Mount Don Pedro Christophersen Framheim on the Return of the Polar Party Lindstrom in the Kitchen
Farewell to the Barrier
Bjaaland as Tinker
Dogs Landed at Hobart for Dr. Mawson's Expedition Members of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition Lieutenant Prestrud
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An Original Inhabitant of the Antarctic
Stubberud Reviews the Situation
Camp on the Barrier: Eastern Expedition
A Broken-off Cape
Off to the East
The Junction of the Great Barrier and King Edward Land
Improvised Sounding Tackle
The Leader of the Eastern Expedition, Prestrud, on Scott's Nunatak
First in King Edward Land
In King Edward Land: After a Three Days' Storm
On Scott's Nunatak
Scott's Nunatak
The "Fram" at the Ice-edge, January, 1912
The "Kainan Maru"
Seals on Sea-ice near the Barrier
Seals: Mother and Calf
A Group of Adelie Penguins
A Quiet Pipe
First-lieutenant Thorvald Nilsen, Norwegian Navy
The Second in Command Takes a Nap
The "Fram" Sighted
On the Ice-edge, January, 1911
Our Last Moorings on the Ice-foot
A Hunting Expedition at the Foot of the Barrier Beck Steers the "Fram" through Unknown Waters Our Cook, Cheerful and Contented as Usual Sectional Diagrams of the "Fram"
List of Maps and Charts
Fig.
Chart of the Immediate Surroundings of the South Pole to face
Chart of the Ross Sea
Chart of the Bay of Whales
1. Hypothetical Representation of the Surface Currents in the Northern Atlantic in April
2. The "Fram's" Route from June 20 To July 7, 1910
3. Temperature and Salinity in the "Fram's" Southern Section, June, 1910
4. Temperature and Salinity in the "Fram's" Northern Section, July, 1910
5. The "Fram's" Stations in the South Atlantic (June -- August, 1911)
6. Currents in the South Atlantic (June -- August, 1911)
7. Salinities and Temperatures at the Surface in the South Atlantic (June -- August, 1911)
8. Temperatures (Centigrade) at a Depth of 400 Metres (218 Fathoms)
9. Temperatures at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911)
10. Salinities at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911)
11. Salinities and Temperatures in the Southern Section (June -- July, 1911)
12. Salinities and Temperatures in the Northern Section (July -- August, 1911)
13. Temperatures at one of the "Fram's" and one of the "Challenger's" Stations, to the South of the South Equatorial Current
14. Temperatures at one of the "Fram's" and one of the "Valdivia's" Stations, in the Benguela Current
15. Temperatures at the "Planet's" Station 25, And the "Fram's" Station 39 -- Both in the Neighbourhood of St. Helena
16. Salinities at the "Planet's" Station 25 (March 19, 1906), and the "Fram's" Station 39 (July 29, 1911) Chart of the Antarctic Region
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
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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 -49o 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 left us. With joy and pride we heard from those who had stayed behind that our gallant captain had succeeded 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 78o 41'.
Before the winter set in we had 60 tons of seal meat in our winter quarters; this was enough for ourselves 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 ourselves. 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 68o F. throughout the winter. The ventilation was very satisfactory, and we got sufficient fresh air. The hut was directly con-
nected 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 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 observations. 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 -58o and -74o F.
We had the lowest (-74o F.) on August 13; the weather was calm. On August 1 we had -72o F. with a wind of thirteen miles an hour. The mean temperature for the year was -15o F. We expected blizzard after blizzard, but had only two moderate storms. We made many excellent observations 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 journey. 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 for some days between -58o and -75o 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. 80o we agreed to turn back
and await the arrival of spring. After having stored our provisions, we returned to the hut. Excepting the loss of a few dogs and
one or two frostbitten heels, all was well. It was not till the middle of October that the spring began in earnest. Seals