  I  turned  round,  and  there  was 
Stubberud  leaning  against  the  end  of  the  table,  evidently 
hurt  by  Hanssen's  words,  which  he  took  as  a  personal 
affront.  "  If  you  dare  risk  your  whip,  come  on." 


A  WHIP  DUEL  361 

He  had  taken  down  one  of  the  insulted  triple-handled 
whips  from  the  shelf  in  his  bunk,  and  stood  in  a  fighting 
attitude.  This  promised  well.  We  all  looked  at 
Hanssen.  He  had  gone  too  far  to  be  able  to  draw 
back ;  he  had  to  fight.  He  took  his  weapon  hi  his 
hand,  and  entered  the  "  ring."  The  conditions  were 
arranged  and  accepted  by  both  parties ;  they  were  x 
to  fight  until  one  of  the  handles  was  broken.  And 
then  the  jvhigjduel  began.  The  opponents  were  very 
serious  over  it.  One,  two,  three — the  first  blow  fell,  \  * 
handle  against  handle.  The  combatants  had  shut  their 
eyes  and  awaited  the  result;  when  they  opened  them 
again,  they  shone  with  happy  surprise — both  handles 
were  as  whole  as  before.  Now  each  of  them  was 

*#+**+,#* 

really  delighted  with  his  own  handle,  and  the  blows 
fell  faster.  Stubberud,  who  was  standing  with  his 
back  to  the  table,  got  so  excited  over  the  unexpected 
result  that,  every  time  he  raised  his  weapon,  he  gave 
the  edge  of  the  table  a  resounding  smack  without 
knowing  it.  How  many  rounds  had  been  fought  I 
do  not  know,  when  I  heard  a  crack,  followed  by  the 
words  :  "  There  you  can  see,  old  man !"  As  Stubberud 
left  the  ring,  I  was  able  to  see  Hanssen.  He  stood  j 
on  the  battle-field,  eyeing  his  whip;  it  looked  like  a 
broken  lily.  The  spectators  had  not  been  silent ;  they 
had  followed  the  fight  with  excitement,  amid  laughter 
and  shouts.  "  That's  right,  Stubberud.  Don't  give 
in !"  "  Bravo,  Hanssen!  that's  a  good  one !" 


362  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

The  whips  afterwards  turned  out  remarkably  well- 
not  that  they  lasted  out  the  trip,  but  they  held  together 
for  a  long  while.  Whip-handles  are  a  very  perishable 
commodity ;  if  one  used  nothing  but  the  lash,  they 
would  be  everlasting,  but,  as  a  rule,  one  is  not  long 
satisfied  with  that.  It  is  when  one  gives  a  "  confirma- 
tion," as  we  call  it,  that  the  handle  breaks.  A  con- 
firmation is  generally  held  when  some  sinner  or  other 
has  gone  wrong  and  refuses  to  obey.  It  consists  in 
taking  the  first  opportunity,  when  the  sledge  stops,  of 
going  in  among  the  dogs,  taking  out  the  defiant  one,  and 
laying  into  him  with  the  handle.  These  confirmations, 
if  they  occur  frequently,  may  use  up  a  lot  of  handles. 

It  was  also  arranged  that  Hanssen  should  prepare 
goggles  in  the  Eskimo  fashion,  and  he  began  this  work ; 
but  it  soon  appeared  that  everyone  had  some  patent  of 
his  own  which  was  much  better.  Therefore  it  was 
given  up,  and  every  man  made  his  own  goggles. 

Stubberud's  chief  work  was  making  the  sledge  cases 
lighter,  and  he  succeeded  in  doing  this,  but  not  without 
hard  work.  It  took  far  longer  than  one  would  have 
thought.  The  wood  had  a  good  many  knots,  and  he 
often  had  to  work  against  the  grain  ;  the  planing  was 
therefore  rather  difficult  and  slow.  He  planed  a  good 
deal  off  them,  but  could  "  guarantee  them,"  as  he  said. 
Their  sides  were  not  many  millimetres  thick ;  to 
strengthen  them  in  the  joints,  corners  of  aluminium 
were  put  on. 


OUR    SKI-BINDING   IN   ITS    FINAL   FORM. 


MIDWINTER    DAY,    JUNE,    1911. 


To  face  page  362,  Vol.1. 


SKI-FITTINGS  363 

In  addition  to  remaking  the  sledges,  Bjaaland  had  to 
get  the  ski  ready.  To  fit  the  big,  broad  boots  we  should 
wear,  the  Huitfeldt  fittings  had  to  be  much  broader  than 
usual,  and  we  had  such  with  us,  so  that  Bjaaland  had 
only  to  change  them.  The  ski-bindings  were  like  the 
snow-goggles;  everyone  had  his  own  patent.  I  found 
the  bindings  that  Bjaaland  had  put  on  for  himself  so 
efficient  that  I  had  no  hesitation  in  ordering  similar 
ones  for  myself ;  and  it  may  be  said  to  their  honour,  and 
to  the  honour  of  him  who  made  them,  that  they  were 
first-rate,  and  served  me  well  during  the  whole  trip. 
They  were,  after  all,  only  a  retention  of  the  old  system, 
but,  with  the  help  of  hooks  and  eyes,  they  could  be  put 
on  and  taken  off  in  an  instant.  And  those  were  the 
conditions  we  demanded  of  our  bindings — that  they 
should  hold  the  foot  as  firmly  as  a  vice,  and  should  be 
easy  to  hook  on  and  take  off.  For  we  always  had  to 
take  them  off  on  the  journey  ;  if  one  left  one's  bindings 
out  for  a  night,  they  were  gone  in  the  morning.  The 
dogs  .looked  upon  them  as  a  delicacy.  The  toe-strap 
also  had  to  be  removed  in  the  evening  ;  in  other  words 
the  ski  had  to  be  left  absolutely  bare. 

Johansen,  besides  his  packing,  was  occupied  in  making 
weights  and  tent-pegs.  The  weights  were  very  ingeni- 
ously made;  the  steelyard  system  was  adopted.  If 
they  were  never  used,  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the 
weights — they  were  good  enough.  But  the  reason  was 
that  we  had  all  our  provisions  so  arranged  that  they 


364  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

could  be  taken  without  being  weighed.  We  were  all 
weighed  on  August  6,  and  it  then  appeared  that 
Lindstrom  was  the  heaviest,  with  13  st.  8  Ibs.  On 
that  occasion  he  was  officially  christened  "  Fatty."  The 
tent-pegs  Johansen  made  were  the  opposite  of  what 
such  pegs  usually  are ;  in  other  words,  they  were  flat 
instead  of  being  high.  We  saw  the  advantage  at  once. 
Besides  being  so  much  lighter,  they  were  many  times 
stronger.  I  do  not  know  that  we  ever  broke  a  peg  on 
the  trip  ;  possibly  we  lost  one  or  two.  Most  of  them 
were  brought  home  undamaged. 

Hassel  worked  at  his  whip-lashes  down  in  the 
petroleum  store.  It  was  an  uncomfortable  place  for 
him — always  cold  ;  but  he  had  the  lashes  ready  by  the 
time  he  had  promised  them. 

Prestrud  made  charts  and  copied  out  tables.  Six  of 
us  were  to  have  these  copies.  In  each  sledge  there  was 
a  combined  provision  and  observation  book,  bearing  the 
same  number  as  the  sledge.  It  contained,  first,  an 
exact  list  of  the  provisions  contained  in  each  case  on 
that  sledge,  and,  in  addition,  the  necessary  tables  for 
our  astronomical  observations.  In  these  books  each 
man  kept  a  daily  account  of  every  scrap  of  provisions  he 
took  out ;  in  this  way  we  could  always  check  the 
contents  of  the  cases,  and  know  what  quantity  of 
provisions  we  had.  Farther  on  in  the  book  the  observa- 
tions were  entered,  and  the  distance  covered  for  the  day, 
course,  and  so  on. 


PERSONAL  EQUIPMENT  365 

That  is  a  rough  outline  of  what  we  were  doing  in  the 
course  of  the  winter  in  "  working  hours."  Besides  this 
there  were,  of  course,  a  hundred  things  that  every  man 
had  to  do  for  his  personal  equipment.  During  the 
winter  each  man  had  his  outfit  served  out  to  him,  so 
that  he  might  have  time  to  make  whatever  alterations 
he  found  necessary.  Every  man  received  a  heavy  and  a 
lighter  suit  of  reindeer-skin,  as  well  as  reindeer-skin  mits 
and  stockings.  He  also  had  dogskin  stockings  and 
sealskin  kamiks.  In  addition,  there  was  a  complete 
outfit  of  underclothing  and  wind-clothes.  All  were 
served  alike  ;  there  was  no  priority  at  all.  The  skin 
clothing  was  the  first  to  be  tackled,  and  here  there  was 
a  good  deal  to  be  done,  as  nothing  had  been  made  to 
measure.  One  man  found  that  the  hood  of  his  anorak 
came  too  far  down  over  his  eyes,  another  that  it  did  not 
come  down  far  enough ;  so  both  had  to  set  to  work  at 
alterations,  one  cutting  off,  the  other  adding  a  piece. 
One  found  his  trousers  too  long,  another  too  short,  and 
they  had  to  alter  those.  However,  they  managed  it ; 
the  needle  was  always  at  work,  either  for  sewing  a  piece 
on,  or  for  hemming  the  shortened  piece.  Although  we 
began  this  work  in  good  time,  it  looked  as  if  we  should 
never  have  finished.  The  room  orderly  had  to  sweep 
out  huge  piles  of  strips  and  reindeer-hair  every  morning, 
but  the  next  morning  there  were  just  as  many.  If  we 
had  stayed  there,  I  am  sure  we  should  still  be  sitting 
and  sewing  away  at  our  outfit. 


366  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

A  number  of  patents  were  invented.  Of  course,  the 
everlasting  mask  for  the  face  was  to  the  fore,  and  took 
the  form  of  nose-protectors.  I,  too,  allowed  myself  to 
be  beguiled  into  experimenting,  with  good  reason,  as  I 
thought,,  but  with  extremely  poor  results.  I  had  hit 
upon  something  which,  of  course,  I  thought  much  better 
than  anything  that  had  been  previously  tried.  The  day 
I  put  on  my  invention,  I  not  only  got  my  nose  frozen, 
but  my  forehead  and  cheek  as  well.  I  never  tried  it 
again.  Hassel  was  great  at  new  inventions ;  he  wore 
nose-protectors  all  over  him.  These  patents  are  very 
good  things  for  passing  the  time  ;  when  one  actually 
takes  the  field,  they  all  vanish.  They  are  useless  for 
serious  work. 

The  sleeping-bags  were  also  a  great  source  of  interest. 
Johansen  was  at  work  on  the  double  one  he  was  so  keen 
on.  Heaven  knows  how  many  skins  he  put  into  it ! 
I  don't,  nor  did  I  ever  try  to  find  out.  Bjaaland  was 
also  in  full  swing  with  alterations  to  his.  He  found  the 
opening  at  the  top  inconvenient,  and  preferred  to  have 
it  in  the  middle ;  his  arrangement  of  a  flap,  with  but- 
tons and  loops,  made  it  easy  to  mistake  him  for  a 
colonel  of  dragoons  when  he  was  in  bed.  He  was 
tremendously  pleased  with  it ;  but  so  he  was  with  his 
snow-goggles,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  could  not  see 
with  them,  and  that  they  allowed  him  to  become  snow- 
blind.  The  rest  of  us  kept  our  sleeping-bags  as  they 
were,  only  lengthening  or  shortening  them  as  required. 


PATENT  SNOW-GOGGLES  367 

We  were  all  greatly  pleased  with  the  device  for  closing 
them — on  the  plan  of  a  sack.  Outside  our  bags  we  had 
a  cover  of  very  thin  canvas  ;  this  was  extremely  useful, 
and  I  would  not  be  without  it  for  anything.  In  the 
daytime  the  sleeping-bag  was  always  well  protected  by 
this  cover  ;  no  snow  could  get  in.  At  night  it  was  per- 
haps even  more  useful,  as  it  protected  the  bag  from  the 
moisture  of  the  breath.  Instead  of  condensing  on  the 
skin  and  making  it  wet,  this  settled  on  the  cover,  form- 
ing in  the  course  of  the  night  a  film  of  ice,  which  disap- 
peared again  during  the  day,  breaking  off  while  the  bag 
lay  stretched  on  the  sledge.  This  cover  ought  to  be  of 
ample  size  ;  it  is  important  that  it  should  be  rather 
longer  than  the  sleeping-bag,  so  that  one  may  have 
plenty  of  it  round  the  neck,  and  thus  prevent  the 
breath  from  penetrating  into  the  bag.  We  all  had 
double  bags — an  inner  and  an  outer  one.  The  inner  one 
was  of  calf- skin  or  thin  female  reindeer- skin,  and  quite 
light ;  the  outer  one  was  of  heavy  buck  reindeer-skin, 
and  weighed  about  13  pounds.  Both  were  open  at  the 
end,  like  a  sack,  and  were  laced  together  round  the 
neck.  I  have  always  found  this  pattern  the  easiest, 
simplest,  most  comfortable,  and  best.  We  recommend 
it  to  all. 

Novelties  in  the  way  of  snow-goggles  were  many. 
This  was,  of  course,  a  matter  of  the  greatest  import- 
ance, and  required  study — it  was  studied,  too !  The 
particular  problem  was  to  find  good  goggles  without 


368  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

glass.  It  is  true  that  I  had  worn  nothing  but  a  pair 
of  ordinary  spectacles,  with  light  yellow  glasses,  all  the 
autumn,  and  that  they  had  proved  excellent ;  but  for 
the  long  journey  I  was  afraid  these  would  give  insuffi- 
cient protection.  I  therefore  threw  myself  into  the 
competition  for  the  best  patent.  The  end  of  it  was 
that  we  all  went  in  for  leather  goggles,  with  a  little  slit 
for  the  eyes.  The  Bjaaland  patent  won  the  prize,  and 
was  most  adopted.  Hassel  had  his  own  invention, 
combined  with  a  nose-protector ;  when  spread  out  it 
reminded  me  of  the  American  eagle.  I  never  saw  him 
use  it.  Nor  did  any  of  us  use  these  new  goggles,  except 
Bjaaland.  He  used  his  own  goggles  the  whole  way, 
but  then,  he  was  the  only  one  who  became  snow-blind. 
The  spectacles  I  wore — Hanssen  had  the  same  ;  they 
were  the  only  two  pairs  we  had — gave  perfect  pro- 
tection ;  not  once  did  I  have  a  sign  of  snow-blindness. 
They  were  exactly  like  other  spectacles,  without  any 
gauze  at  all  round  the  glasses ;  the  light  could  pene- 
trate everywhere.  Dr.  Schanz,  of  Dresden,  who  sent 
me  these  glasses,  has  every  right  to  be  satisfied  with 
his  invention ;  its  beats  anything  I  have  ever  tried 
or  seen. 

The  next  great  question  was  our  boots.  I  had  ex- 
pressly pointed  out  that  boots  must  be  taken,  whether 
the  person  concerned  intended  to  wear  them  or  not ; 
for  boots  were  indispensable,  in  case  of  having  to  cross 
any  glacier,  which  was  a  contingency  we  had  to  reckon 


TRYING   ON    PATENT    GOGGLES. 


HASSEL    IN    THE    OIL-STORE. 


To  face  page  368,  Vol.  I. 


BOOT  PROBLEM  SOLVED  369 

with,  from  the  descriptions  we  had  read  of  the  country. 
With  this  proviso  everyone  might  do  as  he  pleased, 
and  all  began  by  improving  their  boots  in  accordance 
with  our  previous  experience.  The  improvement  con- 
sisted in  making  them  larger.  Wisting  took  mine  in 
hand  again,  and  began  once  more  to  pull  them  to  pieces. 
It  is  only  by  tearing  a  thing  to  pieces  that  one  can  see 
what  the  work  is  like.  We  gained  a  good  insight  into 
the  way  our  boots  had  been  made  ;  stronger  or  more 
conscientious  work  it  would  be  impossible  to  find. 
It  was  hard  work  pulling  them  to  pieces.  This  time 
mine  lost  a  couple  more  soles.  How  many  that  made 
altogether  I  do  not  remember,  but  now  I  got  what  I 
had  always  called  for — room  enough.  Besides  being 
able  to  wear  all  the  foot-coverings  I  had,  I  could  also 
find  room  for  a  wooden  sole.  That  made  me  happy ; 
my  great  object  was  achieved.  Now  the  temperature 
could  be  as  low  as  it  liked ;  it  would  not  get  through 
the  wooden  soles  and  my  various  stockings  —  seven 
pairs,  I  think,  in  all.  I  was  pleased  that  evening,  as 
the  struggle  had  been  a  long  one;  it  had  taken  me 
nearly  two  years  to  arrive  at  this  result. 

And  then  there  was  the  dog- harness,  which  we  must 
all  have  in  order.  The  experience  of  the  last  depot 
journey,  when  two  dogs  fell  into  a  crevasse  through 
faulty  harness,  must  not  be  allowed  to  repeat  itself, 
We  therefore  devoted  great  care  and  attention  to  this 
gear,  and  used  all  the  best  materials  we  had.  The 

VOL.  i.  24 


370  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

result  rewarded  our  pains  ;  we  had  good,  strong  harness 
for  every  team. 

This  description  will,  perhaps,  open  the  eyes  of  some 
people,  and  show  them  that  the  equipment  of  an  ex- 
pedition such  as  we  were  about  to  enter  upon  is  not  the 
affair  of  a  day.  It  is  not  money  alone  that  makes  for 
the  success  of  such  an  expedition — though,  Heaven 
knows,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  have — but  it  is  in  a  great 
measure — indeed,  I  may  say  that  this  is  the  greatest 
factor — the  way  in  which  the  expedition  is  equipped — 
the  way  in  which  every  difficulty  is  foreseen,  and  pre- 
cautions taken  for  meeting  or  avoiding  it.  Victory 
awaits  him  who  has  everything  in  order — luck,  people 
call  it.  Defeat  is  certain  for  him  who  has  neglected  to 
take  the  necessary  precautions  in  time  ;  this  is  called 
bad  luck.  But  pray  do  not  think  this  is  an  epitaph 
I  wish  to  have  inscribed  on  my  own  tomb.  No ; 
honour  where  honour  is  due — honour  to  my  faithful 
comrades,  who,  by  their  patience,  perseverance  and 
experience,  brought  our  equipment  to  the  limit  of  per- 
fection, and  thereby  rendered  our  victory  possible. 

On  August  16  we  began  to  pack  our  sledges ;  two 
were  placed  in  the  Crystal  Palace  and  two  in  the 
Clothing  Store.  It  was  a  great  advantage  to  be  able 
to  do  this  work  under  cover  ;  at  this  time  the  tempera- 
ture was  dancing  a  cancan  between  —  58°  and  —75°  F., 


STUBBERUD'S  RUSE  371 

with  an  occasional  refreshing  breeze  of  thirteen  or  four- 
teen miles  an  hour.  It  would  have  been  almost  an 
impossibility  to  pack  the  sledges  out  of  doors  under 
these  conditions  if  it  was  to  be  done  carefully  and 
firmly  ;  and,  of  course,  it  had  to  be  so  done.  Our  fixed 
wire-rope  lashings  had  to  be  laced  together  with  lengths 
of  thin  rope,  and  this  took  time ;  but  when  properly 
done,  as  it  was  now,  the  cases  were  held  as  though  in 
a  vice,  and  could  not  move.  The  zinc  plates  we  had 
had  under  the  sledges  to  keep  them  up  in  loose  snow 
had  been  taken  off;  we  could  not  see  that  we  should 
have  any  use  for  them.  In  their  place  we  had  lashed 
a  spare  ski  under  each  sledge,  and  these  were  very 
useful  later.  By  August  22  all  the  sledges  were  ready, 
waiting  to  be  driven  away. 

The  dogs  did  not  like  the  cold  weather  we  had  now 
had  for  so  long ;  when  the  temperature  went  down 
between  -  58°  and  -  75°  F.,  one  could  see  by  their 
movements  that  they  felt  it.  They  stood  still  and  raised 
their  feet  from  the  ground  in  turn,  holding  each  foot  up 
for  a  while  before  putting  it  down  again  on  the  cold 
surface.  They  were  cunning  and  resourceful  in  the 
extreme.  They  did  not  care  very  much  for  fish,  and 
some  of  them  were  difficult  to  get  into  the  tents  on  the 
evenings  when  they  knew  there  was  fish.  Stubberud, 
especially,  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  with  one  of  the 
young  dogs — Funcho  was  his  name.  He  was  born  at 
Madeira  during  our  stay  there  in  September,  1910.  On 


372  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

meat  evenings  each  man,  after  fastening  up  his  dogs, 
went,  as  has  been  described,  up  to  the  wall  of  the  meat- 
tent  and  took  his  box  of  chopped-up  meat,  which  was 
put  out  there.  Funcho  used  to  watch  for  this  moment. 
When  he  saw  Stubberud  take  the  box,  he  knew  there 
was  meat,  and  then  he  came  quietly  into  the  tent, 
as  though  there  was  nothing  the  matter.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  Stubberud  showed  no  sign  of  fetching  the 
box,  the  dog  would  not  come,  nor  was  it  possible  to  get 
hold  of  him.  This  happened  a  few  times,  but  then 
Stubberud  hit  upon  a  stratagem.  When  Funcho,  as 
usual— even  on  a  fish  evening — watched  the  scene  of 
chaining  up  the  other  dogs  from  a  distance,  Stubberud 
went  calmly  up  to  the  wall,  took  the  empty  box  that 
lay  there,  put  it  on  his  shoulder,  and  returned  to  the 
tent.  Funcho  was  taken  in.  He  hurried  joyfully  into 
the  tent,  delighted,  no  doubt,  with  Stubberud's  generosity 
in  providing  meat  two  evenings  running.  But  there,  to 
his  great  surprise,  a  very  different  reception  awaited  him 
from  that  he  expected.  He  was  seized  by  the  neck  and 
made  fast  for  the  night.  After  an  ugly  scowl  at  the 
empty  box,  he  looked  at  Stubberud  ;  what  he  thought, 
I  am  not  sure.  Certain  it  is  that  the  ruse  was  not  often 
successful  after  that.  Funcho  got  a  dried  fish  for 
supper,  and  had  to  be  content  with  it. 

We  did  not  lose  many  dogs  in  the  course  of  the 
winter.  Two — Jeppe  and  Jakob — died  of  some  disease 
or  other.  Knasgten  was  shot,  as  he  lost  almost  all  his 


DEEP   IN    THOUGHT. 


FUNCHO. 


To  face  page  372,  Vol.  I. 


WANDERINGS  OF  THE  DOGS         373 

hair  over  half  his  body.  Madeiro,  born  at  Madeira,  dis- 
appeared early  in  the  autumn;  Tom  disappeared  later — 
both  these  undoubtedly  fell  into  crevasses.  We  had  a 
very  good  opportunity — twice — of  seeing  how  this 
might  happen;  both  times  we  saw  the  dog  disappear 
into  the  crevasse,  and  could  watch  him  from  the  surface. 
He  went  quite  quietly  backwards  and  forwards  down 
below  without  uttering  a  sound.  These  crevasses  were 
not  deep,  but  they  were  steep-sided,  so  that  the  dog 
could  not  get  out  without  help.  The  two  dogs  I  have 
mentioned  undoubtedly  met  their  death  in  this  way : 
a  slow  death  it  must  be,  when  one  remembers  how 
tenacious  of  life  a  dog  is.  It  happened  several  times 
that  dogs  disappeared,  were  absent  for  some  days,  and 
then  came  back  ;  possibly  they  had  been  down  a  crevasse, 
and  had  finally  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  it  again. 
Curiously  enough,  they  did  not  pay  much  attention  to 
the  weather  when  they  went  on  trips  of  this  kind. 
When  the  humour  took  them,  they  would  disappear, 
even  if  the  temperature  was  down  in  the  fifties  below 
zero,  with  wind  and  driving  snow.  Thus  Jaala,  a  lady 
belonging  to  Bjaaland,  took  it  into  her  head  to  go  off 
with  three  attendant  cavaliers.  We  came  upon  them 
later  ;  they  were  then  lying  quietly  behind  a  hummock 
down  on  the  ice,  and  seemed  to  be  quite  happy.  They 
had  been  away  for  about  eight  days  without  food,  and 
during  that  time  the  temperature  had  seldom  been  above 
-  58°  F. 


374  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

August  23  arrived  :  calm,  partly  overcast,  and 
—  43*6°  F.  Finer  weather  for  taking  out  our  sledges 
and  driving  them  over  to  the  starting-point  could  not  be 
imagined.  They  had  to  be  brought  up  through  the 
door  of  the  Clothing  Store ;  it  was  the  largest  and  the 
easiest  to  get  through.  We  had  first  to  dig  away  the 
snow,  which  latterly  had  been  allowed  to  collect  there, 
as  the  inmates  of  this  department  had  for  some  time 
past  used  the  inner  passage.  The  snow  had  blotted  out 
everything,  so  that  no  sign  of  the  entrance  could  be 
seen  ;  but  with  a  couple  of  strong  shovels,  and  a  couple 
of  strong  men  to  use  them,  the  opening  was  soon  laid 
bare.  To  get  the  sledges  up  was  a  longer  business ; 
they  weighed  880  pounds  apiece,  and  the  way  up  to  the 
surface  was  steep.  A  tackle  was  rigged,  and  by  hauling 
and  shoving  they  slowly,  one  by  one,  came  up  into 
daylight.  We  dragged  them  away  to  a  place  near  the 
instrument-screen,  so  as  to  get  a  clear  start  away  from 
the  house.  The  dogs  were  fresh  and  wild,  and  wanted 
plenty  of  room  ;  a  case,  not  to  mention  a  .post,  still  less 
the  instrument-screen,  would  all  have  been  objects  of 
extreme  interest,  to  which,  if  there  had  been  the  slightest 
opportunity,  their  course  would  infallibly  have  been 
directed.  The  protests  of  their  drivers  would  have  been 
of  little  avail.  The  dogs  had  not  been  let  loose  that 
morning,  and  every  man  was  now  in  his  tent  harnessing 
them.  Meanwhile  I  stood  contemplating  the  packed 
sledges  that  stood  there  ready  to  begin  the  long  journey. 


THE    LOADED    SLEDGES   IN   THE    CLOTHING    STORE. 


SLEDGES    READY   FOR    USE    BEING    HAULED    OUT    OF   THE 
STOREROOM. 


To  face  page  374,  Vol.  J. 


UP  TO  THE  STARTING-PLACE        375 

I  tried  to  work  up  a  little  poetry — "the  ever-restless ux 
spirit  of  man  " — "  the  mysterious,  awe-inspiring  wilder-  | 
ness  of  ice  " — but  it  was  no  good  ;  I  suppose  it  was  too         £ 
early  in   the   morning.     I  abandoned  my  efforts,  after 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  each  sledge  gave  one 
more  the  idea  of  a  coffin  than  of  anything  else,  all  the  I 
cases  being  painted  black. 

It  was  as  we  had  expected:  the  dogs  were  on  the 
verge  of  exploding.  What  a  time  we  had  getting  them 
all  into  the  traces !  They  could  not  stand  still  an 
instant ;  either  it  was  a  friend  they  wanted  to  wish 
good-morning,  or  it  was  an  enemy  they  were  longing  to 
fly  at.  There  was  always  something  going  on;  when 
they  kicked  out  with  their  hind-legs,  raising  a  cloud  of 
snow,  or  glared  defiantly  at  each  other,  it  often  caused 
their  driver  an  anxious  moment.  If  he  had  his  eye  on 
them  at  this  stage,  he  might,  by  intervening  quickly  and 
firmly,  prevent  the  impending  battle  ;  but  one  cannot  be 
everywhere  at  once,  and  the  result  was  a  series  of  the 
wildest  fights.  Strange  beasts  !  They  had  been  going 
about  the  place  comparatively  peacefully  the  whole 
winter,  and  now,  as  soon  as  they  were  in  harness,  they 
must  needs  fight  as  if  their  lives  depended  on  it.  At 
last  we  were  all  ready  and  away.  It  was  the  first  time 
we  had  driven  with  teams  of  twelve,  so  that  we  were 
anxious  to  see  the  result. 

It  went  better  than  we  had  expected  ;  of  course,  not 
like  an  express  train,  but  we  could  not  expect  that  the 


376  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

first  time.  Some  of  the  dogs  had  grown  too  fat  in  the 
course  of  the  winter,  and  had  difficulty  in  keeping  up ; 
for  them  this  first  trip  was  a  stiff  pull.  But  most  of 
them  were  in  excellent  condition — fine,  rounded  bodies, 
not  lumpish.  It  did  not  take  long  to  get  up  the  hill 
this  time  ;  most  of  them  had  to  stop  and  get  their 
wind  on  the  slope,  but  there  were  some  that  did  it 
without  a  halt.  Up  at  the  top  everything  looked  just 
as  we  had  left  it  in  April.  The  flag  was  still  standing 
where  we  had  planted  it,  and  did  not  look  much  the 
wrorse  for  wear.  And,  what  was  still  stranger,  we  could 
see  our  old  tracks  southward.  We  drove  all  our  sledges 
well  up,  unharnessed  the  dogs,  and  let  them  go.  We 
took  it  for  granted  that  they  would  all  rush  joyfully 
home  to  the  flesh-pots,  nor  did  the  greater  number  dis- 
appoint us.  They  set  off  gaily  homewards,  and  soon 
the  ice  was  strewn  with  dogs.  They  did  not  behave 
altogether  like  good  children.  In  some  places  there  was 
a  sort  of  mist  over  the  ice  ;  this  was  the  cloud  of  snow 
thrown  up  by  the  combatarits.  But  on  their  return 
they  were  irreproachable  ;  one  could  not  take  any  notice 
of  a  halt  here  and  there.  At  the  inspection  that  even- 
ing, it  appeared  that  ten  of  them  were  missing.  That 
was  strange — could  all  ten  have  gone  down  crevasses  ? 
It  seemed  unlikely. 

Next  morning  two  men  went  over  to  the  starting- 
point  to  look  for  the  missing  dogs.  On  the  way  they 
crossed  a  couple  of  crevasses,  but  there  was  no  dog  to 


THE  SUN  APPEARS  377 

be  seen.  When  they  arrived  at  the  place  where  the 
sledges  stood,  there  lay  all  ten  curled  up  asleep.  They 
were  lying  by  their  own  sledges,  and  did  not  seem  to 
take  the  slightest  notice  of  the  men's  arrival.  One  or 
two  of  them  may  have  opened  an  eye,  but  that  was  all. 
When  they  were  roused  and  given  to  understand  by 
unmistakable  signs  that  their  presence  was  desired  at 
home,  they  seemed  astonished  beyond  all  bounds.  Some 
of  them  simply  declined  to  believe  it ;  they  merely 
turned  round  a  few  times  and  lay  down  again  on  the 
same  spot.  They  had  to  be  flogged  home.  Can  any- 
thing more  inexplicable  be  imagined  ?  There  they  lay, 
three  miles  from  their  comfortable  home,  where  they 
knew  that  abundance  of  food  awaited  them — in  a  tem- 
perature of  —40°  F.  Although  they  had  now  been  out 
for  twenty-four  hours,  none  of  them  gave  a  sign  of 
wanting  to  leave  the  spot.  If  it  had  been  summer,  with 
warm  sunshine,  one  might  have  understood  it ;  but  as 
it  was — no  ! 

That  day — August  24 — -the  sun  appeared  above  the 
Barrier  again  for  the  first  time  in  four  months.  He 
looked  very  smiling,  with  a  friendly  nod  for  the  old 
pressure-ridges  he  had  seen  for  so  many  years  ;  but 
when  his  first  beams  reached  the  starting-point,  his  face 
might  well  show  surprise.  "  Well,  if  they're  not  first, 
after  all !  And  I've  been  doing  all  I  could  to  get  here !" 
It  could  not  be  denied ;  we  had  won  the  race,  and 
reached  the  Barrier  a  day  before  him. 


378  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

The  day  for  our  actual  start  could  not  be  fixed ;  we 
should  have  to  wait  until  the  temperature  moderated 
somewhat.  So  long  as  it  continued  to  grovel  in  the 
depths,  we  could  not  think  of  setting  out.  All  our 
things  were  now  ready  up  on  the  Barrier,  and  nothing 
remained  but  to  harness  the  dogs  and  start.  When  I 
say  all  our  things  were  ready,  this  is  not  the  impression 
anyone  would  have  gained  who  looked  in  on  us ;  the 
cutting  out  and  sewing  were  going  on  worse  than  ever. 
What  had  previously  occurred  to  one  as  a  thing  of 
secondary  importance,  which  might  be  done  if  there  was 
time,  but  might  otherwise  quite  well  be  dropped,  now 
suddenly  appeared  as  the  most  important  part  of  the 
whole  outfit ;  and  then  out  came  the  knife  and  cut 
away,  until  great  heaps  of  offcuts  and  hair  lay  about  the 
floor;  then  the  needle  was  produced,  and  seam  after 
seam  added  to  those  there  wrere  already. 

The  days  went  by,  and  the  temperature  would  give 
no  sign  of  spring  ;  now  and  then  it  would  make  a  jump 
of  about  thirty  degrees,  but  only  to  sink  just  as  rapidly 
back  to  —  58°  F.  It  is  not  at  all  pleasant  to  hang  about 
waiting  like  this ;  I  always  have  the  idea  that  I  am  the 
only  one  who  is  left  behind,  while  all  the  others  are  out 
on  the  road.  And  I  could  guess  that  I  was  not  the 
only  one  of  us  who  felt  this. 

"  I'd  give  something  to  know  how  far  Scott  is  to-day." 
"  Oh,  he's  not  out  yet,  bless  you  !     It's  much  too  cold 
for  his  ponies." 


WAITING  TO  START  379 

Ah,  but  how  do  you  know  they  have  it  as  cold  as 
this  ?  I  expect  it's  far  warmer  where  they  are,  among 
the  mountains  ;  and  you  can  take  your  oath  they're  not 
lying  idle.  Those  boys  have  shown  what  they  can  do." 

This  was  the  sort  of  conversation  one  could  hear 
daily.  The  uncertainty  was  worrying  many  of  us — not 
all — and,  personally,  I  felt  it  a  great  deal.  I  was  deter- 
mined to  get  away  as  soon  as  it  was  at  all  possible,  and 
the  objection  that  much  might  be  lost  by  starting  too 
early  did  not  seem  to  me  to  have  much  force.  If  we 
saw  that  it  was  too  cold,  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  turn 
back  ;  so  that  I  could  not  see  there  was  any  risk. 

September  came,  with  —  43'6°  F.  That  is  a  tempera- 
ture that  one  can  always  stand,  but  we  had  better 
wait  and  see  what  it  is  going  to  do  ;  perhaps  it  will  only 
play  its  old  tricks  again.  Next  day,  —63*4°  F.  ;  calm 
and  clear.  September  6,  —  20'2°  F.  At  last  the  change 
had  come,  and  we  thought  it  was  high  time.  Next  day, 
—  7*6°  F.  The  little  slant  of  wind  that  came  from  the 
east  felt  quite  like  a  mild  spring  breeze.  Well,  at  any 
rate,  we  now  had  a  good  temperature  to  start  in.  Every 
man  ready  ;  to-morrow  we  are  off. 

September  8  arrived.  We  turned  out  as  usual,  had 
breakfast,  and  were  then  on  the  move.  We  had  not 
much  to  do.  The  empty  sledges  we  were  to  use  for 
driving  up  to  the  starting-point  were  ready ;  we  only 
had  to  throw  a  few  things  on  to  them.  But  it  turned  out 
that  the  mere  fact  of  having  so  few  things  was  the  cause 


380  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

of  its  taking  a  long  time.  We  were  to  harness  twelve 
dogs  to  the  empty  sledges,  and  we  had  an  idea  that  it 
would  cost  us  a  struggle  to  get  away.  We  helped  each 
other,  two  and  two,  to  bring  the  dogs  to  the  sledges 
and  harness  them.  Those  who  were  really  careful  had 
anchored  their  sledges  to  a  peg  firmly  fixed  in  the  snow  ; 
others  had  contented  themselves  with  capsizing  their 
sledges ;  and  others,  again,  were  even  more  reckless. 
We  all  had  to  be  ready  before  the  first  man  could  start ; 
otherwise,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  those  who 
were  behind  to  hold  in  their  dogs,  and  the  result  would 
have  been  a  false  start. 

Our  dogs  were  in  a  fearful  state  of  excitement  and 
confusion  that  morning,  but  at  last  everything  was 
ready,  barring  one  or  two  trifles.  Then  I  suddenly 
heard  a  wild  yell,  and,  spinning  round,  I  saw  a  team 
tearing  off  without  a  driver.  The  next  driver  rushed 
forward  to  help,  with  the  result  that  his  dogs  made  off 
after  the  others.  The  two  sledges  were  on  ahead,  and 
the  two  drivers  after  them  in  full  gallop ;  but  the  odds 
were  too  unequal — in  a  few  moments  the  drivers  were 
beaten.  The  two  runaway  teams  had  made  off  in  a 
south-westerly  direction,  and  were  going  like  the  wind. 
The  men  had  hard  work ;  they  had  long  ago  stopped 
running,  and  were  now  following  in  the  tracks  of  the 
sledges.  The  dogs  had  disappeared  behind  the  ridges, 
which  the  men  did  not  reach  till  much  later. 

Meanwhile  the  rest  of  us  waited.     The  question  was, 


RUNAWAY  SLEDGES  381 

what  would  those  two  do  when  at  last  they  had  come 
up  with  their  sledges  ?  Would  they  turn  and  go  home, 
or  would  they  drive  up  to  the  starting-point  ?  Waiting 
was  no  fun  under  any  circumstances,  and  so  we  decided 
to  go  on  to  the  starting-point,  and,  if  necessary,  wait 
there.  No  sooner  said  than  done,  and  away  we  went. 
Now  we  should  see  what  command  the  fellows  had  over 
their  dogs,  for,  in  all  canine  probability,  these  teams 
would  now  try  to  follow  the  same  course  that  the 
runaways  had  taken.  This  fear  turned  out  not  to  be 
groundless  ;  three  managed  to  turn  their  dogs  and  put 
them  in  the  right  direction,  but  the  other  two  were  off 
on  the  new  course.  Afterwards,  of  course,  they  tried 
to  make  out  that  they  thought  we  were  all  going  that 
way.  I  smiled,  but  said  nothing.  It  had  happened 
more  than  once  that  my  own  dogs  had  taken  charge ; 
no  doubt  I  had  felt  rather  foolish  at  the  time,  but  after 
all  ... 

It  was  not  till  noon  that  we  all  assembled  with  our 
sledges.  The  drivers  of  the  runaways  had  had  stiff 
work  to  catch  them,  and  were  wet  through  with  their 
exertions.  I  had  some  thoughts  of  turning  back,  as 
three  young  puppies  had  followed  us  ;  if  we  went  on, 
we  should  have  to  shoot  them.  But  to  turn  back  after 
all  this  work,  and  then  probably  have  the  same  thing 
over  again  next  morning,  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect. 
And,  above  all,  to  see  Lindstrom  standing  at  the  door, 
shaking  with  laughter — no,  we  had  better  go  on.  I 


382  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

think  we  were  all  agreed  in  this.  The  dogs  were  now 
harnessed  to  the  loaded  sledges,  and  the  empty  ones 
were  stacked  one  above  another.  At  1.30  p.m.  we  were 
off.  The  old  tracks  were  soon  lost  sight  of,  but  we 
immediately  picked  up  the  line  of  flags  that  had  been 
set  up  at  every  second  kilometre  on  the  last  depot 
journey.  The  going  was  splendid,  and  we  went  at  a 
rattling  pace  to  the  south.  We  did  not  go  very  far  the 
first  day — eleven  and  three-quarter  miles — and  pitched 
our  camp  at  3.30  p.m.  The  first  night  out  is  never 
very  pleasant,  but  this  time  it  was  awful.  There  was 
such  a  row  going  on  among  our  ninety  dogs  that  we 
could  not  close  our  eyes.  It  was  a  blessed  relief  when 
four  in  the  morning  came  round,  and  we  could  begin 
to  get  up.  We  had  to  shoot  the  three  puppies  when 
we  stopped  for  lunch  that  day.  The  going  was  the 
same ;  nothing  could  be  better.  The  flags  we  were 
following  stood  just  as  we  had  left  them  ;  they  showed 
no  trace  of  there  having  been  any  snowfall  in  the 
interval.  That  day  we  did  fifteen  and  a  half  miles. 
The  dogs  were  not  yet  in  training,  but  were  picking  up 
every  hour. 

By  the  10th  they  seemed  to  have  reached  their  full 
vigour  ;  that  day  none  of  us  could  hold  in  his  team. 
They  all  wanted  to  get  forward,  with  the  result  that 
one  team  ran  into  another,  and  confusion  followed. 
This  was  a  tiresome  business ;  the  dogs  wore  them- 
selves out  to  no  purpose,  and,  of  course,  the  time  spent 


SEVERE  COLD  383 

in  extricating  them  from  one  another  was  lost.  They 
were  perfectly  wild  that  day.  When  Lassesen,  for 
instance,  caught  sight  of  his  enemy  Hans,  who  was  in 
another  team,  he  immediately  encouraged  his  friend 
Fix  to  help  him.  These  two  then  put  on  all  the  speed 
they  could,  with  the  result  that  the  others  in  the  same 
team  were  excited  by  the  sudden  acceleration,  and 
joined  in  the  spurt.  It  made  no  difference  how  the 
driver  tried  to  stop  them  ;  they  went  on  just  as  furiously, 
until  they  reached  the  team  that  included  the  object  of 
Lassesen's  and  Fix's  endeavours.  Then  the  two  teams 
dashed  into  each  other,  and  we  had  ninety-six  dogs' 
legs  to  sort  out.  The  only  thing  that  could  be  done 
was  to  let  those  who  could  not  hold  in  their  teams 
unharness  some  of  the  dogs  and  tie  them  on  the  sledge. 
In  this  way  we  got  things  to  work  satisfactorily  at  last. 
We  covered  eighteen  and  a  half  miles  that  day. 

On  Monday,  the  llth,  we  woke  up  to  a  temperature 
of  —  67*9°  F.  The  weather  was  splendid,  calm,  and 
clear.  We  could  see  by  the  dogs  that  they  were  riot 
feeling  happy,  as  they  had  kept  comparatively  quiet 
that  night.  The  cold  affected  the  going  at  once;  it 
was  slow  and  unyielding.  We  came  across  some 
crevasses,  and  Hanssen's  sledge  was  nearly  in  one ; 
but  it  was  held  up,  and  he  came  out  of  it  without 
serious  consequences.  The  cold  caused  no  discomfort 
on  the  march  ;  on  the  contrary,  at  times  it  was  too 
warm.  One's  breath  was  like  a  cloud,  and  so  thick  was 


384  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

the  vapour  over  the  dogs  that  one  could  not  see  one 
team  from  the  next,  though  the  sledges  were  being 
driven  close  to  one  another. 

On  the  12th  it  was  —61-6°  R,  with  a  breeze  dead 
against  us.  This  was  undeniably  bitter.  It  was  easy 
to  see  that  the  temperature  was  too  much  for  the  dogs ; 
in  the  morning,  especially,  they  were  a  pitiful  sight. 
They  lay  rolled  up  as  tightly  as  possible,  with  their 
noses  under  their  tails,  and  from  time  to  time  one  could 
see  a  shiver  run  through  their  bodies  ;  indeed,  some  of 
them  were  constantly  shivering.  We  had  to  lift  them 
up  and  put  them  into  their  harness.  I  had  to  admit 
that  with  this  temperature  it  would  not  pay  to  go  on ; 
the  risk  was  too  great.  We  therefore  decided  to  drive 
on  to  the  depot  in  80°  S.,  and  unload  our  sledges  there. 
On  that  day,  too,  we  made  the  awkward  discovery  that 
the  fluid  in  our  compasses  had  frozen,  rendering  them 
useless.  The  weather  had  become  very  thick,  and  we 
could  only  guess  vaguely  the  position  of  the  sun.  Our 
progress  under  these  circumstances  was  very  doubtful ; 
possibly  we  were  on  the  right  course,  but  it  was  just  as 
probable — nay,  more  so — that  we  were  off  it.  The  best 
thing  we  could  do,  therefore,  was  to  pitch  our  camp, 
and  wait  for  a  better  state  of  things.  We  did  not 
bless  the  instrument-maker  who  had  supplied  those 
compasses. 

It  was  10  a.m.  when  we  stopped.  In  order  to  have  a 
good  shelter  for  the  long  day  before  us,  we  decided  to 


SNOW  SETTLING  385 

build  two  snow-huts.  The  snow  was  not  good  for 
this  purpose,  but,  by  fetching  blocks  from  all  sides,  we 
managed  to  put  up  the  huts.  Hanssen  built  one  and 
Wisting  the  other.  In  a  temperature  such  as  we  now 
had,  a  snow- hut  is  greatly  preferable  to  a  tent,  and 
we  felt  quite  comfortable  when  we  came  in  and  got  the 
Primus  going.  That  night  we  heard  a  strange  noise 
round  us.  I  looked  under  my  bag  to  see  whether  we 
had  far  to  drop,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  a  disturbance 
anywhere.  In  the  other  hut  they  had  heard  nothing. 
We  afterwards  discovered  that  the  sound  was  only  due 
to  snow  "  settling."  By  this  expression  I  mean  the 
movement  that  takes  place  when  a  large  extent  of  the 
snow  surface  breaks  and  sinks  (settles  down).  This 
movement  gives  one  the  idea  that  the  ground  is  sink- 
ing under  one,  and  it  is  not  a  pleasant  feeling. 
It  is  followed  by  a  dull  roar,  which  often  makes  the 
dogs  jump  into  the  air — and  their  drivers,  too,  for  that 
matter.  Once  we  heard  this  booming  on  the  plateau  so 
loud  that  it  seemed  like  the  thunder  of  cannon.  We 
soon  grew  accustomed  to  it. 

Next  day  the  temperature  was  -62'5°  F.,  calm,  and 
perfectly  clear.  We  did  eighteen  and  a  half  miles,  and 
kept  our  course  as  well  as  we  could  with  the  help  of 
the  sun.  It  was  -  69*3°  F.  when  we  camped.  This 
time  I  had  done  a  thing  that  I  have  always  been 
opposed  to  :  I  had  brought  spirits  with  me  in  the  form 
of  a  bottle  of  Norwegian  aquavit  and  a  bottle  of  gin. 


VOL.   I. 


386  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

I  thought  this  a  suitable  occasion  to  bring  in  the  gin. 
It  was  as  hard  as  flint  right  through.  While  we  were 
thawing  it  the  bottle  burst,  and  we  threw  it  out  into  the 
snow,  with  the  result  that  all  the  dogs  started  to  sneeze. 
The  next  bottle — "  Aquavit,  No.  1  " — was  like  a  bone, 
but  we  had  learnt  wisdom  by  experience,  and  we  suc- 
ceeded with  care  in  thawing  it  out.  We  waited  till  we 
were  all  in  our  bags,  and  then  we  had  one.  I  was 
greatly  disappointed  ;  it  was  not  half  so  good  as  I  had 
thought.  But  I  am  glad  I  tried  it,  as  I  shall  never  do 
so  again.  The  effect  was  nil ;  I  felt  nothing,  either  in 
my  head  or  my  feet. 

The  14th  was  cool — the  temperature  remained  at 
—  68-8°  F.  Fortunately  it  was  clear,  so  that  we  could 
see  where  we  were  going.  We  had  not  gone  far  before 
a  bright  projection  appeared  on  the  level  surface.  Out 
with  the  glasses — the  depot !  There  it  lay,  right  in  our 
course.  Hanssen^jwiLO  had  driven  first  the  whole  way, 
without  a  forerunner,  and  for  the  most  part  without  a 
compass,  had  no  need  to  be  ashamed  of  his  performance. 
We  agreed  that  it  was  well  done,  and  that,  no  doubt, 
was  all  the  thanks  he  got.  We  reached  it  at  10.15  a.m., 
and  unloaded  our  sledges  at  once.  Wisting  undertook 
the  far  from  pleasant  task  of  getting  us  a  cup  of  warm 
milk  at  -68*8°  F.  He  put  the  Primus  behind  one 
of  the  cases  of  provisions,  and  set  it  going ;  strangely 
enough,  the  paraffin  was  still  liquid  in  the  vessel,  but 
this  was  no  doubt  because  it  had  been  well  protected  in 


. 


FROZEN  HEELS  387 

the  case.  A  cup  of  Horlick's  Malted  Milk  tasted  better 
that  day  than  the  last  time  I  had  tried  it — in  a  restaurant 
in  Chicago. 

Having  enjoyed  that,  we  threw  ourselves  on  the 
almost  empty  sledges,  and  set  our  course  for  home. 
The  going  was  difficult,  but,  with  the  light  weight  they 
now  had  to  pull,  the  dogs  went  along  well.  I  sat  with 
Wisting,  as  I  considered  his  team  the  strongest.  The 
cold  held  on  unchanged,  and  I  was  often  surprised  that 
it  was  possible  to  sit  still  on  the  sledges,  as  we  did, 
without  freezing ;  but  we  got  on  quite  well.  One  or  two 
I  saw  off  their  sledges  all  day,  and  most  of  us  jumped 
off  from  time  to  time  and  ran  by  the  side  to  get  warm. 
I  myself  took  to  my  ski  and  let  myself  be  pulled  along. 
This  so-called  sport  has  never  appealed  to  me,  but  under 
the  circumstances  it  was  permissible  ;  it  warmed  my 
feet,  and  that  was  the  object  of  it.  I  again  had  recourse 
to  this  "  sport  "  of  ski-driving  later  on,  but  that  was  for 
another  reason. 

On  the  15th,  as  we  sat  in  the  tent  cooking  and  chat- 
ting, Hanssen  suddenly  said  :  "  Why,  I  believe  my  heel's 
gone  !"  Off  came  his  stockings,  and  there  was  a  big, 
dead  heel,  like  a  lump  of  tallow.  It  did  not  look  well. 
He  rubbed  it  until  he  thought  he  "  could  feel  something 
again,"  and  then  put  his  feet  back  in  his  stockings  and 
got  into  his  bag.  Now  it  was  Stubberud's  turn.  "  Blest 
if  I  don't  think  there's  something  wrong  with  mine,  too."  •/ 
Same  proceeding — same  result.  This  was  pleasant — two 


388  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

doubtful  heels,  and  forty-six  miles  from  Framheim ! 
When  we  started  next  morning  it  was  fortunately 
milder— "  almost  summer":  —40°  F.  It  felt  quite 
pleasant.  The  difference  between  -40°  and  —60°  is, 
in  my  opinion,  very  perceptible.  It  may  perhaps  be 
thought  that  when  one  gets  so  far  down,  a  few  degrees 
one  way  or  the  other  do  not  make  any  difference,  but 
they  do. 

While  driving  that  day  we  were  obliged  to  let  loose 
several  of  the  dogs,  who  could  not  keep  up  ;  we  supposed 
that  they  would  follow  our  tracks.  Adam  and 
Lazarus  were  never  seen  again.  Sara  fell  dead  on 
the  way  without  any  previous  symptom.  Camilla  was 
also  among  those  let  loose. 

On  the  way  home  we  kept  the  same  order  as  on  the 
previous  days.  Hanssen  and  Wisting,  as  a  rule,  were  a 
long  way  ahead,  unless  they  stopped  and  waited.  We 
went  at  a  tearing  pace.  We  had  thought  of  halting  at 
the  sixteen-mile  flag,  as  we  called  it — the  mark  at  thirty 
kilometres  from  Framheim — and  waiting  for  the  others 
to  come  up,  but  as  the  weather  was  of  the  best,  calm  and 
clear,  and  with  our  tracks  on  the  way  south  perfectly 
plain,  I  decided  to  go  on.  The  sooner  we  got  the  bad 
heels  into  the  house,  the  better.  The  two  first  sledges 
arrived  at  4  p.m. ;  the  next  at  6,  and  the  two  following 
ones  at  6.30.  The  last  did  not  come  in  till  12.30  a.m. 
Heaven  knows  what  they  had  been  doing  on  the  way ! 

With  the  low  temperatures  we  experienced  on  this 


WE  RETURN  HOME  389 

trip,  we  noticed  a  curious  snow-formation  that  I  had 
never  seen  before.  Fine — extremely  fine — drift-snow 
collected,  and  formed  small  cylindrical  bodies  of  an 
average  diameter  of  lj  inches,  and  about  the  same 
height ;  they  were,  however,  of  various  sizes.  They 
generally  rolled  over  the  surface  like  a  wheel,  and 
now  and  then  collected  into  large  heaps,  from  which 
again,  one  by  one,  or  several  together,  they  continued 
their  rolling.  If  you  took  one  of  these  bodies  in  the 
hand,  there  was  no  increase  of  weight  to  be  felt — not 
the  very  slightest.  If  you  took  one  of  the  largest  and 
crushed  it,  there  was,  so  to  speak,  nothing  left.  With 
the  temperature  in  the  —  40's,  we  did  not  see  them. 

As  soon  as  we  came  home,  we  attended  to  the  heels. 
Prestrud  had  both  his  heels  frozen,  one  slightly,  the 
other  more  severely,  though,  so  far  as  I  could  determine, 
not  so  badly  as  the  other  two.  The  first  thing  we  did 
was  to  lance  the  big  blisters  that  had  formed  and  let  out 
the  fluid  they  contained ;  afterwards  we  put  on  boracic 
compresses,  night  and  morning.  We  kept  up  this  v 
treatment  for  a  long  time  ;  at  last  the  old  skin  could 
be  removed,  and  the  new  lay  there  fresh  and  healthy. 
The  heel  was  cured. 

Circumstances  had  arisen  which  made  me  consider  it 
necessary  to  divide  the  party  into  two.  One  party  was 
to  carry  out  the  march  to  the  south  ;  the  other  was 
to  try  to  reach  King  Edward  VII.  Land,  and  see  what 
was  to  be  done  there,  besides  exploring  the  region  around 


390  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

the  Bay  of  Whales.  This  party  was  composed  of  Prest- 
rud,  Stubberud,  and  Johansen,  under  the  leadership  of 
the  first-named. 

The  advantages  of  this  new  arrangement  were  many. 
In  the  first  place,  a  smaller  party  could  advance  more 
rapidly  than  a  larger  one.  Our  numbers,  both  of  men 
and  dogs,  on  several  of  the  previous  trips  had  clearly 
shown  the  arrangement  to  be  unfortunate.  The  time  we 
took  to  get  ready  in  the  morning — four  hours — was  one 
of  the  consequences  of  being  a  large  party.  With  half 
the  number,  or  only  one  tent  full,  I  hoped  to  be  able  to 
reduce  this  time  by  half.  The  importance  of  the  depots 
we  had  laid  down  was,  of  course,  greatly  increased, 
since  they  would  now  only  have  to  support  five  members 
of  the  party  originally  contemplated,  and  would  thus 
be  able  to  furnish  them  with  supplies  for  so  much  more 
time.  From  a  purely  scientific  point  of  view,  the  change 
offered  such  obvious  advantages  that  it  is  unnecessary 
to  insist  upon  them.  Henceforward,  therefore,  we 
worked,  so  to  speak,  in  two  parties.  The  Polar  party 
was  to  leave  as  soon  as  spring  came  in  earnest.  I  left 
it  to  Prestrud  himself  to  fix  the  departure  of  the  party 
he  was  to  lead ;  there  was  no  such  hurry  for  them — they 
could  take  things  more  easily. 

Then  the  same  old  fuss  about  the  outfit  began  all  over 
again,  and  the  needles  were  busy  the  whole  time.  Two 
days  after  our  return,  Wisting  and  Bjaaland  went  out  to 
the  thirty-kilometre  mark  with  the  object  of  bringing  in 


AMUNDSEN   IN   WINTER    COSTUME.  HASSEL    IN   WORKING   DRESS. 


WISTING   IN    WINTER    COSTUME.  STUBBERUD    IN   WINTER   COSTUME. 


To  face  page  390,  Vol.  I. 


SPRING  AT  LAST  391 

the  dogs  that  had  been  let  loose  on  that  part  of  the 
route  and  had  not  yet  returned.  They  made  the  trip 
of  sixty  kilometres  (thirty-seven  and  a  half  miles)  in  six 
hours,  and  brought  all  the  stragglers — ten  of  them — 
back  with  them.  The  farthest  of  them  were  found 
lying  by  the  flag;  none  of  them  showed  a  sign  of  getting 
up  when  the  sledges  came.  They  had  to  be  picked  up 
and  harnessed,  and  one  or  two  that  had  sore  feet  were 
driven  on  the  sledges.  In  all  probability  most  of  them 
would  have  returned  in  a  few  days.  But  it  is  incom- 
prehensible that  healthy,  plucky  dogs,  as  many  of  them 
were,  should  take  it  into  their  heads  to  stay  behind  like 
that. 

On  September  24  we  had  the  first  tidings  of  spring, 
when  Bjaaland  came  back  from  the  ice  and  told  us  he 
had  shot  a  seal.  So  the  seals  had  begun  to  come  up  on 
to  the  ice  ;  this  was  a  good  sign.  The  next  day  we 
went  out  to  bring  it  in,  and  we  got  another  at  the  same 
time.  There  was  excitement  among  the  dogs  when 
they  got  fresh  meat,  to  say  nothing  of  fresh  blubber. 
Nor  were  we  men  inclined  to  say  no  to  a  fresh  steak. 

On  September  27  we  removed  the  roof  that  had 
covered  over  the  window  of  our  room.  We  had  to 
carry  the  light  down  through  a  long  wooden  channel,  so 
that  it  was  considerably  reduced  by  the  time  it  came 
in ;  but  it  was  light — genuine  daylight — and  it  was 
much  appreciated. 

On  the  26th  Camilla  came  back,  after  an   absence 


392  THE  END  OF  THE  WINTER 

of  ten  days.  She  had  been  let  loose  sixty-eight  miles 
from  Framheim  on  the  last  trip.  When  she  came  in, 
she  was  as  fat  as  ever ;  probably  she  had  been  feasting 
in  her  solitude  on  one  of  her  comrades.  She  was 
received  with  great  ovations  by  her  many  admirers. 

On  September  29  a  still  more  certain  sign  of  spring 
appeared — a  flight  of  Antarctic  petrels.  They  came 
flying  up  to  us  to  bring  the  news  that  now  spring  had 
come — this  time  in  earnest.  We  were  delighted  to  see 
these  fine,  swift  birds  again.  They  flew  round  the 
house  several  times  to  see  whether  we  were  all  there 
still ;  and  we  were  not  long  in  going  out  to  receive 
them.  It  was  amusing  to  watch  the  dogs  :  at  first  the 
birds  flew  pretty  near  the  ground ;  when  the  dogs 
caught  sight  of  them,  they  rushed  out — the  whole  lot  of 
them — to  catch  them.  They  tore  along,  scouring  the 
ground,  and,  of  course,  all  wanted  to  be  first.  Then  the 
birds  suddenly  rose  into  the  air,  and  presently  the  dogs 
lost  sight  of  them.  They  stood  still  for  a  moment, 
glaring  at  each  other,  evidently  uncertain  of  what  was 
the  best  thing  to  do.  Such  uncertainty  does  not,  as  a 
rule,  last  long.  They  made  up  their  minds  with  all 
desirable  promptitude  and  flew  at  each  other's  throats. 

So  now  spring  had  really  arrived ;  we  had  only  to 
cure  the  frost-bitten  heels  and  then  away. 

END   OF   VOL.    I. 


BILLING  AND  SONS,    LTD.,    PRINTERS,   GUILDFORD 


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