^1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 5^ // €'. .^/ 4^, 'jy w^ ^v^ #% p / ^f cm 'i % . /^ V^ '-^i O^: 1.0 2.5 2.2 I.I 2.0 m 1.25 Photographic Sciences Corpordtion 14 11.6 #^ s ^"^ % V s respected, and self-sacrifice is revered, so lon:.\ deeds of the heroes who have toiled amid the awful dmrine anc. desolation of the Frozen World be he.d in honored ret Further progress in Arctic Exploration will involve difficultv and danger, but the end is not yet What has h^.n Z "."."""'^^ will stimniQ«-« f^ 1 rr ^ ^^ °^^" accomp ishcd viil stimulate to renewed effort, and the knowledge that has been sained m the past will 'ri EXPEDITION — PREPARATION — Plan — Equipment ,. IV. Across Greenland . . . .*.'.*.*. cl V. Drifting in the Ice . . . .'.*.'.' 78 VI. An Eskimo Encampment on the East Coast . , 86 VL The Crossing of the Inland Ice — The First Sight OF Land and First Drink .,f Water, , . . ir^ VI 1 1. The Descent to Ameralikfjord . . ..." 136 IX. Arrival at Godthaa:» '■ . * . 145 X. \ViTH the Current . . . .'.'.".'.' 177 XI, Nansen at Home and Abroad . . . ... 188 XII. On Board the "Fram" , . , .*."..' 218 NANSEN'S STORY AS TOLD BY HIMSELF XIII. Intuoduction XIV. The Voyage of the "Fram" . .*.'." 'a?? XV, The Great Sledge Expedition *.'.'.'.' 271 XVI. Homeward Bound ..... * 206 XVII. How the "Fram" fared — Sverdrup's Storv * . ' . 302 PEARY'S JOURNEY ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND XVIII, Winter Quarters and Preparations . . . -j, XIX, Across the Ice Cap * * ^lo XX, The Second Peary Expedition . . ' l^ XXI, Natives at Smith Sound . , ' ' tf^ XXII. HUNTIIG ' , " . " ' XXIII. The North Greenland Dog . ... 305 XXIV. Home Life, Habits and Character . * . * * " S XXV. Intelligence, Religious Ideas and Customs . ' . 421 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS XXVI, Pioneer Voyages ..^ XXVII, Interest renewed . . , . . ' 456 XXVIII, Heroic Endeavors . . . . . ' . ' ' * 477 XXIX. Great Disasters . . 1,1 S'o -"-"?»>• LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Dr. Fridtjof Nansen Hans Nansen . Frontispiece Baron Christian F. V. VVedel-Jarlsberg (N'ansen's Crandfathcr) Baroness C. F. V. Wedel-Jarlsberg (Nansen's (Irandmotl Fridtjof Nansen and his Father .... Nansen's Mother Great Frcien — The Dwtlling-house . Nansen as a Child .... Nansen as a Boy ..... In the i'ohir Sea The Members of the Greenland Expedition Sverdrup on Guard on the Ice Floe Under Sail in the Moonlight — Creva.sses ahi Nansen and Sverdrup in tlie Canvas Boat Nansen at Thirty-one .... Tailpiece: Head of Walrus . The Eskimo Encampment at Cape Bille . Eskimo Beauty, from the East Coast, in her Old Age Eskimo Boy, from tiie Camp at Cape Bille Eskimos, fr-^ni the Camp at Cape Bille " An unusually sociable woman " " Then the master came out of the ttnt" Canoes among the Floes .... First Attempts at Sail- ,g . . . "And there I lay gazing after the ship and its .sail Sailing on the Inland Ice .... .Sailing in Moonlight Coasting down the Slopes .... An Awkward Predicament Roughisli Ice . Rest and Reflection Into Better Ice again Upon the Brow of an Ice-slope . . . The Boat and its Builder .... Shooting Gulls from the Boat . By Ameralikfjord Bolette — C.reenland Woman of Mixed Rare Nansen in 1.S03 Nansen on the Ice — Summer Dress Nansen on the Ice — Winter Dr^ss t ) ac! iig pGiie 10 14 •5 16 17 19 20 21 32 54 5'> 69 71 76 85 86 97 98 lOI I OS 107 no 117 119 121 125 129 137 "39 140 i4r '43 "45 149 '53 i<'5 •79 181 '83 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vu 10 14 •5 16 17 19 20 21 32 54 56 69 71 76 85 86 97 98 lOI 105 107 no 117 119 131 1 25 129 •37 '39 140 141 •43 MS 149 'S3 1O5 •79 181 •83 Facittj^ page Facing page • • • Facing page Eva Nansen Facing page Dr. Nanseii Facing page Nansen's Home Nansen's Study at Godtliaab Facing page The Launch of the " Fram " Facing page Nansen and Mrs. Nansen on Snow-shoes The " Fram " in Bergen Lieutenant Johansen Kitchen of the •' Fram " Saloon on the " F"ram " Nansen's Study on the " Fram " Colin Archer, the Builder of the "' Fram "' (From " Fram Over Polliavct.") The "Fram" Laving Bergen, Norway, for the Arctic Regions (F'om " Fram Over Polhavet.') Members of the Norwegian Polar Expedition, 1893-96 (From "Fram Over Polhavet.'') Outline Draught of the " Fram " . . . . ( From " Fram Over Polhavet.") The "Fram"' in the Ice-pack (By courtesy of McCliire's Ma';azine.) Playing Cards on Board the " Fram "... (From " Fram Over Polhavet.' ) Crew of the " Fram " when Nan.sen and Joliansen left the ^'^'P Facing page (I'roin " Fram Over Polliavet. ") Dr. Nansen and Lieutenant Johansen Leaving the " Fram " Hunting Walrus on the East Coast of Taimyr Peninsula Facing pa<;e (From " Fram Over Polhp.vet.") Toward the South : Nansen and Johan.sen Homeward bound, May I, 1896 Facing page (From " Fram Over Polliavet.'") Meeting of Dr. Nan.sen and Mr. Jackson in Franz Josef Land, June, 1896 (By permission of Mr. Alfred C. Harmsworth.) Dr. Nansen in Franz Josef Land, June 1 89') (By permission of Mr. Alfred C. Harmsworth.) Captain Otto Neumann Sverdrup .... Facing pai^e The " Fram " in the Harbor of Cliristiania after her Return . . . Nansen's Reception at Christiania, September 9, 189'j Facinc; pai^e Lieutenant Robert E. Peary, U. S. N. . Eivind .Xstrup ...... Our First Bear ice-pack in Melville Bay .... The "Kite "at Melville Bay . I'eary's House and Tent .... Iceberg oiT Cipe Cleveland, McCormick Bay Separation of he Floes Pc.iry and his Companions The Midnijiht Sun A Specimen of (ireenland Flora Facing fage Facing page Facing page 188 190 ^07 198 202 211 219 224 230 233 237 244 246 249 2 ^2 -63 264 272 274 282 288 293 297 302 3'4 316 321 324 324 326 326 335 33''' 33« 340 340 346 v"i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Musk Ox The Relief Party meeting Peary and Astrup' . " . * . ' Facing p'aee 350 Peary and Astrup lioisting Flags on Navy Cliff . , . . . 3i;6 Young Eskimo Girls and Native Hut at Godhavn . . " ' 358 The "Falcon" among Icebergs Facing page 358 Walrus taking a Sun Bath Facing pa^e 380 Sea-birds ^6 Watching for Seal . . .....,".'.'. L^ Sledge from Smith Sound '.','*_- Eskimo Fox-trap .'..'.* ^7^ Bear attacking Seal '.'.'.'.' %it Different Weapons and Implements . ' . " . * . ' . ' Facing p'age 380 Attacking a Walrus Facing p!ge 384 A Group of Seals Facing p^ge 386 Shootmg Seals ^''f ^ Remdeer ... ^ •*■'•••. 301 Catching Auks with a Net ^^- A Favorite Dog * . * oc Dog Harness ... „\ Dogs of N.-thern Greenland Facing pa^e 400 A Group 01 I'ups ... . 405 Eskimo Boy '.'.*.'.".'. 406 An Eskimo House in Winter .q- Stone Huts or Igloos — taken at Midnight . . . ... 409 Cape York, Smith Sound — Eskimo Sleds on the Ice . . . ' . ' 411 Interior of Hut Sir John Franklin ' . * Facing page 441 Martin Frobisher .... TT, Henry Grinnell _ Dr. E. K. Kane * ' * ' !s, ' • ' 4''3 ■ Dr. Isaac I. Hayes .0^ C. F. Hall ' ' " " lot A. E. Nordenskjold *.'.'." 50? Lieutenant G. W. De Long, U. S. N. . . .".*.*.. 517 Com. George W. Melville, U. S. N '.'.'.' 520 Tailpiece: Polar Bear .531 MAPS Map of Greenland Facim^ page .46 Map of Projected and Actual Routes of the " Fram " and Course of Sledge Expedition Facing page 266 (By courtesy of McChirc's Magazine.) I NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD CHAPTER I ANCESTRY CHILDHOOD Hans Nansen, Fridtjof Nansen's ancestor, born No- vember 28, 1598, in Flensburg, had as a sixteen years old lad gone to the White Sea in his uncle's ship - in those days quite an adventurous enterprise. They had jDractically no charts, they were scantily supplied with instruments, and they had to keep cannon and cutlasses in readiness. In the course of the voyage, indeed, they had been twice overhauled and plundered by the Eng- hsh. Now they were fast in the ice at Kola. But the intelhgent boy, eager for knowledge, did not permit him- self to be depressed. He employed the time in learning Russian, and in the summer, when the uncle bent his course southward again, his nephew did not accompany him. He preferred to stay behind and learn more. He travelled alone "through several districts of Russia to the town of Kuwantz." From Kuwantz he took ship in September for Copenhagen. His character came early to maturity, and his powers could not brook inaction. He had not completed his twenty-first year when King Christian IV. placed him at the head of an expedition to the rich fur regions about 10 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD the Petschora. But the ice was too much for hnn. He had to make up his mind to winter at Kola. Here he received a commission from the Czar of Russia, and undertook, by imperial order, an exploration of the coast HANS NANSEN ot the White Sea. Not until he reached Archangel did he rejoin his ship. After that he held a command for eighteen seasons in the service of the Iceland Company. He was by nature a keen observer and a born leader of men, full of alert prac- ticality, and yet with a strong literary bent. And he was eminently disposed to share with others the fruits of his NANSEN^S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD II reading. " When I had nothing else to do," he writes, " I copied out extracts from the Bible, and from various' cosmographical and geographical works, to serve as an index and commonplace-book for future reference. And when, a little while ago, I read it through again,' I thought that perhaps there might be others who would be glad to know these things, but who, on account of other occupations and so forth, had neither time nor opportunity to study the great works on cosmography. For the benefit of such persons I have given to the press this brief digest." The title ran : " Compendium Cosmographicum ; being a short description of the en- tire earth, etc. Treating, furthermore, of the sea and of navigation, with certain serviceable directions thereto appertaining." The " Compendium Cosmographicum " became a pop- ular handbook, so much read by seafaring men and others, that four editions were exhausted in the author's lifetime. Indeed, we gather that up to a few years ago it had not quite gone out of use. The copy now in the possession of the Nansen family came, according to a well-authenticated tradition, direct from a skipper who sailed by it. Inside the old cover, the late owner of the book has inscribed the following testimonial: — " Tins book is of great use to seafaring folk. OCe Borgersen A as, 1841." Thus the handbook of the gallant old Arctic skipper may be said to have done service down to the very thresh- old of the time when his descendant was j^reparing to add new "courses" to those he had so diligently laid down — " courses " across Greenland and to \he North Pole. 12 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD At the age of forty, Hans Nansen begins to rise in the world ; and soon he exchanges the command of a ship's crew for that of the burghers of Copenhagen. He first became town councillor, then one of the four burgo- masters, and in 1654 he held the chief place among the four. Shrewd, ready-witted, eloquent, accustomed to command, and endowed with a firm will and invincible energy, he seemed specially created to take part, and a leading part, in the critical times v/hich followed. In 1058 the Swedish king, Karl Gustav, declared war and invaded Zealand. The Estates met at the Palace, the royal message was read, and the king addressed them in person. It fell to the lot of Hans Nansen to answer that the burghers "would stand by the king through thick and thin," and the populace behind him shouted their assent. Not only was the integrity of their native land at stake, but civic freedom and independence as well. On the following day, the loth of August 1658, the Privy Council was obliged to issue a proclamation " which was as good as a patent of nobility to all the mer- chants and handicraftsmen of Copenhagen." Karl Gustav understood its significance. "Since the burghers have obtained such privileges," he exclaimed, " no doubt they '11 stand a tussle." And during this "tussle" the leading burgomaster of Copenhagen had no peace either by day or night. Earthworks had to be constructed, ditches filled, provisions laid in, soldiers quartered, the burghers drilled and commanded, and public order preserved in the midst of a concourse of people crowding into the city from every side. " We find him now at home, opening his plate chest and his money-box, placing great sums at the king's disposal, lending him his carriage and horses, liANSEN'S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD 13 and all the time doing his best to keep up the spirits of his own family; now in the Town Hall sitting in council or on the bench; now in the Chamber, now with the kmg; then again at a regimental inspection, or on the fire-watch tower, or at the outworks, with the bullets pickmg men off on every side ; now listening to the ser- mons which were preached on the ramparts, now ^oino- the rounds with the night patrol." And when it comes to meeting the enemy outside the fortifications, the inde- fatigable burgomaster is still in the van. It is certain that there are remarkable points of simi- larity between the old burgomaster and his grandson's grandson s grandson. It would seem as though Fridtjof Nansen himself were conscious of this hereditary strain in his character. In one of hjs letters to his father, he speaks of the Nansen pride, which in his case, when occasion demands, takes the form of an adamantine stubbornness _ But this pride does not descend to him on the male Count Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg, the famous political leader o 1814, afterwards Viceroy (Statholder) of Nor- way, had a younger brother. Baron Christian Frederik Vilhelm of Fornebo, whose daughter was the mother 01 Hidtjof Nansen. Thus, if pride and spirit of adventure may be said to lie at the root of the father's family-tree quIlLs''"''' '^ '''' "'''^'''' ^'''' ''^^'"^^ "^ '"^'^^^^ A few words more about the Nansen family. Hans Nansen Municipal President, Privy Councillor, and Judge of the Supreme Court, died at Copenhagen, Novemher 12, 14 HANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD 1667. A daughter of his eldest son, Michael Nansen, was married to the celebrated Peter Griffenfeld. A younger son, Hans Nansen, was Municipal President of Copen- hagen at the time of his death in 171S. His grandson was Ancher Anthony Nansen, with whom the male line BARON CHRISTIAN K. V. WEDEL-JARLSBERG (nANSEN's GRANDFATHER) removed to Norway. In 1761 he became district magis- trate of Outer Sogn, and there married a lady of the name of Leierdahl, a member of the Geelmuyden familv. His only son was called Hans Leierdahl Nansen, who in NANSEN'S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD »5 September, 1809. became judge in Guldalen.and later rep- resentative for Stavanger district in Storthinget. He was divorced from his first wife and married again, 1810 a daughter of court-printer Moller of Copenhagen Th'ey were Fridtjof Nansen's grandfather and grandmother BARONESS C. F. V. WKDEL-JARLsnERO (NANSEN's GRANDMOTHER) Fridtjof s father, Baldur Fridtjof Nansen, was born in f'gersund in 181 7. After the death of his father in the twenties, Baldur Nansen's mother removed from Eo-ersund to Stavanger, for tlie sake of her son's educationr Here i6 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD she lived till 1835, when he matriculated at the University of Christiania. " He was industrious," says an intimate friend of the Nansen family in a letter, " well - behaved and exemplary in every respect. His abilities were not bril- liant, but, being strict- ly and plainly brought up, and stimulated by the influence of his clever mother, he passed all his exami- nations with a certain distinction, and be- came an accomplished jurist. He had none of his parents' wit and FRIDTJOF NANSEN AND HIS FATHER faUCy \ but hC WaS noted for his thor- oughly refined, amiable, and courteous manners and dis- position." He became Reporter to the Supreme Court; but he was principally employed in finance and conveyancing. He enjoyed unbounded confidence. Baldur Nansen's first wife was the daughter of Major- General Sorensen, and sister to the wife of the poet Jorgen Moe. His second wife (Fridtjof's mother) was Adelaide Johanna Isidora, nee Wedel-Jarlsberg, who also had been married before. Mrs. Adelaide Nansen is described as a tall and stately lady, capable and resolute, even-tempered # It ■^ NANSEN'S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD 17 and Straightforward, without any pretension on the score of birth and ancestry. She had a masculine will. It was greatly against the wishes of her strict and aristocratic father that she married a baker's son for her first hus- band. Mowever, she carried her point, and her mother appears to have sided with her in this affair of the heart. The parents were not at the marriage, although they had given their consent. As a young girl she had defied opinion and cultivated that sport which her son was afterwards to render world- famous. She was devoted to snow-shoeing, which was at that time thought unwomanly and even improper. As a housewife she was one of those who know every nook and corner of the house from attic to cellar — ac- tive, managing, ready with her hands and not afraid of the coarsest v/ork. If the servant had blistered her fingers, the lady of the house would herself take hold and wring out the wet linen. She worked in the gar- den, and she made her boys' clothes. They had no other tailor until they were eighteen years old. Nevertheless, she found time to acquire the knowledc^e she had not stored up in early youth. Her will power and love of activity, her intrepidity, her practical and reso- iute nature ' 1 , . . nansen's mothkk have descended to h er son. I i8 J\rANS£JV AV THE FROZEN WORLD Mr. and Mrs. Nansen, after their marriage, settled down upon a small property belonging to her at Great Froen in West Aker. Here Fridtjof was born on October lo, 1861. In the choice of his birthplace, his lucky star, as we have said before, had ordered things for the best. Here was country life, here were cows and horses, geese and hens, hills for snow-shr ,-ing on every side, great forests close at hand, and, only some two miles and a half away, an excellent school, one of the \j^A in Christiania. These two miles and a half were reckoned a mere nothine in the Nansen household. First to school in the morning, and back again, then, on summer afternoons, down to the fortress to learn tc swim — that makes a good ten miles of a hot summer's day, to say nothing of minor wanderings. And there were invariably fights by the way — systematic training, be it observed, from the very first. Froen farmyard was the scene of the boy's earliest expeditions, and it was not Arctic cold, but torrid heat that first imperilled his life. One day when he was three years old, and still in frocks, he stood hammering away at a wheelbarrow, no doubt trying to mend it, when, to the consternation of those in the kitchen, a column of smoke was seen to be rishig from his person. " He 's on fire ! " was the cry. Out ri?^hed the housekeeper, and tore his clothes off his back. In the course of his wanderings, he had visited the brew-house, where some sparks from the fire had lodged in his petticoats; and behold! he vas within an ace of being burnt to death in blissful uncon- sciousness that anything was amiss. The FroQ-ner River flowed right past the front door at ye, settled r at Great )n October star, as we est. Here geese and -eat forests half away, Christiania. ;d a mere hooi in the afternoons, it makes a nothing of y fights by i, from the )y's earliest torrid heat le was three ing away at /hen, to the in of smoke 's on fire ! " md tore his nderings, he ks from the Did! he vas ssful uncon- [ront door at AT^ArS/^AT'S ANCESTRY AXD CHILD FTOOD CKKAT FROHN — THE DWELLINCJ- HOUSE F,oen, and here Fndtjof and his younger brother would bathe m the fresh of the evening, in the coldest pool they t™ s nearly pensh wth the cold, so that after coming out of the water he had to be dragged about at a brisk trft, in he costume wh,d> preceded all fashions and modes of tlress, m order to keep life and warmth in his body Into this same river they fell through the ice 'in the rndVrHt-t •" T "°'"^ ''"^'"•'"■^^ °" "'^ -=- ^h "e::iig hi mr" "^^^ ''" "™"j°' ^™-'^ -- But it also presented a peaceful moans of livelihood. 20 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD They selected from among the pea-sticks those made of juniper, rolled their trousers well up, and went digging among the decayed leaves in the garden for bait, which they stored in the turned-up portion of their breeches. Then they went and lished for trout or minnows. Now and then the hook would go astray and stick fast in Fridt- jrf's under lip; whereupon Mrs. Nansen would have re- course to father's razor, make a resolute incision and extract the foreign body. No fuss or pother on cither side. Not so much as a sound. Here at Froen he first ran NANSEN AS A CHILD his head against the ice the rough ice in the yard. When tlie Httle five-year-old rushed into the kitchen, there was scarcely a white spot left on his face, for the bk)od that trickled down it. He would not shed a tear, and was only afraid of being scolded. But from that day to this he wears his first ice-medal in the shape of i scar. They hunted squirrels with dog and bow, " Storm," the dog, would chase the squirrels up trees, where the little creatures found a tolerably secure asylum ; for the arrows never hit them. P""inally, I<>idtjof, inspired by Indian tales, hit upon a devilish device which he thought must prove fatal. He anointed the arrow-head with the juice of a poisonous mushroom, so that a wound from it meant NANSEA'S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD 21 made of digging leaves in t, which urned-up breeches, d iished s. Now rould go in Fridt- lereupon have re- or, make d extract o fuss or :1c. Not first ran e ice — le yard, en, there le bk)od and was ^ to this )rm," the he little e arrows an tales, st prove ice of a t meant certain death. But the arrows somehow did no more ex- ecution, although he also tipped them with melted lead to make them carry better. After that he took to a new variety of weapon cannons. He stuffed them to the muzzle with powder, but could not get it to ignite. Then he made a maroon,' and poked it about so much that it exploded in his face.' The cannon ultimately burst; and it was again his mother's task to take him aside and pick out the powder grain by grain. He himself tells the story of his first snow-shoes, and his first great leap : — " I am not speaking of the very first pair of all — they were precious poor ones, cut down from cast-off snow- shoes which had belonged to my brothers and sisters. They were not even of the same length. But Mr. Fabri- tius, the printer, took pity upon me ; 'I '11 give you a pair of snow-shoes,' he said. Then spring came and then summer, and with the best will in the world one could n't go snow-shoeing. But Fa- britius's promise sang in my ears, and no sooner had the autumn come and the fields begun to whiten with hoar-frost of a morning, than I placed myself right in his way, where I knew he would come driving by. NANSF.N AS A BOY 22 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD " ' I say ! What about those snow-shoes ? ' " ' You shall have them right enough,' he said, and laughed. But I returned to the charge day after day: ' What about those snow-shoes ? ' " Then came winter. I can still see my sister standing in the middle of the room with a long, long parcel w liich she said was for me. I thought she said, too, it was from Paris. But that was a mistake, for it was the snow-shoes from Fabritius — a pair of red-lacquered ash snow-shoes with black stripes. And there was a long staff too, with shining blue-lacquered shaft and knob. I used these snow-shoes for ten years. It was on them I made my first big jump on Huscby Hill, where at that time the great snow-shoe races were held. We boys were not allowed to go there. We might range all the other hills round about, but the Huseby Hill was forbidden. But we could see it from Frben, and it lured us day after day till we could n't resist it any longer. At first I started from the middle of the hill, like most of the other boys, and all went well. But presently I saw there were one or two who started from the top; so of course I had to try it. Off I set. came at frantic speed to the jump, sailed for what seemed a long time in space, and ran my snow-shoes deep into a snow-drift. We did n't have our shoes fastened on in those days, so they remained sticking in the drift, while I, head first, described a fine arc in the air. I liad such way on, too, that when I came down again I bored into the snow up to my waist. There was a moment's hush on the hill. The boys thought I had broken my neck. But as soon as they saw there was life in me, and that I was beginning to scramble out, a shout of mocking laughter went up; an ,4 1 sa» said, and fter day: standing :el which was from ow-shoes ow-shoes too, with ed these nade my time the vere not thcr hills en. But after day I started ler boys, vere one ;e I had he jump, and ran n't have remained ?d a fine when I ny waist, he boys as they nning to t up ; an JV^JVSJi.V'S ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD 23 endless roar of derision over the entire hill from top to bottom. "After that, I took part in the Huseby Hill races and won a prize. But I didn't take it home; for I was put to shame on that occasion as well. It was the first time I had seen the Telemark peasants snow-shoeino-, and I recognized at a glance that I wasn't to be mentioned in the same breath with them. They used no staff; they simply went ahead and made the leap without trusting to anything but the strength of their muscles and the firm, hthe carriage of their bodies. I saw that this was the only proper way. Until I had mastered it, I would n't have any prize." He was a terrible one for falling into brown studies. Between putting on the first and the second stocking of a morning, there was always a prolonged interval. Then his brothers and sisters would call out, " There 's the duffer at it again! You'll never come to any good, you 're such a dawdler." He was always bent on getting to the bottom of every- thing. He asked so many questions, says one of his older friends, that it made one absolutely ill. " Many a time have I given him a thundering scolding for this everlast- ing ' Why ? - Why .? - Why ? ' " The arrival of a sewing- machine at Froen naturally aroused the demon of curios- ity in all his virulence. He must find out what kind of animal this was. So he took it all to pieces, and when his mother came back from town, the machine wvas the most disjointed puzzle imaginable. If tradition is to be trusted, however, he did not give in until he had put it all together again. CHAPTER II YOUTH \\ If, weary of the soft grace of the Christiania Valley, one turns and gazes northward from the tower on Try- vand Height, one is confronted, as far as eye can see, with blue-black forests — forests and nothing but forests, ridge behind ridge, on and on to the farthest verge of the horizon. This is Nordmarken, an unbroken stretch of Nor- wegian woodland, many square miles in extent, a lonely world of narrow valleys, abrupt heights, secluded glassy lakes, and foaming rivers. Into this solitude no murmur from the busy capital ever penetrates, not even the sound of a panting engine or the warning whistle of a steamboat cautiously thread- ing the intricacies of the fjord in the dense sea-fog. At the frontier of Nordmarken the comforts of civiliza- tion instantaneously stop short. When you have said good-bye to the great hotels on the slopes of the Frogner Saeter, and plunged into these interminable forests, you may wander for days without coming across anything remotely resembling an hotel. Yes, here all is peaceful and still — breathlessly still — when summer spreads her light veil over the glassy lakes and dark green leas, when the black-grouse drowses in the heather, and even the thrush in the pine-tops hushes his song. NANSEN'S youth' 3. There is breathless stillness, too, of a clear autumn evening when the birch sees its yellow silk, and the aspen its gorgeous scarlet, reflected in the black mirror of the lake, framed in the delicate pale red of the heather. Again there is breathless stillness — perhaps even more complete — during the long night of winter, when the stars glitter over the snow-laden forest and the white- frozen surface of the lake, and no sound is heard save the soft trickle of the ice-bound river. In the shooting and fishing season it is no longer the Great Pan who reigns. Fishing-rods by the score hang over the river like a bending wood, and the guns of the city sportsmen keep up a continual popping and banging in a spirit of noisy competition. Even t' e boundless abundance of fish and game is thus on the decline. Waterworks have interfered with the spawning, dam after dam bars the fishes' way up stream, and the river bed lies dry for weeks together. It was not so twenty years ago, in Fridtjof Nansen's boyhood. He was among the few, the pioneers, the elect. That Robinson Crusoe existence which less favored boys must be content to live in imagination was vouchsafed to iiim in its glorious reality. Of his first expedition to the borders of that Promised Land he has himself written as follows : — " I showed no great intrepidity on my first voyage of discovery, although it went no farther than to Sorkedal. "I was somewhere about ten or eleven at the time, and Lip in Sorkedal lived several boys who were friends of mine, and who had asked my brothers and myself to come and see them. One afternoon in June, as we were sitting out on the steps, it came over us all of a sudden that we 26 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD really ought to act upon this invitation. We had a notion that we ought to ask our parents' leave, and an equally clear notion that we should n't get it if we did. Father and m( ther were taking a siesta; we dared not disturb them, and if we waited till they awakened it would be too late to go. So we took French leave and slipped off. The first part of the way was familiar to us. We knew where Engeland lay, and made our way to Bogstad with- out much hesitation. After that we were rather at sea; but we asked our way from point to point, first to the Sorkedal church, and after that to the farm where the boys lived. By the time we got there it was seven o'clock in the evening. Then we had to play with our friends and go and see the barn, and afterwards to do a little fish- ing. But it was n't any real fun. Our consciences were so bad that we had no peace for so much as half an hour. Then the time came for us to go home, and our hearts sank so dreadfully that the way back seemed ever so much wearier than the way out. The youngest soon became footsore, and it was a melancholy ])rocession that slowly dragged itself towards Froen farm at eleven o'clock that night. W^e saw from a long way off that people were afoot ; no doubt they had been searching for us. We felt anything but fearless. As we turned the corner, mother came towards us. ' Is that you, boys.?' ' Now we're in for it! ' we thought. ' Where have you been } ' mother asked, " Well, we had been to Sorkedal. Now for it ! But mother only said in an odd way : ' You are strange boys I ' And she had tears in her eyes. " Fancy, not the least bit of a scolding ! Fancy getting to bed with our blistered feet, and without the least bit of a scolding ! a notion I equally Father ; disturb d be too )ped off. Jq. knew :ad with- ■ at sea; t to the lere the 1 o'clock ■ friends ttle fish- :es were an hour, r hearts so much became t slowly )ck that •le were We felt mother re in for r asked, t ! But I boys ! ' getting 5t bit of A^ANSEN'S YOUTH 27 " And the most extraordinary part of it was that a few days later we were allowed to go again to Sorkedal. Could it be that father and mother had come to think that they had been a little too strict with us } " While I was in my teens, I used to pass weeks at a time alone in the forest. I disliked having any equipment for my expeditions. I managed with a crust of bread and ..roiled my fish on the embers. I loved to live like Rob- inson Crusoe up there in the v.'ilderness." But frequently Nansen was accompanied by his brother and an older member of the family, who happened to be an enthusiastic huntsman and fisherman. And in this way, from the age of twelve upwards, the boys trained themselves to bear those fatigues which are the best thing in the world for hardening the muscles. The tramp became longer and longer, they pushed on farther and farther afield, as they grew older ; first to Sorkedal — then to Langli River— then Svarten (the Black Lake) — San- dungen — Katnosa. The woods of Nordmarken offered plenty of long runs for a ''ski-runner'' who preferred to go his own wa^'y. It was here that a feeling for nature was^ fostered in him — a sense of the beauty of winter and summer, and of shifting atmospheric moods which do not as a rule appeal to boys^ Here his tissues were hardened to face the Polar winters, while he stood in the crackling frost waiting for the hare,' and envying him his warm white fur. It was hereabouts (at I-ylliiigen) that he was once hare-hunting with his brother for thn-teen days on end. At the las\ they had nothing to live on but potato cakes, and were half starved, both they and their dog. Then came killing-day at the fnrm, and the brothers consumed black-puddings till thev B 28 NANSEM IN THE FROZEN WORLD ' f! i nearly burst. When the time came to go home, Fridtjof had to shoulder seven hares, slung by the legs. He slipped, fell forwards, and all the hares shot out like the rays of a halo round his head. There was one thing that used to annoy his snow- shoeing cronies in those days, and that was his total care- lessness as to creature comforts. If he happened to look from the tower on Tryvand's Height away over to Stubdal, twenty miles off, a whim would all of a sudden seize him, and nothing would serve but he must set off without taking a crumb of food with him. He on one occasion descended upon a farm in Stubdal so ravenously hungry that the people did not forget his visit for many a day. Another i\m^. he and a party of his friends set off on a long snow-shoeing expedition, each with his provision wal- let on his back — each one, that is to say, except Fridtjof Nansen. But when they got to the first resting-place he unbuttoned his jacket and took out of his breast pocket — concealed deep within the lining — several pancakes, which were as hot after the snow-shoeing as if they had just come off the pan. He held them up smoking : " Have a pancake, any of you fellows ? " None of them were dainty, but the pancakes seemed even less so, and they declined with thanks. " Well," he said, " the more fools you, for let me tell you there 's jam in them ! " It is in such traits that he shows his kinship with the deni- zens of the great forests. He has the recklessness of the hunter and the lumberman, t leir daring and headlong spirits. He is a typical east-country boy. But at the same time there is systematic intention in the training to which he subjects himself; his alert imbition reinforces NANSEN'S YOUTH 29 his delight in unvarnished nature, and his tendency to set at defiance the customs of civiHzation. "The least possible " is early his ideal, and he has not the slightest objection to shocking public opinion in acting up to his principles. It never occurs to him to doubt that it is he who is right and the world that is wrong. He appears to have been one of the first consistent disciples of Jaeger in Christiania, and later on, in his letters from Bergen, he boasts that now the wool theory is admitted on all hands. He quotes in this connection one of his favorite sayino-s : " There was a man in a madhouse in London, who used to say : 'I said the world was crazy, but the world said that I was crazy, and so they put me here.' " One thing his friends had to guard against : they must never say to him that anythmg was impossible, far that was inevitably the signal for him to attempt it. His boy- ish impetuosity brought him on one occasion to death's door — to the \'>ry verge of one of those leaps which even the most expert athlete cannot clear. It was in 1S78. On a walking tour with his brother Alexander, lie came to Gjendin in the Jotunheim, and must needs climb the Svartdal Peak. There was a way round the back of the mountain which was more or less practicable, but Fridtjof would have none of that; he must of course go straight up the precipitous black face of the hill. " As we got up towards the peak," his brother relates, " there was a snow-field which we had to cross. Beyond the snow-field lay the precipice, straight down into the valley. 1 had already had several attacks of giddiness, so that Fridtjof had given me his alpenstock, and was with- out it when it came to crossing the glacier. Instead of going carefully step by step, as he would do now, he goes I 3° NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD at it with a rush, slips, and begins to slide down. I can see him turn pale. A few seconds more, and he will lie crushed to death in the vaKjy. He digs his heels and nails into the ice, and brings himself to a standstill in the nick of time. That moment I shall never foriiet. Nor shall I forget his coming down to the tourist chalet and disappearing into the trousers which the burly secretary of the Tourist Club, N. G. Dietrichson, had to lend him, an essential part of his own having yielded to the friction of the glacier." The same year in which Fridtjof Nansen was in the Jotunheim, he had his first experience of ptarmigan shoot- ing in the mountains, — Norefjeld and thereabouts, — and it was then they went on a tramp so exhausting that one of his brothers fell asleep far up on the heights, and had to be hauled along with the greatest difficulty. It was probably these early hunting expeditions through the for- est and over the mountain plateaux that gave him his taste for the accurate observation of animal life, and thus sup- plied the initial impulse towards the line of study which he finally chose. In the year 1880 he matriculated with sufficient credit to prove that his distractions during schooltime had not been so absorbing as to prevent him from settling down to work when the moment arrived. He got a first class in all natural science subjects, mathe- matics, and history; and when in December, 1881, he went up for his second examination, he was classed as laudabilis pr(S ceteris. He appears about this time to have been in some uncertainty as to his choice of a career. He was entered as a cadet at the military academy, but the nomi- nation was 'cancelled when he finally resolved to continue NANSEN'S YOUTH 31 his scientific studies. He never ' jntemplated goino- into the medical profession, but had at one time an idea of taking the first part of the medical examination. It ended, however, in his choosing a spe^cial branch, Zoology. As early as January, 1882, he applies to Professor CoUett for advice. The Professor happens to remember how he him- self has been urged by Arctic seamen to go with them and prosecute his studies during a sealing expedition. This ought to be the very thing for Nansen. He is an expert sportsman and a good shot — why should he not go to tlie Arctic regions on board a sealing vessel, make his observations, keep a record, and train himself for de- scriptive zoological research ? Nansen came to see him, and he made the suggestion, which took hold of the young man at once. A week later he again called on the Pro- fessor, having in the mean time spoken to Captain Kref- ting of the sealer Viking, and arranged matters with him. On January 2:1,, Nansen's father telegraphed to an old friend in Arendal asking him to secure the ship-owners' sanction. The friend was able, when called upon, to de- clare that Fridtjof Nansen was a sturdy, strapping fellow, ready with his hands, and capable of great endurance, so that, to the best of the witness's belief, he would prove a useful and desirable member of the expedition. Permis- sion was instantly wired back, and Nansen, having em- ployed the brief interval at the university in studying the anatomy of the seal, sailed from the port of Arendal on board the Viking or^ Saturday, March 11. The cruise lasted five months; during which Nansen shot about five hundred large seals, and fourteen Polar bears. The Viking got fast in the ice off the east coast of Greenland, and it was there that the idea occurred to I ! 1 hi i! 11 . !i i 32 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Nansen that it would be practicable to land on the coast and cross the inland ice. We have Fridtjof Nansen's own word for it that these weeks off the east coast of Greenland exercised a deter- mining influence over him. " By day the peaks and the glaciers lay glittering beyond the drift ice ; in the evening and at night, when the sun tinged them with color and IN TIIK I'OLAR >1-,A set air and clouds on fire behind them, their wild beauty was thrown into even bolder relief." He brooded incessantly over plans for reaching that coast which so many have sought in vain. It must be possible, he thought, to make your way over the ice, drag- ging your boat along with you. He wanted to set off alone and walk ashore, but permission was refused him. Already he had begun to entertain notions of penetrating NANSEN'S YOUTH 33 to the heart of the country; and within a year of his return to Norway the idea of crossing Greenland on snow-shoes had taken firm root in his mind. While Fridtjof Nansen was swimming across the rifts in the ice after Polar bears, the Director-in-Chief of the Bergen Museum, Dr. Danielssen, was turning things over in his mind. He needed a new assistant. Before the bear-hunter had reached Christiania, Professor Robert Collett was applied to by telegraph for his advice. He thought instantly of Nansen, and asked him, the moment he set foot on shore, if he would care to become Curator {Kouservaior) of the Bergen Museum. He agreed at once. He was not yet twenty-one, and had done nothing what- ever to make his mark in science ; so it was certainly a very tempting offer. He held the position of Curator of the Bergen Museum till 1888, during which time he was enga^^ed in carrying on zoological investigations. Few things are more characteristic of Nansen than the way in which he passed from Polar bear-hunting to the work-room of the Bergen Museum. " I have become an absolute first-class stick-in-the-mud." he says in a letter to his father as early as October 17, 1882. He, the athlete and sportsman par excellence, has to " reassure " his father by informing him that he is a member of two gymnastic societies ! He throws himself into his scientific work as passionately as if it were the most thrilling of adventures. He pursues the paltriest insect revealed by the micro- scope no less impetuously than he pursued the bears over the Arctic wastes. In the course of his studies of the nervous system, Nansen became acquainted with the chro- mic silver method of staining the nerve fibres invented by Professor Golgi of Pavia. 3 34 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD I ■ In order thoroughly to familiarize himself with this im- portant auxiliary to the investigations which had now oc- cupied him for several years, he determined, in the spring of 1886, to go to Italy. Partly under Golgi's personal guidance, and partly at the Zoological Station in Naples, where he would find ample material, he hoped to be able to carry his researches somewhat farther than had been possible with the methods hitherto in vogue. The previ- ous year, at the Bergen Museum, he had won the Joachim Friele gold medal for his work on the myzostoma. He had taken the medal in copper, and applied the value of the gold to his travelling expenses. After a short stay in Pavia, where he conferred with Professor Golgi and Dr. Fusari, he went on to Naples, where he spent the follov»ing months, from April till June, 1886, at the celebrated Zoological Station. The principal results of his studies he embodied in sev- eral biological works; for "The Structure and Combina- tion of the Histological Elements of the Central Nervous System " Nansen received his doctor's degree. By the great public, Fridtjof Nansen is known and ad- mired chiefly as the dauntless explorer of the unknown wastes of the North Pole. The above may help to im- press upon the public, that Nansen is also an investigator of note in another domain, which, though it does not attract so much attention, perhaps deserves it no less. Voyages of discovery in the quiet study, in the labora- tory, in thf world of the microscope, in Natures secret workshop, — these too minister to the enlightenment of mankind and the jirogrcss of civilization. In this field I'ridtjof Nansen proved himself a born discoverer, and, at an unusually early age, developed an activity which was rich in promise. "P CHAPTER III NANSEn's GREENLAND EXPEDITION PREPARATIONS PLAN EQUIPMENT " One winter evening in 'Sy;' writes Dr. Grieg, " I sat in my den at 3A Parkveien, absorbed in my work. Sud- denly the door was flung wide open, and in stalked Nansen, with his long-haired, badly trained dog Jenny. Without pretending to be an authority on the subject, it is my opinion that Nansen is too absent-minded to be able to train good sporting dogs. The evening was cold, so that even Nansen had thrown his plaid over his shoul- ders. He sat down on the sofa just opposite me. " ' Do you know what I 'm going to set about now ? ' he said. ' I mean to have a try at crossing Greenland.' And he set forth his plans with the aid of my old atlas, which I shall always associate with the memory of that evening. He was excited and wrought-up, and, at that stage, far from being certain, or even hopeful, of finding things go easily. I saw he wanted objections to discuss, and I supplied him with what occurred to me, though I knew nothing of the subject. ' It would be easiest to make the crossing lower down, you understand,' he said, • but the real thing will be to show the world that Green- land can be crossed so far north as this ' and he pointed out where he had at first planned to start. He little dreamed that this stretch of coast, which he treated so lightly that evening, would prove so hard a nut to 36 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD crack. He said he was goins: to Stockholm. ' What are you going to do there ? ' ' To look up Nordenskjold, and ask him to give me his opinion of my scheme. I shall just wait to take my doctor's degree in the spring, and then off to Greenland. It will be a hard spring, old man, but pooh ! I shall manage it.' '* Another friend had meanwhile dropped in. We all three walked to Skarpsno, we two everyday people mak- ing feeble objections, he meeting them with increasing warmth and with youthful emphasis of conviction. He would stake his life on the plan, and we should see it would all go smoothly. It was like a revelation, in these decadent days, to find a man of action ready to lay down his life for his idea. I was impressed and moved that evening when we partt^d." He went to Stockholm. It may be noted at this point that it was in 1886 that Peary and Maigaard, with their scanty equipment, had made a highly successful inroad upon the Greenland ice field, intended, as Peary had expressly stated in his brief narrative, merely as a prelim- inary reconnaissance. Nansen had no time to lose if he did not want to be anticipated. Moreover, nis zoological and anatomical labors vere in the mean time at a stand- still. His great essay on the histological elements of the central nervous system was finished, and could at any time be handed in as a thesis for his doctor's degree. "When, on Thursday, November 3, 1887, I entered my work-room, in the Mineralogical Institute of the Stock- holm High School," says Professor lirogger, " my janitor told me that there had been a Norwegian asking for me. He had not left a card, and did not say who he was. Compatriots without a name and without a visiting-card f NANSEN'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 37 were no rarity. It was no doubt some one wanting me to relieve him from a momentary embarrassment.' ' What did he look like.? ' I said, with a touch of annoyance. " ' Tall and fair,' answered Andersson. " ' Was he well dressed } ' " ' He had n't any overcoat,' said Andersson, smiling confidentially; 'he looked like a sailor, or something of that sort' " Ah, yes — a sailor without an overcoat ! No doubt the idea was that I should supply him with one. I saw it all. " An hour or two later in came Wille. ' Have you seen Nansen }' " ' Nansen } Was that the name of the sailor .? The man without an overcoat } ' " ' Has he no overcoat } At any rate he 's going to cross the Greenland ice sheet.' And Wille rushed off — he was in a hurry. " After that comes another of my colleagues, Professor Lecke, the zoologist. ' Have you seen Nansen } Is n't he a splendid fellow } He has been telling me of many interesting discoveries about the sex of the myxine — and about his investigations of the nervous system too. Charming things ! Splendid ! ' " After all these preliminaries, Nansen at last appeared in person — tall and erect, broad-shouldeied and powerful, yet with the grace and suppleness of youth. His rather rough hair was brushed back from his massive forehi ad. He came straight uj) to me and gave me his hand with a peculiarly winning smile, while he introduced himself. " ' You are going to cross Greenland ? ' " ' Well, I 'm thinking of it.' 38 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD sl^ II " I looked him in the eyes. There he stood with the kindly smile on his strongly-cut, massive face, his com- plete self-confidence awakening confidence in others. Although his manner was just the same all the time,— calm, straightforward, perhaps even a little awkward,' — yet it seemed as if he grew with every word. This plan, — this snow-shoe expedition from the east coast, — which a moment ago I had regarded as an utterly crazy idea, became, in the course of that one conversation, the most natural thing in the world. The conviction possessed me all of a sudden : he will do this thing, as surely as we are sitting here and talking about it. " This man whose name I had never so much as heard until a couple of hours before, had in these few minutes — quite naturally and inevitably as it seemed — made me feel as though I had known him all my days; and with- out reflecting at all as to how it happened, I knew that I should be proud and hapjjy to be his friend through life. " ' We '11 go straight to Nordenskjold,' I said ; and we went. With his singular dress — a tight-fitting, dark blue, jersey-like blouse or jacket, closely buttoned ui) — he did not fail to attract a certain amount of attention in Drott- ninggatan (Queen Street). Gustaf Retzius, as I heard afterwards, took him at first for an acrobat or rope- dancer. " Well, we hunted up Nordenskjold, crossing the quiet, cloistral quadrangle of the Academy of Science, which has always something awe-inspiring about it. " Nordenskjold was in his laboratory, as usual at that time in the morning. We went through the anterooms filled with mineralogical specimens and cases. 'These used to be Berzelius s quarters,' I remarked to Nan.sen in \ NANSE^'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 39 passing. Lindstrom, the Professor's assistant, presently appeared, with both hands full of retorts and chemicals. " ' The old man is inside ; he 's up to his eyes in work,' he whispered quietly to me. " There, in the work-room, ' old man Nor ' was wander- ing around among his minerals. I can never see his strong, broad back, without thinking of a story in connec- tion with his boat expedition up the Yenisei in 1875. At one point, where the seas repeatedly threatened to swamp the boat, Nordenskjold took his seat on the after gunwale, and let the ice-cold waves break on his broad back. There he sat for hours, doing duty, in a literal sense, as a breakwater. Of such stuff are Arctic explorers made. " I greeted Nordenskjold and performed the introduc- tion. ' Curator Nansen, of Bergen. He intends to cross the Greenland ice sheet ' " ' Good heavens ! ' " ' And he would like to consult you upon the matter.' " ' I 'm delighted to see him. So ! Mr. Nansen intends to cross Greenland ? ' " The bombshell had fallen. The friendly, amiable, but somewhat absent expression he had worn an instant be- fore had vanished, and his liveliest interest was aroused. He seemed to be scanning the young man from head to foot, in order to see what sort of stuff he had in him. Then he burst out with a twinkle in his eye: 'I shall make Mr. Nansen a present of a pair of excellent boots! Indeed, I 'm not joking; it's a very important and serious matter to have your foot-gear of the best (|uality.' " The ice is broken. Nansen expounds, Nordenskjold nods a little skeptically now and then, and throws in a question or two. He no doubt regarded the plan — at 40 JVANSEM IN THE FROZEN WORLD least SO It seemed to me-as foolhardy, but not absolutely impracticable. It was obvious that Nansen's personality had instantly made a strong impression on him. He was at once prepared, in the most cordial manner, to place the results of his own experience at the young man's service _ " 1 here were of course numbers of details to be gone into: the Laplanders, snow-shoes, sledges, and boats - and then th< r.estion whether the drift ice could be crossed as Na,.. a had planned. But 'the old man was up to his eyes in work,' and it was agreed that Nansen should come again. Meanwhile, we were to meet the same evening, at the Geological Society. As we were leaving I said aside to Nordenskjold, ' Well, what do you think ? I back him to do it.' '"I dare sa3' you 're right,' answered Nordenskjold. tJut the skeptical expression was again to the fore " After the meeting at the Geological Society, Nansen accompanied me home. It was pretty well on in the evening. While we were sitting talking, he genial and at his ease, I quite absorbed in all these new ideas, there came a ring at the door, and in walked Nordenskjold. I at once saw that he was seriously interested. " We sat there till the small hours, discussing Arctic and Antarctic explorations in general, and the Greenland expedition in particular. It was only four years since Nordenskjold himself had made his last expedition on the Greenland ice sheet; and he was at this time, if I remem- ber rightly, much interested in arranging a combined Australian-Swedish Antarctic expedition, in which his promising son, G. Nordenskjold,' who unfortunately died so early, was to haxe taken part. » Three years later tl>is young man undertook an expedition to Spitsbergen. NANSEN'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 41 " I was going the next day to the usual Fourth of November banquet at the house of the Norwegian Secre- tary of State, and I asked Nansen if he would care to have an invitation. No, he could n't well appear on such an occasion — he had only the clothes he was wearing. But Mr. Nansen can come and dine with me, just as he is ' suggested Nordenskjola with frank cordiality; and so it was arranged. " I cannot say whether Nansen, when he returned to Christiania, a couple of days later, took with him the ' ex- cellent boots,' though I know that Nordenskjold after- wards sent him a pair of snow-spectacles. But, boots or no boots, he certainly took back with him many a valuable hint, and the assurance of complete sympp^hy on the part of the great explorer. When, nearly two years later, they again met in Stockholm, the foolhardy plan had been carried out, and the journey over the inland ice from coast to coast was an accomplished fact." Nansen's application to the "Collegium Academicum " for the means to carry out the expedition is dated Novem- ber II, 1887. The very first sentence goes straight to the heart of the matter: " It is my intention next^ sum- mer to undertake a journey across the inland ice of Greenland from the east to the west c ast." The amount he asked for was 5,000 crowns (less than 300/.). it is so infinitesimally small in comparison with the magnitude and importance of the undertaking, that one cannot speak of it now without a .,ilc. But as yet the project, was only a project, and the projector an untried man. The faculty and the council warmly recommended the scheme to the Government. But the Government could not see 42 ^TANSEJV IN THE FJWZEN WORLD Its way to sanctioning it. One of the official organs was unable to discover any reason why the Norwegian people should pay so large a sum as 300/. in order that a private individual might treat himself to a pleasure-trip to Green- land. And undoubtedly the Government here repre- sented a very large section of the people. Two widely different sides of the Norwegian character were in this case at odds. The love of adventure is represented in Nansen, the cautiousness, the " canniness," of the Norwe- gian peasant is represented in the Ciovernment. It is no mere chance that this 300/. should have come from abroad. For except in scientific circles, and among the young and ardent, the general opinion certainly was that Nansen's undertaking was only worthy of a madman — though no one actua'^y x^'ent so far as to have him locked up, like the man in Jie London madhouse whom Nansen is so fond of citing. A comic paper in Bergen inserted the following advertisement : — Notice. - In the month of June next, Curator Nansen will j^ive a snow-shoe display, with long jumps, on the inland ice of (ireenland. Reserved seats in the crevasses. Return ticket unnecessary. And in private conversation the affair was taken much in the same way, xxhen it was not regarded from a more serious point of view, by people who thought it sinful to give open support to a suicide. Nor was it only the outside public that held these opmions. Previous explorers of Greenland, who might be supposed to know the local conditions, characterized the plan as absolutely visionary. Nansen has himself reprinted in his book a short extract from a lecture delixered in Copenhagen by one of the younger Danish explorers of Greenland. He says : " Among the few of us who know V I gans was in people a private o Green- "e rejDre- widely i in this snted in ■ Norwe- It is no ne from ong the vas that :1m an — 1 locked Nansen inserted snow-shoe :d seats in n much a more inful to 1 these ight be y-cd the printed M-ed in »rers of know JVAJVSEJV'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 43 something of the nature of Danish East Greenland, there is no doubt that unless the ship reaches the coast and waits for him till he is forced to confess himself beaten, it is ten to one that either Nansen will throw away his own life, and perhaps the lives of others, to no purpose; or else he will be picked up by the Eskimos, and convoyed by them round Cape Farewell to the Danish stations on the west coast. But no one has any right needlessly to involve the East Greenlanders in a long journey, which must be in many respects injurious to them." It was, however, from Denmark that the requisite finan- cial assistance came. Professor Amund Helland, who had him'^elf been in Greenland, had strongly advocated the plan m the " Dagblad " of November 24, 1887. "After the experiences of others on the inland ice," he says, " and after what I myself have seen of it, I cannot see why young and courageous snow-shoers, under an intelligent and cautious leader, should not have every prospect of reaching t,ie other side, if only the equipment be care- fully adapted to the peculiar conditions. ... All things carefully considered, I believe there is every likelihood that competent snow-shoers should be able to manage this journey without running any such extreme risks as should make the expedition inadvisable. Those who have travelled some distance on the inland ice of Green- land number, at present, about twenty men, and not a single life has been lost in these attempts." As a result of this article. Professor Helland was able to announce to the "Collegium Academicum," on Jan- uary 12, 1 888, that Mr. Augustin Gamel, of Copenhagen, had offered to provide the 5,000 crowns. Nansen accepted the generous offer. Afterwards, when If n n 44 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD all was happily over, people criticised this action. He ought to have waited patiently till the money turned up somewhere in Norway. This wisdom after the event is foolish enough. It ignores the actual facts of the situ- ation. Nansen had made up his mind to pay for the whole enterprise out of his own pocket ; no one in Norway showed the slightest eagernt s to prevent his doing so. And, with all his self-reliance, he could not, at that time, regard the realization of his idea as a privilege that must be reserved solely and exclusively for Norway. The situ- ation was quite different when, five years later, with the eyes of all the world upon him, he set out for the North Pole. Then, indeed, it was of the utmost importance that the money as well as the flag should be Norwegian. The criticism seems all the emptier when we remember that the Greenland Expedition did not cost 5,000 crowns, but more than three times that amount, and that Nansen him- self would have met this deficit out of nis small private means, had not the Students' Society, after the successful return of the expedition, set on foot a subscription which brought in 10,000 crowns. It was, as Nansen had said to Dr. Grieg, a hard spring. The first six months of 1888 passed in one incessant rush. At the beginning of December, 1887, he is back in Bergen. At the end of January, he goes on snow-shoes from Eidfjord in Hardanger, by way of Numedal, to Kongsberg, and thence to Christiania. " In March he is in Bergen again, lecturing on nature and life in Greenland. One day — or rather night — we find him camping on the top of Blaamanden, near Bergen, to test his sleeping- bag, and a week later he is on the rostrum in Chris- tiania giving his first trial lecture for his doctor's degree. NANSEN'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 45 on the structure of the sexual organs in the myxine. On April 28 he defends his doctoral thesis : " The Nerve Elements : their structure and connection in the central nervous system " — and on May 2 he sets off for Copen- hagen, on his way to Greenland. " I would rather take a bad degree than have a bad outfit," he used to say to Dr. Grieg in those days. He succeeded in getting both good, but only by straining every nerve. On the one hand, he had his scientific reputation to look to; on the other, his own life and the lives of five brave men ; for he was fully convinced that, of all the dangers which were pointed out to him, the most serious by far was the danger of a defective outfit. On the outfit, more than on any- thing else, depended victory or defeat, life or death. It was in the January nuriber of the periodical " Natu- ren " (1888) that he for the first time made a public state- ment of his plan. He explains that, by striking inland from the east coast, he will need to cross Greenland only once. It is true that by this course retreat is cut off. "The inhospitable coast, inhabited only by scattered tribes of heathen Eskimos, is by no mea^-s an enviable winter residence to fall back upon in the event of our encountering unforeseen obstacles in the interior; but the less tempting the line of retreat, the stronger will be the incentive to push on with all our might." This is one of the essential points of the plan — all bridges are to be broken. Here we see the irresistible self-confidence of genius — its triumphant faith in its power to reach the goal. The thing that presents itself to ordinary prudence as the first necessity, namely, a safe and easy line of re- treat, genius regards rather as a hindrance and a thing to be avoided. I 46 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD " Setzet Ihr nicht das Leben ein, Nie wird euch das Leben gewonnen sein." We will not here dwell upon the other features of the plan because in all essentials it was carried out as pro- jected; and the modifications which proved necessary are sufficiently well known through Nansen's own account of the expedition. It will be remembered how they were caught m the drift ice, carried down almost to the southern point of Greenland, and then had to fight their way abonously north again. It will be remembered, too that they did not strike inland, as they intended, north of Cape Dan, but a good way f.,rther south, and that they reached the west coast, not, as contemplated, on Disco Bay near Chnstianshaab, but at the Ameralikfjord near Godthaab. These alterations are important enough in them,,elves, but inessential in relation to the main object 1 he plan itself having been set forth, the article proceeds to enumerate the scientific problems which may be solved or brought nearer to a solution by a journey across the mland ice. Nansen concludes by quoting Nordenskjold's words m the preface to his book, "The Second Dickson Expedition to Greenland : " •• The investigation of the un- known interior of Greenland is fraught with such mo- mentous issues for science that at present one car .ardly exTrer " *'"'""'''"' ^^ '"^ """ ''"''^''P""'^ °f *e Arctic Nansen was himself fully conscious of the great scien- tific import of the journey he was about to take For the rest, this expedition rec|,.ired in its leader a quite unusual combination of qualities: an adventurous .magmation to conceive it, a Viking-like hardihood to carry ,t through, strenuous physical training throughout V w r II ' :| NANSEN'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 47 childhood and youth to enable him to face its fatigues, and self-sacrificing devotion to science in order to make the most of the opportunities it afforded. And even more was required. This young man, whose fame as yet rested entirely upon an unfulfilled idea, had to take command of a little group of "brave men who all risked their lives ex- actly as he did, and among whom were some who them- selves had held command. This was not a company of soldiers to be ofiicered as a matter of course ; it required a special tact, a peculiar instmct, to bear one s self as primus inter pares. With all h' oroud self-confidence, Nansen had just this insHnct. It .-rings in part, no doubt from a strain of gentleness in his character, but may on the whole be regarded as simply another manifestation of his singular knack of doing the right thing at precisely the right moment. He had been too early intent on ends of his own to develop what one would call a specially social disposition. " He is something of a soloist," one of his friends writes to us, " steadfast towards those to whom he really attaches himself ; but they are not many." He is too absorbed in his work. He is not expansive, in the sense of feeling any inborn craving to make friends. But now, in the moment of need, the unaffected geniality of his temperament comes out quite naturally in his relation to those who have had the courage and the insight to place their trust in him. Given another personality than his, the whole undertaking would not improbably have gone to wreck, with the most disastrous consequences. If it had been simply a question of mechanical discipline, the spirit of revolt might easily have arisen in the course of these indescribable hardships, and ruined everything. As it was, all were agreed that, though discussion should 48 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD of course be free, one must have the decisive voice. But that one was of no higher rank than the others when there was work to be done or hunger to be endured ; and It was this complete equahty that formed the strono-est bond of union. Stories have been invented as to the dela- tions between the six Greenland explorer's, some of them of a dark and almost tragic tenor. We are able to state on the best authority that all these legends, from first to last, are the product of popular imagination, which, after the tremendous enthusiasm over Nansen's return, neces- sarily underwent a reaction. The men who accompanied Nansen were Captain Otto Neumann Sverdrup, born October 31, 1855, in Bindalen • Lieutenant Oluf Christian Dietrichson, born May 31 1H56, ,n Skogn, near Levanger ; Christian Christiansen Irana, born February 16, 1865, at the farm of Trana. near Stenkjcer; besides the two Lapps, Samuel Johannesen Balto, aged 27, and Ola Nilsen Ravna, agec^ 45. (i these names have become historical. To the h st- mentioned in particular a great share in the crtJ'V ne expedition is due. The whole civilized world is indebted to them, and Nansen most of all. •' People are very ready," he says in the preface to " The First Crossing of Greenland," " to heap the whole blame of an unsuccessful expedition, but also the whole honor of a successful one upon the shoulders of the leader. This is particularly unfair m the case of such an expedition as the present vvhere the result depends on absolutely no one falling short, on every one filling his place entirely and at every point." ^ For the lives of all these men Nansen had now assumed the responsibility, so far as the planning and management i« NANSEN'S GREENLAND EXPEDITION 49 of the journey was concerned ; and his responsibihty began with the outfit. With regard to this essential mat- ter, all the qualities we have been dwelling upon would have been of no avail had he not possessed one other of the first importance. He was accustomed to see things for himself. He was an observer not only in the domain of science, but also in that of practical life. As a boy, he pulled the sewing-machine to pieces to see how it was made, and as a young man he had gone deeply into the question of the nutritive value of the various food-stuffs. He had an eminently practical and mechanical talent ; and he had been born with the instinct of the Youmrest Son in the fairy tale, for picking up a magpie's wing whenever he came across it, since you never could tell when it might come in useful." No doubt he had learned much in his brief consultations with Nordenskjold, whose numerous expeditions had always been conspicuous for their careful and excellent equipment. But the expedition now in hand must be set about on an entirely original plan, since they were to have neither reindeer nor doL^s, but were themselves to be their own beasts of burden and drag evjry crumb of food and every instrament. Now was the time to act up to the Nansen motto, " To require little." The thing was to ascertain what food-stuffs com- bine a maximum of nourishment with a minimum Of weight ; and equally important was the consideration of the means of transport to be employed. The lightness of everything was the cardinal point which distinguished the Nansen expedition from all others. Lightness became a study, an art. Nansen brooded on the problem by day, and dreamed of it at night. Like Macbeth, he was liaunted with visions of insubstantial tollcktiivs (sheath knives). 5° NAiVSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Everything was minutely criticised, from the raw mate- rial up to the finished product. Many of the most impor- tant articles Nansen desii^fned for himself. From his detailed description of the outfit we reproduce in a few words the essential points ; Five specially constructed hand - sledges of ash, with broad steel - plated runners. These sledges were about 9 ft. 6 in. long by i ft. 8 in. broad, yet weighed, with the steel runners, only a little over 28 lbs. They were so excellently made that in spite of the tremendous wear and tear they were subjected to not one of them broke. Next came Norwegian snow- shoes {ski) of the most careful make, as well as Canadian snow-shoes and Norwegian wickerwork truger. The last were used particularly in ascending the outer slope of the inland ice, and on wet snow where ski were useless. The tent was furnished by Lieutenant Ryder, of Copen- hagen. It was just large enough to accommodate the two sleeping-bags side by side upon the floor. The dress of the party consisted of a thin woollen vest and woollen drawers ; over the vest a thick Iceland jersey ; and for outer garments, jacket, knickerbockers and thick snow- socks on the legs, all made of Norwegian homespun. For windy and snowy weather they had an outer dress of thin sail-cloth. Their foot-gear consisted of boots with j)itched seams and Lapland lauparsko, a sort of moccasin. On their heads they wore woollen caps and hoods of home- spun, woollen gloves on their hands, and in extreme cold an extra pair of dogskin gloves. I'\)r their eyes they had snow-spectacles, some of smoke-colored glass with baskets of steel-wire network, some of black wood with horizontal slits. The provisions consisted mainly of pcmmican, meat- NANSEATS GREENLAND EXPEDITION S» powder chocolate, calf-liver pate, a Swedish biscuit known as kn'dkkcbrod, meat biscuits, butter, dried halibut, a little cheese, pea-soup powder, chocolate, and condensed milk. They took tw^o double-barrelled guns for replenishing their larder. The cooking apparatus was a spirit-burning contrivance devised by Nansen and a chemist named Schmelck, upon which they expended much labor. No spirits for consum^ on ; some tea, a little coffee, a little tobacco. On the other hand, an abundance of scientific instruments. And, to complete the list, tarpaulins, which on the inland ice were sometimes used as sails ; bamboo poles; and a quantity of tool' and small necessaries of various kinds from matches and a few candles down to darning-needles — everything of course as light as pos- sible. In only one single respect did this equipment prove inadequate. The pemmican, which should have been the staple of their diet, had in the course of manufacture been deprived of all fat, and Nansen did not discover the fact until the last moment. The result was that they suf- fered after a while from "fat-hunger, of which no one who has not experienced it can form any idea." Even during the last days, when they had as much dried meat as they wanted, they did not feel satisfied. How easy it would have been in this terra iiicopiita for the outfit to have fallen short in other respects ! For one thing, no one in the least foresaw that the expedition would, at this time of the year, be exposed to such severe cold as was found to prevail on the inland ice. It was a new and unknown meteorological phenomenon which the expedition encountered. If Nansen had chosen woollen sleeping bags instead of those of reindeer-skin, which he I S' A'AJfSEJV IN THE FJiOZEN WORLD at last determined on, he and his comrades, as he himself admits, would scarcely have reached the weft coast alive Yes, a great deal might have happened ; but luck was on Nansen s s.do. His good genius was very active in all that concerned this, his first great undertaking. But in the last analysis, no doL.bt, the man who has "the luck on h,s s,de •• is he who shows capacity, foresight, genius and does not pit himself against forces which are in the nature of thmgs unconquerable. We cannot conclude these lines on the preparations for the Greenland expedition without nientionincr that Nan- sen was ,n constant communication with oneW the most notable of the explorers of Greenland, Dr. H Rink One service that Rink certainly rendered him was to 'throw into strong relief the perils of the expedition, althou■! S8 NANSEN JiY THE FROZEN WORLD outlines, they were steadily borne southward, farther and farther from their goal. The night of July 20 might easily have been their last. The ice floe on which they were drifting had come right out to the verge of the open sea, which was running very high, so that the surf kept on washing over the floe almost up to the tent. Had the floe been crushed, they might very likely have found it impossible to launch the boats in such a furious sea, and among the clashing masses of ice. In any case they could not have saved more than one of the boats, and the most indispensable part of the provi- sions and equipment. One scarcely knows which to admire the most, — Sverdrup, who kept the night watch, pacing calm and composed, with his quid in his cheek, up and down the floe, between the tent and the boats, many times on the point of loosening the hooks of the tent-flap to make them all turn out, but always staying his hand ; or Nansen and Dietrichson, who lay quietly asleep in the tent, while the surf roared and rattled the ice-brash over the rocking floe, and swept ever nearer and nearer until it lapped the very edge of the tent. But just as the outlook was blackest, the floe suddenly changed its course, headed shoreward once more " as if guided by an unseen hand," and was soon in safer waters. Nansen and his companions had a hard time of it during these perilous, exciting days on the ice floe. They did not so much mind their toil in the rain and surf, fruit- lessly striving to force a passage through openings in the ice pack ; they did not so much mind their scanty diet of raw horse-flesh, etc. (the cooking apparatus was only once lighted during their days of drifting); they did not so much mind the dange/s that threatened them on every ACJ^OSS GREENLAND 59 hand ; but they dreaded the prospect of having to give up for that season the journey across the inland ice. These wasted days were trying days indeed. When the news of the success of the expedition reached Stockhohn, Nordenskjold pointed out, as the strongest proof of the admirable energy displayed during the entire journey, that when at last they had got through the belt of drift ice they instantly set to work to row northward again, in order to reach the proper point for attacking the ice sheet. They had, in a way, made an unfortunate and discouraging start. It was already well on in the summer, the supply of provisions was not over- abundant, and — civilization was, moreover, within tempt- ingly easy reach. They were now only i8o miles from the nearest colony, Frederiksdal, while the Sermilikfjord, the starting-point originally fixed upon, was nearly twice as distant. The mere fact of their resisting the tempta- tion to put off till the following year may be called truly heroic; not many would have shown such resolution. But for them the temptation was no temptation at all. It did not enter their thoughts that there was anything to be done except to head the boats northward as quickly as possible. And it was not with anxious fear, but with radiant joy, that they now saw a clear water-way before them. The first problem, that of getting through the drift ice with whole skins, was thus solved — with great labor, it is true, and loss of precious time, but nevertheless solved. It had been prophesied that even this would prove im- l^racticable ; for a long series of vain attempts had shown that it was next thing to impossible to penetrate the ice belt south of the sixty-sixth degree of latitude. Not until 6o NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WOULD fil 1883 had Nordenskjold, with the steamer Sophia, suc- ceeded in reaching the coast near Cape Dan (King Oscar's Haven). So much the more daring was it on Nansen's part to make the attempt. But now the thing was to make all speed northward. The best of the summer was gone. If they were to have any chance of reaching the west coast that year, they must go at it in earnest. And they did go at it in earnest. On the day of their landing at Kekertarsuak they had a lordly repast of hot chocolate and extra rations of oat cake, Swiss cheese, mysost (goat's milk cheese), and cran- berry jam, to celebrate their landing ; but after that their meals consisted of cold water, biscuits, and dried beef — they could not waste time in cooking until they had in some measure made up what they had lost in the ice drift. It was a toilsome journey by boat iiorthward along the coast. For long distances they had to exert all their strength to force the ice floes apart in order to get the boats through the narrow channels between them ; and sometimes they had to drag the boats over the ice, skirt- ing the low barren coast, with glaciers and snow-fields coming right down to the margin of the sea. They got safely past the dreaded glacier Puisortok (near it, at Cape Bille, they came upon an encampment of heathen Eski- mos, of which Nansen has given a highly interesting description),^ and they forced their way with the greatest difficulty through a closely packed belt of drift ice south of Ingerkajarfik. At Mogens Heinesens Fjord the appear- ance of the coast altered. From this point northward there is a long stretch of bare coast land, with a view of * See chapter vi. .1 ACHOSS GREENLAND 6i high mountain ranges, " summit on summit, and rank be- hind rank." By dint of constant battling with the drift ice and the current, the expedition reached Nunarsuak (62° 43' N. lat.) on August 3. From this point they tried to sail, but the wind soon rose to a tempest which was near proving fatal, for the boats were on the point of being crushed between the ice floes, got their oars and thole-pins smashed, and were separated into the bargain, it was a hard pinch, but by putting forth all their strength they got through it at last, and the tent was pitched on a patch of soft greensward on G riff enf eld t's Island, for the highly needful repose after an exhausting day. A feast of splendid hot caraway soup, "never to be forgotten," was the reward for their toils. On August 5 the boats narrowly escaped being crushed by the falling of a fragment of an iceberg, and "after almost incredible labor" they reached in thTeven- ing an islet at the mouth of the Inugsuarmiutfjord, where they intended to rest for the night. But from here they perceived that the water was open ahead, the fjord lying smooth as a mirror; so their rest had to be adjourned Forward again ! They certainly did "go at it in earnest." At Singiartuarfik, on August 6, they again fell in with Eskimos. Then northward again, now in open water, now fighting with drift ice, always on cold dry diet which was served out, moreover, in very scanty rations. They were never really satisfied, not even directly after eating ; but Nansen said " they had had enough, so enough it had to be," as Christiansen put it. To the Lapps, wF.o natu- rally had no very clear notion beforehand of what they had embarked upon, this perpetual fighHng with drift Ill 62 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD I ice, and fasting on top of it, began to seem rather de- pressing. The coast now became less precipitous again, and tlie mountain contours rounder, and the explorers began to tlunk of landing and beginning their journey proper. On August 8 they reached Bernstorff's Fjord (Kangerd- lugsuak) at about 631° N. lat. The fjord was brimful of glacier ice, many of the huge icebergs rising out of the water to a height of over two hundred feet (six or seven times as much being under water), and running to a mile or so in breadth, sometimes flat-topped, sometimes jutting forth into the most fantastic peaks, pinnacles, and crests. These colossal masses were so .'inumerabie that they threatened to bar all advance. From the top of one of them the eye ranged over an " Alpine world of floating ice." At last chinks were discovered even in this barrier — open channels "with a narrow strip of sky visible between high walls of ice." And "although huge icebergs more than once collapsed, or capsized with a mighty crash, and set up a violent sea-way," here, too, they at last got out of their difficulties for the moment. That night they slept in the sleeping-bags only, upon a rock so small that there was not room to pitch the tent. In a more and more open water-way tliey pressed on northward, with masses of ice breaking off from the glaciers and icebergs on every side. On August 9, while they were in the act of forcing asunder two floes, among a number of icebergs, a huge piece of an iceberg fell down with a mighty crash upon the floe they were stand- ing on, smashing it and violently churning up the sea. " I lad we gone to that side a few moments earlier, as we '^^\ \. .- ACROSS GREENLAND g originally intended, we should ahaost certainly have been crushed to death. It was the third tin:e such a thin, had happened to us," Nansen says in his account of the expe- dition, characteristically describing it as "an odd occur- rence Well may it be called " odd " ! How does it hap- pen that some men come safe and sound through all such adventures ; go voyages on ice floes and sleep undisturbed while the surf is on the point of breaking up the fragile barrier between them and • " September , ,. the temperature at night within the ten W.XS under -4o' C. (-40- I.'ahr.), and outside the tent probably under -45'' C. (-4,/ I-ahr.). The difference be- »e,.„ the day and the night temperature was often more l'.^" -^o ' C (36" l.-ahr.). Kven inside the closed sleepiu... I'ag, he cokl was so .severe that when they awakened tluw «""l'l often nnd their heads completely surrounded with ;a' nud hoar frost. •• To be obliged to be out eonstantlv "> M.ch cold IS not always .agreeable," .s,ays Nansen in hi's 68 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD book. " It often happened that so much ice formed about the face that the beard was absolutely frozen fast to the wrappings round the head, and it was difficult enough to open the mouth to speak." When in addition to the frost there came a snow-storm, we can readily understand that it was no joke for them to drag themselves, each with a heavy sledge, day after day across the interminable ice desert, at an altitude of 8,000 or 9,000 feet above the sea. From September 4 to 8 they encountered a furious snow- storm, with a temperature of —40° Fahr. On the 7th, in- deed, they dared not stir from their tent, which was care- fully hauled taut, lest the wind should blow it to shreds — in which case, no doubt, their saga would have been over. But when it was at all possible their daily life followed its regular course; and in sjiite of cold and snow-storm, thirst, " fat hunger," and othci hardships, they toiled steadily on toward the west coast. On September 5 they passed the highest point on their route, 8,860 feet. On September 1 1 and 1 2 they were at a height of about 8,300 feet; and from here began a perceptible, if not a very marked, down gradient toward the west. On the 1 6th they came upon several pretty sharp declivities, and when the temperature at night " just failed to reach zero" they all felt that it was quite mild. On the 17th they saw a snow-bunting, and knew they must now be nearing " land." On the 19th they had a favorable wind, and hoisted sails on the sledges, which they lashed together, two and two. They were soon going at a spanking pace, and now at last they were distinctly upon the downward slope toward the coast. Late in the afternoon they saw " land " for the first time. Tliey went on sailing in the moonlight, ACJWSS GREENLAND and 69 very nearly sailed thdr last voyage, for they had now reached the fissured marginal zone of the inland ice, with Its yawnmg crevasses many hundred feet deep _ Nansen him.elf had the fingers of both 'hands frost- bitten that evening, and suffered '' almost intolerable pain " (It must have been bad indeed !). They had little enoucrh UNni:K SAIL IN TIIK M()( .NMCIIT - CkKVASSES AIIKAI) to eat, too ; but for all this they cared not a whit, for they knew now that they were nearing the west coast. 'i1ie next morning (September 20) when they looked out of the tent, and saw the whole country southOf (]odt- Inabsfjord spread out before them, one can guess what were their feelings. "We were like children — a lump <<'se in our throats, while our eyes followed the valleys and sought in vain for a glimpse of the sea." 70 NANSEN JN THE FROZEN WORLD fw ii' 1 I I I i r;! i,: 1 il ti S i i ^ 1 f I : 1 ; M 4i : 1 If The next day they advanced pretty briskly, although with the greatest caution, on account of the numerous fissures, among which they had many narrow escapes. On the evening of the 21st, for the first time since leaving the east coast, they found water, and after several weeks of thirst were able to drink freely. " We could positively feel our stomachs distending," says Nansen. These were memorable days for them all. They pushed on now toward Ameralikfjord ; but it was an advance under difficulties. The ice soon became terri- bly uneven, and full of cracks and crevasses on all sides — sometimes so impassable that they had to mak- lonr^ de- tours. Several times, one or another of them would fall into a crevasse, but would generally manage to get his alpenstock fixed like a horizontal bar across the fissure. " It was odd enough that none of us fell in any deeper." In spite of untold difficulties and dangers they made their way during the succeeding days across this treacher- ous marginal zone, and at last, on September 24, reached naked soil, and had the inland ice forever behind them. " No words can possibly describe what it was to us merely to have earth and stones under our feet — the sense of well-being that thrilled through every nerve when we felt the heather springing under our step, and smelled the marvellous f-igrance of grass and moss." Their difificulties, however, were not yet over — they had still a good way to go down the long Austmannadal, and now everything had to be carried on their backs. This final stage they accomplished in the following days, and at last the fjord was reached. Here Sverdrup and Balto set to work to stitch together the hull of a canvas boat, using for the purpose the sail- ACROSS GREENLAAD 71 ese were NANSKN A\H SVlUnRl-p IN TlIK C.WVAS IIOAT cloth floor of the tent; while Nanscn cut willow-wands to make the frame. Oars were improvised out of bamboo stoves and split \\illow-branches covered with sail-cloth. For thwarts they had nothing but a theodolite-stand and two thin bamboo rods. It was an uncouth nutshell of a boat about 8 feet long, not quite 4 feet 6 inches wide, and scarcely 2 feet deep. It was just big enough to hold Nansen and Sverdrup, and the most necessary baggage; and they had to keep their tongues pretty straight in their mouths, or it would have capsized. After a terrible business in getting boat and baggage through the river delta and across a clayey spit of laiid to the open water, on September 29, Nansen and Sverdru]^ at last rowed off down the Ameralikfjord. Although the boat could scarcely be classed as Ai, and leaked so "that it 7^ NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ■ had to be baled every ten minutes, it nevertheless carried them to their journey's end. i'hey had favorable weather on the whole, and, by dint of great exertions, they brought their coracle safe and sound to New Herrnhut at midday on October 3. Scarcely had they got ashore when a terrific southerly irale came on. From New Herrnhut they went overland to Godthaab. Dietrichson, Christiansen, and the two Lapps, who had remained behind at the head of the Ameralikfjord with the bulk of the baggagje and no tj^reat store of provisions, were brought off in safety as soon as the weather per- mitted; and thus, on October 16, did this remarkable expedition come to a fortunate close. "We had toiled hard, and undeniably suffered a good deal in order to reach this goal ; and what were now our sensations.? Were they those of the happy victor.? No; we had looked forward so long to the goal that we had discounted its attainment." So Nansen writes of his feel- ings the evening before they arrived at Oodthaab. And this is, no doubt, comjjrehensible enough. Thc)^ were too tired, too worn out, for the abstract exultation at having actually reached their goal to be able to assert itself effec- tually against the more material delights, for example, of eating till they were satisfied and sleejiing in a projjer bed. Besides, the satisfaction had been broken up into many happy moments during the actual journey — they had had a taste of it when, with confident hope, they landed on the east coast, after forcing their passage through the drift ice; they had revelled in it when they first saw land from the heights of the inland ice, when they first found water ACROSS GREENLAND y^ to drink, when they first felt the solid earth, with heather and moss, under their feet, when they launched their boat on the waves of the Ameralikfjord. The satisfaction really lay in the exploit as a whole, in the stimulating open-an- life, toilsome though it was — not so much in the goal attamed, as in the struggle to attain it. As soon as that was done, wh)-, it was done; there was no lono-er anythmg to toil and strive for, and lassitude rushed^'in upon them until other more distant goals began to loom ahead m their thoughts. This, indeed, is what inevitably happens to every man who is really born with the s])irit of research. So long as he has strength and faculty for new problems, his joy oN-er those achieved must be short- lived. It must give i^lace, in the ferment of the mind, to new aspirations; and in Nansen's case these new asj^ira- tions were already lying in wait. \\Y> ma)- safely assume that even during his stay in Cireenland the plan of his next great enterj^rise must haxe been taking shape in his thoughts. When the expedition reached the colony, the ship from Godthaal) had already started. Nansen. however, got kaiak-men to take letters to higtut, scNentv miles south of (.odthaab. They were duh" delivered,^ at the last m..inent, en board the steamer Fox, which had carried McClmtock on his voyage in search of Franklin ; and thus the news of the successful issue of the Greenland expedition reached Europe that autumn. It chanced that the Fox was obliged, by scarcity of coal, to touch at Skudesn.Ts. so that Nansen s native country got the first intelligence. The two letters brought b)- the steamer, one from 74 NAA'SEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ! 1 ■ Nansen to Gamel, the other from Sverdrup to liis father, were soon telegraphed over the whole world, and, as will be remembered, were everywhere received with great rejoicing. Meanwhile Nansen and his comrades had to winter in Godthaab, where Herr Bistrups, the director of the colony, Doctor Binzers, Pastor Balles, and the other Danish residents, showed them the greatest hospitality, and did everything to make their stay as pleasant as possible. Nansen himself turned his time to account in studying the Eskimos. He shared their life with them in their huts, went thoroughly into their methods of hunting, their customs and occujjations, and even got to know their language pretty well. He learned to manage the kaiak and wield their weapons; in short, he spared no possible pains in his study of this remarkable people, for whom he soon cair.e to entertain a real affection. He also made sevc.il excursions with the Greenlanders, a hunting expediti* n to Ameralikfjord, and longer trips to Sardlok and Kangek, during which he lived for some weeks entirely with the Eskimos. On April 15, 1S89, while Nansen and his comrades sat chattino: over their coffee with the colonial director and the doctor, the w^hole colony resounded with one universal cry, "Umiarsuit! Umiarsuit ! " (The shi]), the ship!) It was the longed-for vessel, Hvidbj'dnieti, under the command of Lieutenant Garde. The hour of de])arture had come, and everything was soon in order. " It was not without sorrow," Nansen says, " that some of us turned our l>acks on the ])eoi)le who had been so good to us, and the place where we had lived so happily." So far as Nansen k,> h;,t and bright that we must haNe recourst- to our spcLtacles. We take advantage of this to get an .bservation. our bearings showing us to be in 65° 8' N. and >S° 20' \V., /. c 30 -■/f^& 8o NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD minutes or about 35 miles from the mouth of Sermilik- tjord, and from 23 to 25 minutes or about 30 miles from the nearest land. " We get our usual dinner ready, deciding, however, in honor of the occasion, to treat ourselves to pea-soup. This is the first time we \\\\(i allowed ourselves to cook anything. While the soup is being made the swell in- creases so violently that our cooking apparatus is on the point of capsizing t)\cr and oxer again. " The Lapps go through their dinner in perfect silence, but the rest of us talk and joke as usual, the violent rolls of our floe repeatedly giving rise to witticisms on the part of one or otlier of the company, which in spite of our- selves kejjt our laughing nuiscles in constant use. As far as the Lapps were conciTiied, howoxor, these jests fell on anything ])ut good ground, for tlie\' plainly enough thought that this was not at all the proper time and place for such frivolity. " From the highest jioint or floe we can clearly see how the ice is being washed ie breakers, while the columns of spray thrown high u. the air look like white clouds against the background of blue skv. N(^ living thing can ride the lloes out there as far as we can see. It seems inevitable that we must be carried thither, but. as our lloe is thick and strong, we hope to last for a while. We ha\e no idea of lea\iiig it l)efore we need, but when it comes to that, .and we can iiold on no longer, our last chance will be to try and run our bo.its out through the surf. This will be a wet .muiscnient. but we arc deter- mined to do our bot in the fight for life. ( )ur |)rovi- sions, ammunition, and other things are divided between the two boats, .so that if one is stove in and sinks we DRIFTING IN THE ICE gi shall have enough to keep us ahve in the other We ^hould probably be able to save our lives in that case but of course the success of the expedition would be verJ doubtful. ■' " To run one of our loaded boats into the water hrough the heavy surf and rolling floes without getting her swamped or crushed will perhaps be possible as we can set al our hands to work, but it will be difficult for the crew of the remaining boat to get their ship launched. After consideration we come to tlie conclusion that we must only put what is absoh.tcly necessary into one boat and keep it as light as possible, so that in case of extremity we can take to it alone. For the rest, we shall see how thmgs look when we actually reach the breakers. • We have scarcely half a mile left now, and none of us have any doubt but that before another couple of hours are passed we shall find ourselves either rocking on the open sea, making our way along the ice southward, or sinking to the bottom. "Poor Ravna deserves most sympathy. He is not yet at all accustomed to the sea and its caprices. He moves silently about, fiddling with one thing or another, now and ag^'im goes up to the highest points of our floe, a.ul "^ v/^^^ ^ 4- ^^ f/j r* 88 IiA.\'SEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ■ of yellowisn-brown tents, .„d lower down canoes, skin- boats, and other implements, while more "kaiaks" swarmed round us in the water. Add to all this the ne.ghbonng glacier, the drifting floes, and the glowino- evenmg sky, and, lastly, our two boats and six unkempr. lookmg selves, and the whole formed a picture which we at least are not likely to forget. The life and movement were a welcome contrast indeed to the desolation and siience which we had so long endured. It was not long, of course, before our boats were safely moored, and we standing on shore surrounded by crowds of natives, who scanned us and our belongings with won- dering eyes. Beaming smiles and kindliness met us on a I sides. A smiling face is the Eskimo's greeting to a stranger, as his langu.age has no fomiula of welcome 1 hen «e look around us for a bit. Here amid the ice and snow these people seemed to be comfortable enou-h and we felt indeed that we would willingly prolong o°u; stay among them. As we stopped in front of the largest ent, at the sight of the comfortable glow that shone out through Its outer opening, we were at once invited in by s.gns. W e accepted the invitation, and as .soon as we had passed the outer doorway a curtain of thin membra- neons skin was pushed aside for us, and, bending our heads as we entered, we found ourselves in a cosey mom The sight and sn,ell which now met us were, to put it n-ljlly. at east unusual. I had certainly been given to >"U lerstand that the Eskimos of the east coast of Green- and were m the habit of reducing their indoor dre.ss to the smallest po.ssible dimensions, and that the atmosphere of their dwellings was the reverse of pleasant. But a sight so extraordinary, and a smell so remarkable, had yiJV ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT o 09 never co„,e within the grasp of my imnsiaation. The men, whzch was a pecuhar blending of several charac e„st,c n,gredients, was quite enough .0 occupy o el attenfon at first entrance. The most prominent of the components was dt.e to the numerou train-oil lamos «-h.ch were burning, and this powerful odor was "e, KuKh as veil as the pungent effluvia of a certain fetid qu,d winch was stored in vessels here and there a2 he room, and which, as I subsequently learned, s from the vanous uses to which it is applied one of 1 mo" economy Into further details I think it is scarcely ad v-ble to go, and I nn,st ask the reader to acce I mt asst,rance t at the general effect was an,..™;^ at^ t.act,ve to the unaccustomed nose of the new-come- However, fam.harity soon has its wonted effect, and o^C; first abhorrence may even before long give wa^ to a cer am degree of pleasure. But it is not the same Jfth sTaLT:;? • °'" " "™ °^ °"^ P^^^>' -- -- n' stiained to retire incontinently. ease°to?' °n" T' ' '°°" '"""^ ™>'^^'f sufficiently at a rested 1 T T ™^ '^"^ ^^ ■•'«'^"''°" «- «-' ar e ted by the number of naked forms which thronged he .cnt m standu,g, s.tting, and reclining positions. AH the oca,p,„, i„ j^^^^ ^^^.^^^ .^ ^^^. ^_^^^^^^ nat.t or mdoor dress, the dimensions of which are so extremely small as to make it practically invisible to the strangers me.xperienced eye. The dress consists of a narrow band about the loins, which in the case of the «omen ,s reduced to the smallest possible dimensions. Of false modesty, of course, there was no sign, but it is 90 NAA^SEN jy THE FROZEN WOULD • I not to be wondered at that the unaffected ingenuousness with which all intercourse was carried on made a very strange impression upon us conventional Europeans in the first instance. Nor will the blushes which rose to the cheeks of some among us when we saw a party of young men and women who followed us into the tent at once proceed to attire themselves in their indoor dress, or, in other words, divest themselves of every particle of cloth- ing which they wore, be laid to our discredit, when it is remembered that we had been accustomed to male society exclusively during our voyage and adventures among the ice. The Lapps especially were much embarrassed at the unwonted sight. The natives now thronged in in numbers, and the tent was soon closely packed. We had been at once invited to sit down upon some chests whi u stood by the thin skin-curtain at the entrance. These are the seats which are always put at the disposal of visitors, while the occu- pants have their places upon the long bench or couch which fills the back part of the tent. This couch is made of planks, is deep enough to give room for a body re- clining at full length, and is as broad as the whole width of the tent. It is covered with several layers of seal-skin, and upon it the occupants spend their whole indoor life, men and women nlike, sitting often cross-legged as they \vork, and taking their meals and rest and sleep. The tent itself is of a very peculiar construction. The framework consists of a sort of high trestle, upon which a number of poles are laid, forming a semicircle below, and converging more or less to a point at the top. Over these poles a double layer of skin is stretched, the inner coat with the hair turned inward, and the outer generally AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 91 1 1 consisting of the old coverings of boats and " kaiaks." The entrance is under the above-mentioned trestle, which is covered by the thin curtain of which I have already spoken. This particular tent housed four or five different fami- lies. Each of them had its own partition marked of¥ upon the common couch, and in each of the stalls so formed man, wife, and children would be closely packed, a four-foot space thus having sometimes to accommodate husband, two wives, and six or more children. Before every family stall a train-oil lamp was burning with a broad flame. These lamps are flat, semicircular vessels of pot-stone, about a foot in length. The wick is made of dried moss, which is placed against one side of the lamp and continually fed with pieces of fresh blubber, which soon melts into oil. The lamps are in charge of the women, who have special sticks to manipulate the wicks with, to keep them both from smoking and from burning too low. Great pots of the same stone hang above, and in them the Eskimos cook all their food which they do not eat raw. Strange to say, they use neither peat nor wood for cooking purposes, though such fuel is not difficult to procure. The lamps are kept burning night and day ; they serve for both heating and lighting purposes, for the Eskimo docs not sleep in the dark, like other people; and they also serve to niaintain a perma- nent odor of train-oil, which, as I have said, our Euro- pean senses at first found not altogether attractive, but which they soon learned not only to tolerate, but to take pleasure in. As we sat in a row on the chests, taking stock of our strange surroundings, our hosts began to try to enter- 92 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD If I \ %■ I tain us. The use of every object we looked at was kindly explained to us, partly by means of words, of which we understood nothing, and partly by actions, which were somewhat more within reach of our comprehension. In this way we learned that certain wooden racks which hung from the roof were for drying clothes on, that the substance cooking in the pots was seal's-flesh, and so on. Then they showed us various things which they were evidently very proud of. Some old women opened a bag, for instance, and brought out a little bit of Dutch screw- tobacco, while a man displayed a knife with a long bone- handle. These two things were, no doubt, the most notable possessions in the tent, for they were regarded by all the company with especial veneration. Then they began to explain to us the mutual relations of the various occupants of the tent. A man embraced a fat woman, and thereupon the pair with extreme complacency pointed to some younger individuals, the whole pantomime givmg us to understand that the party together formed a family of husband, wife, and children. The man then proceeded to stroke his wife down the back and pinch her here and there to show us how charming and delightful she was, and how fond he was of her, the process giving her, at the same time, evident satisfaction. Curiously enough, none of the men in this particular tent seemed to have more than one wife, thouirh it is a common thing among the east coast Eskimos for a man to keep two if he can afford them, though never more than two. As a rule the men are good to their wives, and a couple may even be seen to kiss each other at times, though the process is not carried out on European lines, but by a mutual rubbing of noses. Domestic strife is, AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 93 however, not unknown, and it sometimes leads to violent scenes, the end of which generally is that the woman receives either a vigorous castigation or the blade of a knife in her arm or leg, after which the relation between the two becomes as cordial as ever, especially if the woman has children. In our tent the best of understandings seem to prevail among the many occupants. Toward us they were especially friendly, and talked incessantly, though it had long been quite clear to them that all their efforts in this direction were absolutely thrown away. One of the elders of the party, who was evidently a prominent per- sonage among them, and probably an " angekok " or magician, an old fellow with a wily, cunning expression, and a more dignified air than the rest, managed to explain to us with a great deal of trouble that some of them had come from the north and were going south, while others had come from the south and were bound north ; that the two parties had met here by accident, that we had joined them, and that altogether they did not know when they had had such a good time before. Then he wanted to know where we had come from, but this was not so easily managed. We jwinted out to sea, and as well as we could tried to make them understand that we had forced our way through the ice, had reached land farther south, and then worked up northward. This information made our audience look very doubtful indeed, and another chorus of lowing followed, the conclusion evidently bei 'g that there was something supernatural about us. In this way the conversation went on, and, all things considered, we were thoroughly well entertained, though to an out- side observer our pantomimic efforts would, of course, have seemed extremely comical. il 94 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD (. ■ i ;■'■ \ : \ ] ! \ i; i: .«i ^3 i ! i l! Iff I will not be rash enough to assert that all the faces that surrounded us were indisputably clean. Most of them were, no doubt, naturally of a yellowish or brownish hue, but how much of the color that we saw in these very swarthy countenances was really genuine we had no means of deciding. In some cases, and especially among the chil- dren, the dirt had accumulated to such an extent that it was already passing into the stage of a hard black crust, which here and there had begun to break away and to show the true skin beneath. Every face, too, with few exceptions, simply glistened with blubber. Among the women, especially the younger section, who here as in some other parts of the world are incontinently vain, wash- ing is said to be not uncommon, and Holm even accuses them of being very clean. But as to the exact nature of the process which leads to this result it will perhaps be better for me to say no more. It might be supposed that the surroundings and habits of these people, to which I have already referred, together with many other practices, which I have thought it better not to specify, would have an extremely repellent effect upon the stranger. But this is by no means the case when one has once overcome the first shock which the eccentricity of their ways is sure to cause, when one has ceased to notice such things as the irrepressible tendency of their hands to plunge into the jungle of their hair in hot pursuit, as their dirt-encrusted faces — a point on which, I may remark, we ourselves in our then condition had little right to speak — and as the strange atmosphere in which they live ; and if one is careful at first not to look too closely into their methods of preparing food, the gen- eral impression received is absolutely attractive. There AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 95 is a frank and homely geniality in all their actions which is very winning, and can only make the stranger feel thor- oughly comfortable in their society. People's notions on the subject of good looks vary so much that it is difficult cO come to a satisfactory determi- nation with regard to these Eskimos. If we bind ourselves down to any established ideal of beauty, such as, for in- stance, the Venus of Milo, the question is soon settled. The east coast of Greenland, it must be confessed, is not rich in types of this kind. But if we can only make an effort and free our critical faculty from a standard which has been forced upon it by the influences of superstition and heredity, and can only agree to allow that the thing which attracts us, and on which we look with delight, for these very reasons possesses the quality of beauty, then the problem becomes very much more difficult of solution. I have no doubt that, were one to live with these people for a while and grow accustomed to them, one would soon find many a pretty face and many an attractive feature among them. As it was, indeed, we saw more than one face which a European taste would allow to be pretty. There was one woman especially who reminded me vividly of an acknow- ledged beauty at home in Norway; and not only I, but one of my companions who happened to know the proto- type, was greatly struck by the likeness. The faces of these Eskimos are as a rule round, with broad, outstanding jaws, and are, in the case of the women especially, very fat, the cheeks being particularly exuberant. The eyes are dark and often set a little obliquely, while the nose is flat, narrow above, and broad below. The whole face often looks as if it had been compressed from the front and 96 NANSEN IN THE FROZEIST WORLD ■ I ; in forced to make its growth from the sides. Among the women, and more especially the children, the face is so flat that one could almost lay a ruler across from cheek to cheek without touching the nose ; indeed, now and atrain one will see a child whose nose really forms a depression in the face rather than the reverse. It will be understood from this that many of these people show no si,;ns of ap- proaching the luu'opean standard of good looks, but it is not exactly in this direction that the Eskimo's attractions, generally speaking, really lie. At the same time there is something kindly, genial, and complacent in his stubby, dumpy, oily features which is quite irresistible. Their hands and feet alike are unusually small and well- shaped. Their hair is absolutely black, and quite straight, resembling horse-hair. The men often tie it back from the forehead with a string of beads and leave it to fall do'vn over the s1',oulders. Some who have no such band have it cut above the forehead or round the whole head with the jawbone of a shark, as their superstitions will not allow them on any account to let iron come into contact with it, even when the doubtful course of having it cut at all has been resolved upon. But, curiously enough, a man who has begun to cut his hair in his youth must necessa- rily continue the practice all his life. The women tiather their hair up from behind and tie it with a strijj of seal- skin into a cone, which must stand as perpendicularly as possible. This convention is, of course, especially strin- gent in the case of the young unmarried women, who, to obtain the desired result, tie their hair back from the fore- head and temples so tigh,tly that by degrees it gradually gives way, and they become bald at a very early age. A head which has felt the effects of this treatment is no AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 97 attractive sight, but the victim in such cases has generally been a long time married and settled in life, and the dis- advantage is therefore not so keenly felt. After we had been sitting in the tent for a while, one of CIMO HEAUTY, FROM THK KAST COAsT, IN HKR OI.H AGE Nielsen, from a photograph taken by the Danish " Konebaad" expedition) the elders of the company, the old man with the unat- tractive expression, of whom I have already spoken, rose and went out. Presently he came in again with a long line of seal-skin, which, as he sat on the bench, he began to un- roll. I regarded this performance with some wonder, as I could not imagine what was going to happen. Then he brought out a knife, cut off a long piece, and, rising, gave it to one of us. Then he cut off another piece of equal 98 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD vi I* .^ length and gave it to another, and the process v^as re- peated till we all six were alike provided. When he had finished his distribution he smiled and beamed at us, in his abundant satisfaction with himself and the world at large. Then another of them went out, came back with a similar line, and dis- tributed it in like manner ; whereupon a third followed his example, and so the game was kept going till w^ were each of us provided with four or five pieces of seal-skin line. Poor things ! they gave us ''hat they could, and what they thought would be useful to u.. It was the kind of line they use, when seal-catching, to connect the point of the harpoon to the bladder which pre- vents the secJ from escaping, and it is astonishingly strong. After this exhibition of liberality we sat for a time looking at one another, and I expected that our hosts would show by signs their desire for something in return. After a while, too, the old man did get up and produce something which he evidently kept as a possession of great price and rarity. It was nothing else than a clumsy, rusty old rifle, wath the strangest contrivance in the way of a hammer that it has ever been my good luck to see. It consisted of a huge, unwieldy piece of iron, in which there was a finger-hole to enable the user to cock it. As I afterwards found, this is the ordinary form of rifle on the west coast of Greenland, and it is specially constructed for use in the " kaiak." After the old man had shown us this curiosity, and we had duly displayed our admiration, KSKIMO l;oV, Fli iM I'llK CAMP AT I'UKl' lillJ.E AN ''SKIMO ENCAMPMENT 99 ^4 he made us understand by some very unmistakable ges- tures that hp had nothing to put in it. At first I pre- tended not to grasp his meaning, but, this insincerity being oi no avail, I v;as obliged to make it plain to him that we had nothing to give him i the way of ammuni- tion. This intimation he received with a very disappointed and dejected air, and he went at once and put his rifle away. None of the others showed by the slightest token that they expected anything in return for their presents. They were all friendliness and hospitality, though no doubt there was a notion lurking somewhere in the background that their liberality would not prove unproductive, and, of course, we lid not fail to fulfil our share of the transac- tion nex uay. The hospitality, indeed, of this desolate coast is quite unbounded. A man will receive his worst enemy, treat him well, and entertain him for months, if circumstances throw him in his way. The nature of their surroundings and the wandering life which they lead have forced them to offer and accept universal hospitality, and the habit has gradually become a law among them. After we considered we had been long enough in the tent we went out- into the fresh air again, and chose as our camping-ground for the night a flat ledge of rock close to the landing-place. We then began to bring our things ashore, but at once a crowd of natives rushed for our boats, and were soon busy moving our boxes and bags up on to the rocks. Every object caused an admiring outburst, and our willing helpers laughed and shouted in their glee, and altogether enjoyed themselves amazingly. The delight and admiration thpt greeted the big tin boxes in which much of our provender was packed were espe- lOO NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD • ii Hi cially unmanageable, and the tins were each passed round from hand to hand, and every edge and corner carefully and minutely examined. As soon as the boats were empty we proposed to drag them up, but here again all insisted on giving their help. The painter was brought ashore, manned by a long line stretching far up the rocks, and the boats hauled up each by the united efforts of twenty or thirty men. This was splendid sport, and when one of us started the usual sailor's chorus to get them to work together, the enthusi- asm reached its height. They joined in, grown folk and children alike, and laughed till they could scarcely pull. They plainly thought us the most amusing lot of people they had ever seen. When the boats were safe ashore we proceeded to pitch our tent, an operation which engaged all their atten- tion, for nothing can interest an Eskimo so much as any performance which belongs to his own mode of life, such as tlie management of tents and boats and such things. Here their astonishment does not overcome them, for they can fully understand what is going on. In this case they could thus admire to the full the speedy way in which we managed to pitch our little tent, which was so much simpler a contrivance than their great compli- cated wigwams, though at the same time it was not so warm. Our clothes, too, and, above all, the Lapps' dress, came in for their share of admiration. The tall, square ca|)s, with their four horns, and the tunics with their long, wide skirts and edging of red and yellow, struck them as most remarkable, but still more astonished were they, of course, in the evening, when the two Lapps made their appear- AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT lOI ance in their reindeer-skin pelisses. All must needs go and feel them and examine them, and stroke the hair of this wonderful skin, nothing like which they had ever seen before. It was not seal-skin, it was noi. bear-skin, nor was it fox-skin. " Could it be dog-skin .? " they asked, pointing to their canine companions. When we explained that it was nothing of that kind they could get no further, for their powers of imagination had reached \ ■• ^ \ KHKIMOS, 1 ROM TMK (AMP AT CAI'r. IlIl.LE (Fraiii It fhotografh) their limit. Balto now began to gibber and make some very significant movements with his hands about his head, with the idea of representing reindeer horns, but this awoke no response. Evidently they had never seen reindeer, which do not occur on that part of the east coast which thev frequent. I02 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD I J I Then we distributed the evening rations, and ate our supper sitting at the tent-door, and surrounded by specta- tors. Men, women, and children stood there in a rine many ranks deep, closely watching the passage of every morsel of biscuit to our lips and its subsequent consump- tion. Though their mouths watered to overflowing at the sight of these luxuries, we were constrained to take no notice. We had no more in the way of bread than we actually needed, and, had we made a distribution through- out all this hungry crowd, our store would have been much reduced. But to sit there and devour one's biscuits under the fire of all their eyes was not pleasant. Our meal over, we went and had a look round the encampment. Down by the water were a number of " kaiaks " and a few specimens of tiie " umiak " or large skin-boat, which (\specially interested me. On^^ of the men was particularly anxious to show me everything. Whatever caught my eye, he at once proceeded to ex- plain the use of by signs and gestures. Above all, he insisted ow my examining his own " kaiak," which was handsomely ornamented with bone, and all his weapons, which were in excellent condition and profusely deco- rated. His great pride was his harpoon, which, as he showed me triumj)hantly. had a long i)oint of narwhal tusk. He exj^lained to me, too, very clearly the use of the th rowing-stick, and how much additional force could be given to the harpoon by its heljx Every Eskimo is especially proud of his weapons and "kaiak," and expends a large amount of work on their adornment. By this time the sun had set and the night fallen, and consequently the elements of weirdness and unreality which had all the time pervaded this scene, with its sur- 1 AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 103 \ roundings of snow and ice and curious human adjuncts, were now still more predominant and striking. Dark forms flitted backward and forward among the rocks, and the outlines of the women with their babies on their backs were especially picturesque. From every tenL-door through the transparent curtain shone a red glow of light, which with ! . suggestions of warmth and comfort led the fancy to very different scenes. The resemblance to colored lamps and Chinese lanterns brought to one's mind the illuminated gardens and summer festivities away at home, but behind these curtains there lived a happy and contented race, quite as happy, perhaps, as any to which our thoughts turned across the sea. Then bed-time drew near, and the rest we sorely needed after the scanty sleep of the last few days. So we spread our sleeping-bags upon the tent-floor and be- gan the usual preparations. But here again our move- ments aroused the keenest interest, and a deep ring of onlookers soon gathered round the door. The removal of our garments was watched with attention by men and women alike, and with no sign of embarrassment, except on our ])art. Our disappearance one by one into the bags caused the most amusement, and when at last the expedition had no more to show than six heads, the door of the tent was drawn to and the final "Good-night" said. That night we could sleep free from care and without keeping watch, and it was a good night's rest we had, in si)ite of l)arking dogs and other disturbances. It was late when we woke and heard the b'skimos moving busily about outside. Peeping through the chinks of the door, we could sec them impatiently pacing up and down, and I 104 NANSEN m THE FROZEN WORLD \\ \ ■■ '8 ■: t Ilfi waiting for the tent to be thrown open again that they might once more feast their eyes on all the marvels hid- den inside. We noticed to-day, and we supposed it was m our honor, that they were all arrayed in their best clothes. Their clean white frocks, made of the same thin membraneous skin as the tent curtains, shone as brilliantly as clean linen in the distance, as their wearers walked up and down and admired their own magnificence. Down by our boats, too, we saw a whole congregation, some sitting inside and others standing around. Every imple- ment and every fitting was handled and carefully scru- tinized, but nothing disturbed or injured. Then came the opening of the door, and forthwith a closely packed ring of ^ spectators gathered around, head appearing above head, and row behind row, to see us lying in our bags, our exit thence, and gradual reinstate- ment in our clothes. Of all our apparel, that which excited most wonder and astonishment was a colored belt of Christiansen's, a belt resplendent with beads and huo-e brass buckle. This must needs be handled and examined by each and all in turn, and of course produced the usual concerted bellow. Then our breakfast of biscuits and water was consumed in the same silence and amid the same breathless interest as our supper of the night before. After breakfast we walked about the place, for we had determined to enjoy life for this one morning and see what we could of these people before we left them. I had tried, unnoticed, to take a photograj^h of the ring which thronged our tent-door, but as I brought the camera to bear u|)on the crowd some of them saw my manceuvre, and a stampede began, as if they feared a AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 105 discharge of missiles or other sorcery from the apparatus. I now tried to catch a group who were sitting on the rocks, but again with the same result. So the only expe- dient was to turn my face away, and by pretending to be XMI' !''i'i'|VV '':tiii*v-~. \ 'I'll "^- ' 4^^'^' ? ' N^ "OUTSIDE ONE LlTl I,E TENT I FOUND AN UNUSUALLY SOCIABLE WOMAN" (By E. Nielsen, from a photograph) otherwise engaged to distract the attention of my victims and meanwhile secure some pictures. Then I took a tour round the camping-ground with my camera. Outside one little tent, which stood somewhat isolated, I found an unusually sociable woman, ap])arently the m.istress of the establishment. She was relatively young, of an attractive apj^earance altogether, with a smil- ing face and a pair of soft, obliquely set eyes, which she made use of in a jiarticularly arch and engaging way. Her dress was certainly not elegant, but this defect was, no doubt, due to her established position as a married I io6 ^rANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD I. i ;f' l< 2 Li' i Ull il I woman, and must not be judged too harshly. In her " amaut," a garment which forms a kind of hood or bacr behmd, she had a swarthy baby, which she seemed very fond of, and which, hke many of the mothers, she did her best to mduce to open its black eyes and contemplate my insignificance. This was partly, no doubt, the flattery of the coquette ; on the whole we got on very well together and unperceived I secured several photographs, "xhen the master came out of the tent, and showed no sign of surprise at finding his wife in so close converse w'ith a stranger. He had evidently been asleep, for he could hardly keep his eyes open in the light, and had to resort to a shade, or rather some big snow-spectacles of wood He was a strongly-built man, with an honest, straio-htfor- ward look, was very friendly, and showed me a number of his things. He was especially proud of his " kaiak " hat which he insisted on my putting on my head, while he meantime unceremoniousV arrayed himself in my cap rhis performance was little to my taste, as it was quite uncertain what would be the result of the exchange to me I hen he took me to see his big boat or " umiak," as well as other of his possessions, and we parted. I went on, and looked into some other tents. In one of them I found two girls who had just taken a big gull out of a cooking-pot, and were beginning to devout it each at work with her teeth on one end of the body, and both beaming with delight and self-satisfaction. The bird still had most of its feathers on, but that did not seem to trouDle them much. Perhaps, after the manner of the owl, they subsequently ejected them. Some of the women had noticed that the Lapps used the peculiar grass known as " sennegra^s," which the Eski- \« lifi AA^ ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 107 ler gull mos also use, in their boots, and they now brought each of us a huge supply of the commodity, smiling most co- quettishly as they made their offering. We expressed our thanks, of course, by an equally lavish display of smiles. Then they began to inquire, by means of signs, whether we had no needles to give them in return. I could have gratified them, certainly, since I had brought a number of these articles of barter, which are much prized on the east coast. But my real object was to keep them in case we had to spend the winter in these parrs, in which case they would have proved invaluable. So I told them that we could not let them have any needles in exchange for their grass, and gave them instead a tin which had had preserved meat in. This made them simply wild with delight, and with sparkling eyes they went off to show the others their new acquisition. The grass came in very handy for the two Lapps, whose store was run- ning short, and without this grass in his shoes a Lapp is never thor- oughly comfortable. They had a deal to say, too, about this Eskimo " sennegrcTs." The fact that these people had sense enough to use the grass impressed Ravna and Balto to a certain extent, but they declared it had been gathered at the wrong time of year, being winter grass taken with the frost on it, instead of being cut fresh and then dried, THEN THE MASTER CAME OUT (JK THE TENT " (From a photograph) I l< 'I-', 1 m In ■ n ■ III 1 08 ArA.VS£J\r m THE FROZEN WORLD m accordance with the practice of rational beings It was of httle use to point out to them that it was not the h.v.,t o the Eskimo to lay up greater stores of such thmgs than he actually needed to keep him goin P-^ck«l away >» "'e boats. It was mdeed qiu'te astonishing to see the SI ed w„ which these Eskimos made ready f;r a join y though, of course, there were a great number of helping AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT 109 hands. We had almost finished our preparations too, when a salt-box was pleased to discharge its contents in the middle of one of the provision-bags. This had to be seen to at once, and the Eskimos consequently started before us. Two of the boats set oi¥ on their southward journey, and two more presently disappeared behind the first point of rock to the north. The company of " kai- akers," however, were still left, as they stayed behind to bid each other a more tender farewell, before they parted, perhaps, for a separation of some years. This leave-tak- ing gave rise to one of the most comical scenes I have ever witnessed. There were altogether a dozen or more of their little canoes, and they all now ranged up side by side, dressed as evenly as a squad of soldiers. This ex- traordinary manoeuvre roused my attention, of course, and I could not imagine what it purported. I was not left long in ignorance, however, for the snuff-horns were pres- ently produced, and the most extravagant excesses fol- lowed. Their horns were opened and thrust up their noses again and again, till every nostril must have been absolutely filled with snuff. Several horns were in circu- lation, and each came at least twice I.0 every man, so that the quantity consumed may well be imagined. I wanted to photograph them, but lost time and could not bring my camera to bear upon them before the line was broken, and some of the canoes already speeding away southward among the floes. This general treating with snuff ij; the mode in which the Eskimos take leave of one another, and is a very similar performance to the ceremonious dram-drinking among our peasants at home. In this particular case only those who had come from the south had anything to I lit ^'! no li i ■ III i m .VANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Stand treat with. They were evidently fresh from the Danish colonies beyond Cape Farewell, as their abundant supply of snuff proved, while the others were probably bound south on a similar errand. These pilgrimages occur unfortunately too often, though their emporiiun lies at no trifling distance — a „ouple of years' journey, in fact, for those who live farthest up the coast. One would almost expect that so long a journey would til i 1 -^ f \ ■ "THE Ll.NE WAS IIKOKEN, AND SOMK OK THK CAXOES ALREADY SPEEDING AWAY SOUTHWARD AMONr. THE FI.OES " (From a photograph) be followed by a long stay at the place of business. But this is not the case, and the Eskimo, in fact, spends little more time over his periodical shopping than a lady of the world over a similar, but daily, visit. In half an hour, or an hour perhaps, he has often finished, and then disap- pears again on his long journey home. A shopping expedition of this kind will therefore often take four years AN ESKIMO ENCAMPMENT III at least, and consequently a man's opportunities in this way in the course of a lifetime are very limited. These are quite enough, however, to produce a mischievous effect. One is apt to suppose that it is the want of cer- tam useful things, otherwise unattainable, that urges them to these long journeys ; but this is scarcely so, for the real incentive is without doubt a craving for tobacco. As a matter of fact they do buy some useful things, like iron, which they get chiefly in the form of old hoops, but they really have a good supply of such things already, they do not use them much, and they are not absolutely necessary. Most of their purchases are things which are either alto- gether valueless or else actually injurious, Among the latter must especially be reckoned tobacco, which is the commodity of all others most desired, and which they take in the form of snuff. Smoking and chewing are unknown on this coast, but their absence is made up for by all the greater excess in snuff-taking, the indulgence in which is quite phenomenal. They buy their tobacco in the form of twist, and prepare it them- selves, by drying it well, breaking it up, and grinding it fine on stone. Powdered calcspar or quartz or other rock is often added to the snuff to make it go further, and to increase, it is said, the irritating effect upon the mucous membrane. In addition to tobacco they buy other things which certainly have an injurious effect upon them, such as, for instance, tea. Coffee, curiously enough, these people have not learned to like, though this drink is bliss jeles- tial to the west-coast Eskimos. It is truly fortunate that they have no opportunity of getting spirits, as the sale is abso.c.cely prohibited by the ri2 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Danish Government. Of other European products, they buy biscuits, flour, peas, which they are particularly fond of, and similar things. Articles of clothing, too, are in great demand, such as thick jerseys from the Faroe Islands, cotton stuffs for outer tunics, and material out of which they can make hats ; old European clothes are highly valued, and they have an idea that when they can dress themselves out in these worn-out rubbishy garments they cut a far finer figure than when they content them- selves with their own warm and becoming dress of seal- skin. In exchange for such things, which are of little value to us and of still less real worth to them, they give fine large bear-skins, fox-skins, and seal-skins, which they ought to keep for their own clothes and the other nu- merous purposes for which they can be used. It is, of course, unnecessary to remark how much better it would be if these poor Eskimos, instead of decking themselves out in European rags, would keep their skins for them- selves, and confine themselves to those regions where they have their homes, instead of straying to the outskirts of European luxury and civilization. When the Eskimos have at length consumed their pur- chases and must needs return to the old manner of life, the net result is that they have lost a number of useful possessions and have acquired a feeling of want and long- ing for a number of unnecessary things. This is, in fact, the usual way that the blessings of civilization first make them Ives felt upon the uncivilized. \ ducts, they ilarly fond too, are in the Faroe :rial out of :lothes are 1 they can J garments tent them- ss of seal- little value ^ give fine hich they other nu- It is, of r it would :hemselves for them- )ns where e outskirts their pur- ler of life, r of useful and long- is, in fact, first make I CHAPTER VII » THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE THE FIRST SIGHT OF LAND AND FIRSr DRINK OF WATER As the middle of September approached, we hoped every day to arrive at the beginning of the western slope. To judge from our reckoning it could not be far off, though I had a suspicion that this reckoning was some way ahead of our observations. These, however, I pur- posely omitted to work out, as the announcement that we had not advanced as far as we supposed would have been a bitter disappointment to most -' the party. Their ex- pectations of soon getting the .rst sight of land on the western side were at their height, and they pushed on confidently, while I kept my doubts to myself and left the reckoning as it was. On September 1 1 the fall of the ground Has just appre- ciable, the theodolite showing it to be about a third of a degree. On September 12 I entered in my diary that "we are all in capital spirits, and hope for a speedy change for the better, Bujto and Dietrichson being even confident that we shall see land to-day. They will need some patience, however, as we are still 9,000 feet above the sea " (we were really about 8,250 feet that day), " but they will not have to wait very long. This morning our reckoning made us out to be about seventy-five miles from bare land, i...d the groun ! is falling well and con- ^ From Nansen's Across Greenland. 8 114 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD tinuously." The next day or two the slope grew more and more distinct, but the incHne was not regular, as the ground fell in great undulations, like those we had had to climb in the course of our ascent. On September 14 the reckoning showed that it was only about thirty-five miles to land. But even now we could see nothing, which the Lapps thought was very suspicious. Ravna's face began to get longer and longer, and one evening about this time he said, " I am an old Lapp, and a silly old fool, too ; I don't believe we shall ever get to the coast." I only answered, " That *s quite true, Ravna; you are a silly old fool." Whereupon he burst out laughing : " So it 's quite true, is it — Ravna is a silly old fool ? " and he evidently felt quite consoled by this doubtful compliment. These expressions of anxiety on Ravna's part were very common. Another day Balto suddenly broke out: " But how on earth can any one tell how far it is from one side to the other, when no one has been across ? " It was, of cou'-se, difficult to make him understand the mode of calculation ; but, with his usual intelligence, he seemed to form some idea of the truth one day when I showed him the process on the map. The best consolation we could gi\e Balto and Ravna was to laugh at them well for their cowardice. The very pronounced fall of the ground on September 17 certainly was a comfort to us all, and when the ther- mometer that evening just failed to reach zero we found the temperature quite mild, and felt that we had entered the abodes of summer again. It was now only nine miles or so to land by our reckoning. It was this very day two months that we had left the Jason. This happened to be one of our butter-mornings. III THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE u^ o the very gladdest mornings of our existence at the time, and breakfast in bed with a good cup of tea brought the whole party into an excellent humor. It was the first time, too, for a long while that the walls of our tent had not been decorated with fringes of hoar-frost. As we were at breakfast we were no little astonished to hear, as we thought, the twittering of a bird outside ; but the sound soon stopped, and we were not at all certain of its reality. But as we were starting again after our one o'clock dinner that day we suddenly became aware of twitterings in the air, and, as we stopped, sure enough we saw a snow-bunting come flying after us. It w^an- dered round us two or three times, and plainly showed signs of a wish to sit ujjon one of our sledges. But the necessary audacity was not forthcoming, and it finally settled on the snow in front for a few \noments, before it flew away for good with another encouraging little twitter. Welcome, indeed, this little bird was. It gave us a friendly greeting from the land we were sure 'must now be near. The believers in good angels and their doings must inevitably have seen such in the forms of these two snow-buntings, the one which bade us farewell on the eastern side, and that which offered us a welcome to the western coast. We blessed it for its cheering song, and with warmer hearts and renewed strength we ^confidently went on our way, in spite of the uncomfortable knowledge that the ground was not falling by any means so rapidly as It should have done. I, this way, however, things were much better next day, September 18; the cold ron- sislcntly decreased, and life grew brighter and brighter. I>i the evenmg, too. fh. wind sprang up from the south- ii6 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD '^¥. J • \ i east, and I hoped we should really get a fair sailing breeze at last. We had waited for it long enough, and sighed for it, too, in spite of Balto's assurances that this sailing on the snow would never come to anything. In the course of the night the wind freshened, and in the morning there was a full breeze blowing. Though, as usual, there was no r-reat keenness to undertake the rigging and lashing together of the sledges in the cold wind, we determined, of course, to set about the business at once. Christiansen joined Sverdrup and mc with his sledge, and we rigged the two with the tent-floor, while the other three put their two sledges together. All this work, especially the lashing, was anything but delightful, but the cruellest part of it all was that while we were in the middle of it the wind showed signs of dropping. It did not carry out its threat, however, and at last both vessels were ready to start. I was immensely excited to see how our boat would turn out, and whether the one sail was enough to move both the sledges. It was duly hoisted and made fast, and there followed a violent wrenching of the whole machine, Inii during the ooerations it had not somewhat buried in the snow and proved immovable. There was enough wrenching and straining of the mast and tackle to pull the whole to pieces, so we harnes. jd ourselves in front with all speed. We tugged with a will and got our boat off, but no sooner had she begun to move than the wind brought her right on to us, and over we all went into the snow. We were soon up again for another trial, but with tlie same p'sult ; no sooner were we on our legs than we were carried olf them again by the shock from behind. Tliis process having been gone through a certain num- I THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE 117 ber of times, we saw plainly that all was not right. So we arranged that one of us should stand in front on his ski and steer by means of a staff fixed between the two sledges, like the pole of a carriage, leaving himself to be pushed along by his vessel, and only keeping it at a KIRsr ATTEMPTS AT SAIMNG respectful distance from his heels. The other two mem- bers of the crew were to come behind on their ski, either holding on to the sledges or following as best they could. We now finally got under way, and Sverdrup, who was to take the first turn at steering, had no sooner goi the pole under his arm than our vessel rushed furiously off before the wind. I attaclied myself behind at the side, riding on my ski and holding on by the back of one of the sledges as well as I could. Christiansen thought this looked like too risky work, and came dragging along behind on his ski aloiiC. Our ship flew over the waves and drifts of snow with a speed that almost took L- r^nf> c l\r<^qfK I ii8 NAASEiV IN THE FROZEN WORLD \\\ ( Struggled and groaned, and were strained in every joint as tliey were whirled over the rough surface, and often indeed they simply jumped from the crest of one wave on to another. I had quite enough to do to hang on behind and keep myself upright on the ski. Then \he ground began to fall at a sliarper angle than any we had had yet. The pace grew liotter and hotter, and the sledges scarcely seemed to touch the snow. Right in front^of me was sticking out the end of a ski, which was lashed fast across the two sledges for the purpose of keeping them together. I could not do anything to get this ski end out of the way, and it caused me a great deal of trouble, as it stuck out across the points of my own ski, and was always coming into collision with them. It was worst of all when we ran along the edge of a drift, for my ski would then get completely jammed, and I lost all control over them. For a long time I went on thus in a continual struggle with this hopeless ski end. while Svcrdrup stood in front gayly steering and thinking we were both sitting comfort- ably on behind. Our shij) rushed on faster and faster; the snow Hew around us and behind us in a cloud, whic h gradually hid the others from our view. Then an ice-axe which lay ow the top of our cargo began to get loose and promised to fall oil. So I worked myself carefully forward, and was just engaged in making the axe fast when we rode on to a nastv drift. Thi"^ brought the |)rojecting ski end just across" my legs, and there I lay at once gazing after the ship and its sail, which were flying on down the slope, and already show- ing dimly through the drifting snow. It made one quite uncomfortr.ble to see how quickly they diminished in size. I felt very foolish to be left lying there, but at last I recov- I THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE ,,9 ered myself ?nd set off bravely in the wake of the vessel, which was by this time all but out of sight. To my great delight I found that, thanks to the wind, I could get on at a very decent pace alone. I had not gone far before I found the ice-axe, in trying to secure which I had come to grief. A little way farther on I caught sight of another dark ob, t. this time some- thing square, lying in the snow. This was a box which contained some of our precious meat-chocolate, and which of course was not to be abandoned in this way. After this I strode gayly on for a long time in the sledge-track, with the chocolate-box under one arm and the ice-axe and my "AMI TIIKRK t I.AV (JAZINC. AITI-K IllIO SHIP AM) IIS SAII." Staff under the other. Then I came upon several more dark objects lying straight in my path. These proved to be a fur jacket belonging to me, and no less than three pemmican boxes. I had now much inore than I could carry, so the only thing to be diuie was to sit down and wait for succor from the others who were following be- Hind. All that could now be seen of our proud ship and Its sail was a little square patch far away across the snow- field. She was going ahead in the same direction as I I20 NAA'SEN- IN THE FROZEN WORLD m I: ! I before, but as I watched I suddenly saw her brought up to the wind, the tin boxes of her cargo glitter in the sun, and her sail fall. Just then Christiansen came up with me, followed not long after by the other vessel. To them we handed over some of our loose boxes, but just as we were stowing them away i3alto discovered that they had lost no less than three pemmican tins. These were much too val- uable to be left behind, so the crew had to go back and look for them. Meanwhile Christiansen and I started off arain, each with a tin box under his arm, and soon overtook Sverdrup. We now sat down to wait for the others, which was not an agreeable job in this bitter wind. Sverdrup told us that he had sailed merrily off from the very start, had found the whole thing go admirably, and thought all the time that we two were sitting comfortably on behind. He could not see behind him for the sail, but after a long while he began to wonder why there was not more noise among the passengers in the stern. So he made an approach to a conversation, but got no answer. A little farther on he tried again and louder, but with the same result. Then he called louder still, and lastly began to shout at the top of his voice, but still there was no response. This state of things needed further investiga- tion ; so he brought his boat up to the wind, went round behind the sail to see what was the matter, and was not a little concerned to find that both his passengers had disappeared. Me tried to look bac : along his course through the drifting snow, and he thought he could see a black spot far away behind. This must have been my insignificant figure sitting upon the lost tin boxes. Then he lowered his sail, which was not an easy matter in I 121 THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE the wind that was blowing, and contented himself to wait for us. We had to sit a long time before the others caught us up again. We could just see the vessel through the snow, but her sail was evidently not up, and of her crew there was not a sign. At last we caught sight of three small specks far away up the slope and the glitter of the sun "SAILINC. ON THK INI.Wn tCE " on the tins they were carrying. Presently the sail was hoisted, and it was not long before they joined us. We now lashed the sledges better together and made the cargo thoroughly fast, in order to escape a repetition of this performance. Then we rigged up some ropes be- hind, to which the crew could hold or tie themselves, and thus bo towed comfortably along. In this way we got on splendidly, and never in my life have I had a more glo- rious run on ski. 122 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD mv ■I |: |j I ■ f ■ A while later Sverdrup declared that he had had enough of steering, and I therefore took his place. We had now one good slope after another and a strong wind behind us. We travelled as we should on the best of ski hills at home, and this for hour after hour. The steering is exciting work. One has to keep one's tongue straight in one's mouth, as we say at home, and, whatever one does, take care not tc; fall. If one did, the whole conveyance would be upon one, and once under the run- ners and driven along by the impetus, one would fare badly indeed, and be lucky to get off without a complete smash-up. This was not to be thought of, so it was necessary to keep one's wits about one, to hold the ski well together, grip the pole tight, watch the ground in- cessantly, so as to steer clear of the worst drifts, and for the rest take things as they came, while one's ski flew on from the crest of one snow-wave to another. Our meals were not pleasant inter als that day, and we therefore got through them as quickly as we could. We stopped and crept under shelter of the sails, which were only half lowered on purpose. The snow drifted over us as we sat there, but the wind at least was not so piercing as in the open. We scarcely halted for the usual choco- late distributions, and took our refreshment as we went along. In the middle of the afternoon — this notable day by the vv^ay was September 19 — just as we were sailing our best and fastest, we heard a cry of joy from the party be- hind, Balto's voice being prominent as he shouted " Land ahead ! " And so there was ; through the mist of snow, which was just now a little less dense, we could see away to the THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE ,23 west a long, dark mountain ridge, and to the south of it a smaller peak. Rejoicings were loud ano genera), for the goal toward which we had so long struggled wJs at last in sigh I. Balto's own account of the occurrence runs as follows : " While we were sailing that afternoon I caught sight of a black spot a long way off to the west, l stared and stared at it till 1 saw that it really was bare ground. Then I called to Dietrichson, ' I can see land ! ' Die- trichson at once shouted to the others that Balto could see land away to the west. And then we rejoiced to see this sight, which we had so often longed to see, and new courage came into our hearts, and hope that we should now happily and without disaster cross over this ice- mountain, which is the greatest of all ice-mountains. If we had spent many more days upon the ice, I fear that some of us would have fared badly. As soon as Nansen heard this he stopped and gave us two pieces of meat- chocolate each. It was always our custom, when we reached a sjjot which we had long wished to rea ' to treat ourselves to the best food we had. So whc, - came to land after drifting in the ice, when we reachea Umivik, when we had climbed to the highest point of Greenland, when we now first saw land on the west side, and lastly, when we first set foot upon bare ground again, we were treated to our very best — which was jam,' American biscuits, and butter." Though this first land we saw lay a little to the north of the line we had hitherto been following, I steered for It n. er.heless, because the ice in this direction seemed to fall away more rapidly. However, the point was soon hidden in the snow again, and we went on with the wind 124 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ■{ I i straight behind us for the rest of the afternoon wi^nout getting any further sight of land. The wind grew stronger and stronger, we flew down slope after slope, and everything went famously. A while later both the gradient and the wind slackened off for a time, but as evening began the breeze freshened and the slope grew steeper, and we rushed along through the dense driving snow more furiously than ever. It was already growing dusk, when I suddenly saw in the gen- eral obscurity something dark lying right in our path. I took it for some ordinary irregularity in the snow, and unconcernedly steered straight ahead. The next mo- ment, when I was witliin no more than a few yards, I found it to be something very different, and in an instant swung round sharp and brought the vessel up to the wind. It was high time, too, for we were on the very edge of a chasm broad enough to swallow comfortably sledges, steersman, and passengers. Another second and we should have disappeared for good and all. We now shouted with all our might to the others, who were com- ing gayly on behind, and they managed to luff in time. Here also Balto has something to say : " The same evening while we were still sailing along — it may have been about half-past seven and it was rather dark — we saw Nansen, who was in front on his ski, signalling wildly to us, while he shouted, ' Don't come here ; it is dangerous ! ' We, who \\'ere tearing along at full speed, found it difficult to stop, and had to swing around and throw ourselves on our sides. At the same time we saw in front of us an awful crack in the ice, which was many hundred feet deep." As to the rest of the day's sail my diary says : " This THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE CO CAUIIOUSLY AND USli MY STAFF" • was the first crevasse, but was not likely to be the only one, and we must now go warily. It was suggested that It was hardly advisable to sail any farther that evening but I thought it too early to stop yet, as we must take advantage of the wind. So I left the sledges and went on m front to reconnoitre, while Sverdrup undertook the steenng of our boat, and the sails of both of them were taken in a bit. The wind was strong enough even to blow me along, and I could run long stretches without movmg a muscle, and so cover, a the ground fast. " When the snow looked treacherous I had to go cautiously and use my staff to see whether I had solid ground under foot, and, if not, to signal to the others to wait till I had found a safer route. In spite of all precau- tions, Sverdrup and Christiansen all but came to grief once, as the snow fell in behind them just as they had passed over an unsuspected crevasse. Meantime the 126 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD t \. wind was steadily increasing, and the sails had to be taken in more and more to prevent the sledges overrun- ning me. As we were all getting hungry, biscuits were served out, but no halt was made to eat them. " It was rapidly getting dark, but the full moon was now rising, and she gave us light enough to see and avoid the worst crevasses. It was a curious sight for me to see the two vessels coming rushing along behind me, with their square viking like sails showing dark against the white snow-field and the big round disc of the moon behind. " Faster and faster I go flying on, while the ice gets more and more difficuU. There is worse still ahead, I can see, and in another moment I am into it. The ground is here seamed with crevasses, but they are full of snow and not dangerous. Every now and then I feel my staff go through into space, but the cracks are narrow and the sledges glide easily over. Presently I cross a broader one, and see just in front of me a huge black abyss. I creep cautiously to its edge on the slippery ice, which here is covered by scarcely any snow, and look down into the deep, dark '-"asm. Beyond it I can see crevasse after cre- vasse, running ^^arallel with one another, and showing dark blue in the moonlight. I now tell the others to stop, as this is no ground to traverse in the dark, and we must halt for the night. " In the west we could now see land again against the evening sky, which still shows a faint trace of day. They were the same mountains we had first seen, but they now tower high above the horizon, and to the south of these peaks again there is a long ridge of rock protrudmg from the snow. " It was a difificult business to get the tent up in this THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE ,27 Strong wind, and on the hard, slippery ice, which gave no hold for our guy-ropes, and we had to cut deep holes before we could make our staffs do duty as pegs. At last, after having fared worse than usual with the cold, we got the tent up and were able to crawl into a partial shelter. No one was inclined to do any cooking that evening, as even inside the tent the wind was much too aggressive, and the little feast which was to do honor to the day. and which we had much looked forward to, was put off till next morning. So we were content to divide our last piece of Gruyere cheese, and then, well pleased with our- selves and our day's work, creep into our sleeping-bags. I now discovered for the first time that I had got the fin- gers of both my hands frozen during the afternoon's sail. It was too late now to rub them with snow, as thoy had begun to thaw on their own account, but that night the pain they gave me was almost unendurable, tilf I fell asleep in spite of it." Early next morning, September 20, I started up with tlie consciousness that I had forgotten to wind my watch up over-night. Unluckily Sverdruj) had done exactly the same, and though we wound them both up at once it was now too late. This was, of course, rather unfortunate for our longitude observations, but we were now so near land that we could reckon our position with tolerable exacti- tude nevertheless. When we looked out of the tent we could see the whole country to the south of Godthaabsfjord lying spread out before us, a rough mountainous tract with many deep val- leys and lofty peaks. Those who remember their first sight of a mountain landscape in their childhood, with its •sunht peaks and stretches of glittering snow ; who can iii' U- ■ k 128 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD remember how this new mysteriou:, world fascinated and ahured them — they will understand what our feelings were this morning. We were just like children, as we sat and gazed, and followed the lines of the valleys down- ward in the vain search for a glimpse of the sea. It was a fine country that lay before us, wild and grand as the western coast of Norway. Fresh snow lay sprinkled about the mountain tops, between which were deep black gorges. At the bottom of these were the fjords, which we could fancy, but could not see. A journey to Godthaab in this kind of country looked anything but a simple matter. We enjoyed our grand breakfast at our ease and leisure this morning, made tea unlimited, and simply revelled in cheese and oatmeal biscuits. It was glorious to have a treat like this once in a way. The morning was well gone before we got finally on the move.. In the darkness of the evening before we had sailed into some very rough fis- sured ice, and we now had to bear away to the south to avoid the worst crevasses and reach smoother ground. The snow throughout this day's march was partly blown into drifts, especially where there was any unevenness in the ice to catch it, and partly swept away by the wind, leaving the surface slippery and bare. Presently we reached the top of a long, steej) slope which had to be descended. Sverdrup and I started down on our ski and had a fine run. But our sledge was dif- ficult to steer, and we had huge crevasses on each side, so at last we were constrained to take our ski off for safety's sake. We then went on, standing each on a runner of the sledge, and scrajiing and breaking with our feet in order to keep clear of the crevasses. The Lapps during this run were especially reckless, and let their sledge rush THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE 129 ahead much as it pleased. A little; farther down we came upon a flat piece of ice, which was so slippery that it was quite difficult to cross. It looked like the frozen surface of a lake or pool. Beyond this we found ourselves in some nasty ice again, and after I had fallen through the snow several times I thought it best to put the ski on again. With them one is of course much safer, as when one slides across the narrower crevasses their o-rcat lencrth roNsi i\i, iHiwN TirK si.ori'.s will generally hold one up. At this time we had a nasty experience, as our sledge came lengthways uj)()n a (Tc- vasse, the snow-cornice of which gave way under one of the runners, and we only managed to drag it on to firm ground just as the whole mass of snow was falling in be- neath it. Ravna and Balto nearly got into a worse scraj)e once, when they tried to take a short cut instead of follow- ing our course. They slid down on to a huge wide fissure, whereuj)on one of the runners cut straight through the snow and all but upset the sledge, and it was only by the skin of their teeth that they escaped. I was furiously 13° NAiVSEiY IN THE FROZEN WORLD \\ \ \t . angry with tlicm, of course, and rated them well for not being content to let us who went in front run such risks as were necessary. Christiansen, too, was once on the point of losing his sledge in much the same way. In the afternoon we had a hailstorm from the souLh and southeast The hail stung our faces and the wind contin- ually blew the sledges around, so that hauling became hard and difficult work. In this respect Sverdrup and I were worst off, as our load was very bulky and lay high on the sledge, which therefore exposed a large surface to the wind. The steel bars or keels under the runners would here have been an advantage, but they had long ago given way on the rough ice of the east coast. We stopped for the day on a little Hat, on which there was just enough drifted snow to hold our staffs, and the pitching of the tent was thus a simple matter. We had flattered ourselves tiK.t we should come within very easy distance of land, if not reach it altogether, this evening, and we were considerably disai^pointed when it seemed to us at the end of the day that we were almost as far off as ever. Next day, September 21, snow was falling, and we amid see nothing either of the land or the ice around us. We had to grope our way as best we could, and th(>re was no possibility of choosing the most advantageous course. ^ Toward noon we stopped in ..rder to get an ..bserva- iK.n, if it were possible, as the sun now and again showed tiirough tlu" clouds. It was most important that we should know where we were, and the day before I had been too late for the purpose, having made a nn'stake about the time owing to my omission to wind my watch D \ni\\ for not such risks nee on the ; soLiLh and ind contin- jcanie liard md I were igh on the ace to the iiers would ago given hich there s, and the We had very easy ■i evening:, it seemed : as far off f, and we iround us. 111(1 there mtageous observa- n showed that we 're I had nn'stake iiy watch THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE 13X up. Luckily this time the sun was visible for a while, and I was able to get the altitude, my reckoning putting us at about lat. 64° 13' N. This position was a little more northerly than I should have liked, the reason being that I had, as I have said, steered too much to the north as we were sailing after we came within sight of land. As it will appear, we now had to i)ay some days' penalty for the mistake. If we had ke])t our original more south- erly course, we should probably have been able to sail /ight down on to the land itself. We now, therefore, turned more to the south when we set off again. In the course of the afternoon Sverdrup and I had a disagreement as to our best route — a thin^r which rarely happened. Me na ted to take us more to the right up on to a ridge, as he had through the snow seen crevasses down below in front of us. ' I had seen nothing of the kind, and i)referred to keep away to the left; but after some discussion Sxerdrui^ j)revailed. and we climbed the ridge, but only to find ourselves in the middle of some terrible crevasses. They were worse than any we had hitherto had to deal with, and we were very glad to clear out again and bear away more to the south. Here wo found a tolerably smooth ^stretch of ice forming the bottom of a valley between two ridges, which were both quite a network of fissures. This alleyOr fur- row narrowed in front of us, and ended in a defile, where the two ridges almost met. Here there was an abrupt fall m the ground, and the ice was uncomfortably rough I lie place looked all but im,,racticable, and it was clearlv '!•> use trymg to push on any farther while the weathcT was so thick. It seemed very likely that we had come too far already. 132 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Iff \%'\ \ f I; I So it was settled that Dietrichson, Ravna, and Balto should pitch the tent, while Sverdrup, Christiansen, and I should go down and see whether this broken ice would allow of a passage. Balto in his quality of under-cook was told to set the apparatus going, and have everything ready by the time we came back— some good pea-soup and plenty of hot water in the upper vessel, so that we could have some lemon-grog after supper. We three soon had the Alpine rope round our waists and set off downward. The ice was unusually rough and hard to pass, a simple chaos of sharp edges with fis- sures in between ; but it was not dangerous, as the clefts were as a rule not deep. We had not gone far before, to my astonishment, I saw a little dark spot down below us between some ridges covered with snow. It looked amazingly like water, but it was quite possible that it was only ice, so I said nothing to the others. But when I reached it and, putting my staff in, met with no resistance, our surprise and delight were quite unbounded. We threw ourselves down, put our lips to the surface, and sucked up the water' like horses. After a month Ot incessant thirst and limited rations, the pleasure of having abundance of drink was mdescribable. How many cpiarts we swallowed I should not like to say, but we plainly felt ourselves suvll within and without during the operation. We then went on refreshed, but before we had gone far we heard some one shouting behind, and saw little Ravna running after us as fast as his short legs would carry him. We waited, fearing that there was something wrong in the camp, and I was much relieved to lu-ar. when he came up, that all he wanted was the wicks for the spirit-lamp, which I usu- D and Balto iisen, and I ice would under-cook everything d pea-soup so that we our waists ally rough -vs with fis- the clefts lent, I saw me rid ires water, but id nothing iitting my id delight :lown, jmt vater like id limited Irink was I should ell within went on some one [ after us e waited, :amp, and ), that all ch I usu- T//£ CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE 133 ally carried in my pocket to keep them dry. I was anx- ious to know whether he had seen the water, for Ravna was the worst of all of us to drink when he had the chance, and I was half afraid that he would go at it till he made himself ill. He had seen the water,1ie told us, but had not had time to attend to it as he came down,' though he meant to make up for the omission on the way back. So we sent him off again and went on with our explora- tion. We presently found ourselves among the roughest ice I had ever seen, and all that I knew of from Captain Jensen's descriptions was nothing compared to this Absolutely impassable it was not, but ridge upon ridge,* each sharper and more impracticable than its neighbor,' lay in all directions, while between them were deep clefts,' often half full of water, which was covered with a thin skin of ice not strong enough to bear. Darkness was alieady coming on when we finally turned homeward. We were wretchedly done u]) by having to toil over this rough ground, on which the soft snow lay deep in |)laces, and were much comforted when we at last caught sight of the tent in the distance. As we ]iassed the i)ool again we must needs have another drink. We lay down and let the water fairly flow down our throats. Our foreheads grew numb and cold, but that did not stop us. It was a truly divine j^leasure to be able once more to drink 'to the very end of one's thirst. A cheering smell of good pea-soup met us as we entered our little tent, where we found the others squatting around the cooking machine. Halto had everything ^hot and ready for i;s, and was very proud of having carried out his orders to the letter. I 134 NANSEJV IN THE FROZEN WORLD if'! 11^ h His description, too, will serve to tell us what the rest of the party did while we were away. " The other three went off with a rope round their waists to look for a way, while we — that is, Ravna, Die- trichson, and I — stayed behind to put up the tent. I had to ninlc'- sonic pea-soup, too, for I was cook. So I i^ot the machine out, but then found that there were no wicks, as Nansen had them in his pocket. So I sent Ravna off to get them, and when he came back he said he had found water and drunk his stomach full. When I heard this I caught up a tin bt)x and ran as hard as I coukl go till 1 reached the pool. Then I threw myself down and began to drink. I had to lift my head up no- and then to get breath, and then I went on drinkin"- again. It tasted just like fresh, sweet milk, for we had not had any water for a whole month. Then I filled the tin and carried it up to the tent, and when Dietrichson saw it he lay down and drank till he could not hold any more. The tin was a \er)' big one, but there was only just enough left for the pea-souj3 afterward. We found plenty of water exery day after this." I am sure we all remember September 21, when we first found water. I really think it was one of the best days of the whole expedition. Balto's fragrant soup was soon served out, and we set to work upon our su])])er with more than usual keenness, which means considerably more than it seems to say. luen Ravna could c.il that night, .le used to declare he never could make a good meal because there was not enough to drink. 'I'his used to induce him to save up his rations, and he would often annoy us, and make our mouths water fruitlessly, by bringing out four or five t the rest Lind their ivna, Die- 2 tent. I :ook. So lere were So I sent k he said 1. When hard as I :w myself J up no- drinking r we had filled the ietrichson hold any was only V^e found THE CROSSING OF THE INLAND ICE 135 spare biscuits at a time to show us. The truth probably was that his little body did not need as much food as our larger ones. After supper we had lemon-grog, which consisted of citric acid, oil of lemon, sugar and hot water, a compoun^ which to our tastes was nothing short of nectar, and which we sipped and enjoyed to the utmost as we lay in our sleeping-bags. lH)r my own part it was a long time since 1 had been so tired. The laborious wadinir in the deep, fresh snow had tried my legs severely, and I do not fancy that the others were much better. But an evenimr like this in the tent brings a feeling of comfort and grati- tude upon one, and a \eil of forgetful ness is gently and soothingly drawn over all the pains and tribulations of the day. A candle-end — the last we have — has been lighted for supper. This over, and all our prciDarations for the morrow made, we put out our light, bury our heads well beneath the hotjds of the sleeping-bags, and pass swiftly and lightly over into the region of dreams. when we the best id we set keenness, s to say. eclare he was not I save up iiake our " or five CHAPTER VIII xl ' THE DESCENT TO AMERALIKFJORD * Before breakfast on September 22, while Balto was making the tea, Sverdrup and I climbed the rid-e of ice which lay to the south of the tent for a reconnaissance t was seamed with broad crcN-asses of unfathomable depth, most of them running pamllel. Once I fell throuo-h a snow-bridge, but he fissure Mas so narrow that I coidd keep my hold on both its sides, and after some amount of struggling I managed to extricate myself. From the top cf the ridge we had a fine view over the surrounding ice and could see that our best course would probably be to keep a westerly direction for the present and turn south- ward again lower down. As far as we can see, in front of us the ice seems to lie in fissured ridges, which all run westward toward (iodthaabsfjord. \Y^ had been in doubt as t() what valley or fjord the depression right before us could be, but we could now see that it must be Kan- gersunek. Altogether we were able to make out our whereabouts very udl, and it was c|uite plain that we had come down four „r five miles farther to the north than we had meant. We found breakfast ready when ue got back to the tent, and afterward it uas settled that Sverdrup and I should go out again and exi)l(,re the ice to the west, keep- liig to the north of the part we examined the previous ' From Nansen's ^hross Greenland. •ys: 2'HE DESCENT TO AMEliALIKEJORD '37 \ Balto was ridge of ice )nnaissance. ifathomable fell throucrh hat I could i amount of ■om the top unding ice, bably be to turn south- -e, in front I'ch all run ■n in doubt before us t be Kan- e out our lat we had ^h than we ick to the ri:p and I vest, kecp- ? previous A\ AWKUAUI) I'UKllICAMKNT evening. The others meanwhile must follow us with the four sledges as far as they could m the same direction, and, ,f they could get so far, stop at the last rido-e we could see from here. As they had a fair wind behind them, I thought they would be able to manage a sledge each without much difficulty. So Sverdrup and I started off, and with the wind be- ss M't }; li ili m 138 iV^^y\'5iiW /iV 7v7v5: FROZEN WORLD hind us ran fast clown on our sllpperv oak ski. The ground was fairly easy till we came far enough to see down into the fjord, which was full of floating glacier-ice. Then the crevasses began, but at first they ran parallel and we pushed a good way farther on. But presently things became utterly hopeless, a simple network of inter- lacmg fissures, the ice protruding in small square islands from the midst of the blue abysses. Even the fancy could form no idea of the depth of these chasms, and the sight of the riven and chaotic mass was unearthly in the t\x- treme. Not a step farther could we go ; there was nothing for us to do but eat our dinner and go back to look foT- the others. We found shelter in a little crevice, where the sun did its best to comfort us and tempc^r the keen- ness of the biting wind. On the way back I had the ill-luck to fall into a cre- vasse. I was left hanging by my arms, and the position was neither easy nor ])leasant. The fissure was narrow mdeed, but it was very difficult to get a footing with my ski on the slippery edges. I was alone, too, as\Sverdrup had taken a different line, and, being a long way on m front, saw nothing of my disaster. However, after struggling for a while, I at last managed to scramble out by myself. Strangely enough, none of us ever went far- ther into these crevasses than to the armpits. We had not gone far before we caught sight of the tent, which lay a little way to the north of us and on the very ridge uhere the party had been ordered t(. halt They had reached this point about half an hour before and the coffee was already under way. I must explain that we were now so near the coast that the coffee pro- hibition was not so stringently observed. It was not D ski. The ugh to see glacier-ice. •an parallel, t presently rk of inter- lare islands "ancy could d the sight in the ex- as nothing look for ice, where ■ the keen- nto a cre- c position as narrow X, with my Sverdrup 1 way on :ver, after amble out went far- ht of the id on the I to halt, ur before, t explain )ffee pro- was not THE DESCENT TO AMERALIKEyORD 139 "N Tin.: MORNINC OK SK,'! KMHER 2y. ROUGHISH ICE quite ready, and a short rest after our h\tle ski excursion did us good. After we had finished our cofTee the tent was struck, and we set off in a southerly di. action in order to skirt the ice-stream which flowed down to the fjord, and in the middle of which we had just been At f^i-st the ground was easy and we made good procuress though the wind did its best to hinder us by blowing the sledges around. In the evening, when it was aheady gi-owu,g dusk, we reached a ridge of nasty, broken ice which we had seen in the distance that morning, and which here seemed to be no ^vay of avoiding. It wis necessary to explore the ground here before moving any farther and so there was nothing to be done but^ encamp and wait for dayhght. While supper w^as preparing two of us went out again. The ice was undeniably awkward, but with enterprise we could no doubt get through. The 140 NANSJiN JN THE FJWZEy WORLD ridge was luckily not broad, and the best route was evi- dently the straightest ajid shortest. Next morning, September 23, Sverdrup went out upon another prospecting expedition, and came back with com- paratively reassuring intelligence. The ice was not so bad as it had seemed to be at first sight, and it would be possible, if we j^ut three men to each sledge, to get them along without carrying them. Then we broke up camp and set out ,^\\ the heaviest W- k Rl.sr AND KKFI.KCTIDN (sKI' TKM IIKK 2j) (liy the Aiitlior,from a pltotograpli) bit of ice-travclling which we had yet had. In many places we had to carr)- each S' >dge Ijodily up the steep slopes of the ridges we had to cross, while as we de- scended the other side the unfortunate man who went behind had to hold it back \ uh all his miijht. If he was evi- THE DESCENT TO AMERALIKEyORD ,4, slipped, down went lie and the sledge on ^o the heels of the others in front, and the xMr.,le group slid on together Often, however, we were lucky enough to hit upon the course of a fr)zen river, which gave us an easy though somewhat winding passage among the hummocks and UN THE AFTKRNOON OF SEI-nOMIKR 2^ : IXTO liETTKR ICE A(;AIN i-idges of ice, which often formed cliffs with nearly per- pendicular walls. In one case we had to pass through a narrow cleft which only just gave us room, and at^ the bottom held a little stream only partially frozen, the water of which stood well above our ankles. In the afternoon we at last passed out of the worst of the ice, and could again take the sledges singly. The surface uas now tolerably good, and it grew still better but the wmd was awkward, as it was always blowing the' sledges around. A good way farther on I discovered a moraine running across the ice in an casterlv rlin-.tion 142 NANSEAT IN THE FJWZEN WORLD VA<\ ■ from the land. I imagined that this moraine must mark the Hmit between the streams of ice, more especially be- cause it lay in a depression, and as I coulci not see any good in getting into the full current of another ice-stream, I determined to work down toward land on the north side of the moraine. We now halted, and the lent having been pitched and Balto sent out to look for water for the coffee, Sverdrup and I set off downward toward the land to see whether the ice were practicable here. We had not gone far before we saw that our opportunity had come. We seemed to ha\e crossed to the south side of the stream of ice which fell into (iodthaabsfjord, for the surface seemed to fall away to the south, or more cor- rectly toward the land which lay straight before us. We went back with the encouraging news, and the whole l>arty drank their coffee in the highest sj)irits. The prospect of once more feeling dryland beneath our feet was now not far off, and this was enough to fill us with delight. As soon as we could we went on ag;iin, and with the wind behind u^ made good progress, the ice being relatively smooth and yet often falling rapidly. We were disapijointed. however, in our hope of reaching land that eveiu'ng, as, owing lo the gathering darkness, we l)resently had to stop. T.ut on the whole we wer- more than satisfied with the day's work, as we had advanced a good deal farther than we hatl had any reason to ho|)e in the morning. Next day, Sei)ti'mber 24, we turned out r.iih' and M't oil with the deternu"i-,ation to wm\\ land that daw Thi.s time, loo, we wvxv not disa|)pointrd. \\ c pushed on last, as th(> gradient was often tolerably strij) and gave us much help. The wind was lair, tuu, the ice easy, and lUst mark :cially bc- sec any :c-,strcani, he iiortli it havinn- ir for llie .vard the ,'re. We iiiity had .h side of 1, for the lore cor- ns. W'r le whole ts. The our feel us with ;aiii, and the ice lly. We liiiLi; land ness, we M'e more vr.nced a ho|)e in and set V. '\'h\s on f.ist, ga\e us asy, and 77/7. DESCENT TO AMERAUKFyORD ,43 everything promising. Some way down a reconnaissance proved necessary, as the ice lierc got rather rougher. I went on in front and soon found myself upon thc'brow of an ,ce-slopc which overlooked a beautiful mountain tarn, the surface of which was covered with a sheet of ice' I5eyond ^^•as a gorge through which a rixer from the tarn' "uroN n.K ,:kuu .,.. an uk-sm,,.,.; umi. u ov,, a. „„<■... a mkaumiu,, moun- TAIN TAKN " •'"' 'I"unwarnm Nan.sen's /trross Greenlautt, 10 146 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD lih i; S I the other things over the higher ground, rough and diffi- cult though it was. When we got down to the shore again, we saw that the boat was now afloat a long way out in the water, as, while we had been away, the fjord had risen to such an extent as to flood all the outer part of the sands. Luckily Sverd- rup had been thoughtful enough to moor her fast by driving a stake into the ground, though we had left her so far from the edge of the water that we thought she was quite safe. He now waded out to her, and rowed her in to a point of land close by, while I moved the baggao-e to meet him at the same spot. Thus, at last, after!a day's labor, we had overcome one more obstacle, and were ready to embark on a good sea-way. After we had had our dinner we set out upon our first voyage, our destination being the farther side of the fjord, along which we meant to coast on our way outward. We discovered at once that our boat travelled much better than we had expected. She did not prove to be a fast craft, certainly, but we could get along in her, and reached the other side of the fjord after what we considered to be a remarkably quick passage. Nor was water-tightness one of our boat's virtues, for we had to take to baling with one of the soup-bowls about every ten minutes. Just here, the head of the fjord formed a little bay or inlet, which seemed to us, in our present state of mind, an unusually attractive spot. It ended in a peaceful, gentle valley — a valley of long, brown slopes and stretches of moss and stones, and skirted by low, round hills ; just the ground that is most welcome to the reindeer and his pur- suer. Our interests still centred in all that we could con- nect with food and the pursuit of game, and the more ii D h and diffi- aw that the 2r, as, while I an extent :kily Sverd- ler fast by left her so ht she was I wed her in baggage to fter a day's were ready )n our first f the fjord, vard. We Lich better be a fast id reached ered to be itness one 5 with one tie bay or \ mind, an Fill, gentle retches of ; just the d his pur- !ould con- the more lVa.v s . ^ As7r^ :-,eM.cdi.n;r(fn.m^"l;^"s!!:."^'.^'V'.^;'' '" ', ■'"'"'■Jj'b. -jnH. below .he Arctic Circle); al,„ ' — ^ """ '" '"''ei'fiuKncf Hay ami Riiirii across the ,Si,ih parallel) I 148 NANSEN IN IHE FROZEN WORLD \ \v I poetic reader must forgive us. To us, at this time, this was the most beautiful side of Nature ; and for her true beauty — the lofty peaks, the snow-clad mountains, the precipitous cliffs, and all the glories of barrenness, glories of which Ameralikfjord has enough and to spare we had no eyes of appreciation. Such delights are for that true lover of Nature, the tourist, as he wanders among them on his comfortable steamer, with abundance of warm clothing and good food. Then we worked along the stupendous cliffs which form the northern shore of Ameragdla, as the inmost branch of Ameralikfjord is called, and stopped for the night at a spot where we could land our boat and find flat ground enough to sleep upon — accommodation not to be procured ever)where. We had not advanced much that day, but we were quite satisfied, and very pleased to be on the sea once more. Our chief delight, however, was the prospect of eating our fill of good fresh meat after nearly seven weeks of the driest of food. During our row I had shot six big blue gulls. At first I missed several times, as the birds kept out of range, but at last one ventured nearer, and then I had no further trouble. Gulls, as most people know, are incjuisitive birds; so when I had thrown one dead body out to float, the others m 1st needs come to look at it, and I l)rought down one after the other, and stocked our larder for the time. These gulls are big l)irds, and we determined to have two apiece for our evening meal. They were skinned, put two at a time into boiling water, and cooked as little as possible. S\erdrup was afterward asked whether he took care to clean them properly. "Oh, I don't know," he answered; " I saw Nansen pull somet'-'ng out of them, ARRJVAL AT GODTHAAB 149 time, this )r her true itains, the :ss, glories )are — we e for that rs among e of warm ffs which le inmost d for the d find flat not to be iiLich that I to be on r, was the ter nearly "ow I had ral times, ventured ), as most d thrown eds come ther, and to have skinned, as little ether he t know," of them, and I suppose it was part of the inside ; and some more came out in the pot while they were cooking. All I can say is, I never tasted bet;:er birds in my life." And he SHdOTINd CriI.S KKOM THE lioAT (/>;>' .•). lUoch, /iotogr,ifilt and sketch) was quite right : we both thought we had never had any- thing which could be compared with those gulls ; the ten- derest of chickens could not have been better. Whether the cause lay in our appetites, or the peculiar method of preparation, I will not attempt to decide. We looked for no reason at the time, but tore our birds in pieces as fast as teeth and fingers would allow. It was not long before 150 A'ANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ■ ii the first two had disappeared, and then we set to work upon the second with greater deHberation and more pro- longed enjoyment. We finished with the broth in which they had all been boiled. This had a very characteristic, gamey taste, which added much to its peculiarity, though we were not quite certain to what we should attribute its origm. Language, in fact, has no words which can adequately describe the satisfaction of the two savages who sat that evening on the northern shore of Ameragdla, and dipped each his hands into the pot, fished out the body of a gull, and conveyed it, piece by piece, head, feet, and all, into the depths of his hungry stomach. The light of the fire meanwhile was almost dimmed by the brighter glory of the northern lights. The whol ; heaven blazed, both north and south ; the lights swept onward, and then returned again; and suddenly a whirlwind seemed to pass across the sky, driving the flames before it, and gathering them together at the zenith, where there was a sparkling and a crackling as of burning fire, which almost dazzled the eyes of the onlooker. Then the storm seemed to cease, the light died slowlv away, there was nothinu" left but a few hazy flecks, which sailed across the starlit sky as we stood there still gazing. Such a display of northern lights I have never seen, either before or since. And there, be- low us, lay the fjord, cold and impassive, dark and deep, and girt round about by steep walls of rock and towering mountains, the fann'liar fjord landscape of the west of Norway. Next day things did not go quite so well with us, as in the course of the morning a head-wind sprang up, which blew so hard that, instead of making progress, we were |i 2t to work more pro- h in which iracteristic, ty, though ttribiite its idequately o sat that nd dipped ' of a gull, d all, into of the fire r glory of )oth north ! returned ass across ring them kling and izzled the to cease, left but a sky as we lern lights there, be- and deep, towering 2 west of us, as in up, which we were ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB j^^ almost driven backward, and our litde cockle-shell danced up and down upon the waves to such an extent that there seemed every chance of our capsizing. She proved a good sea-boat, however, and never shipped a drop of water, except that which ran in unceasing streams through her bottom. Against the breeze, though, she travelled very heavily, and there was nothing to be done but land, rest meanwhile, and hope that the wind would drop toward evening. This it eventually did, and we embarked again. It was not long before we reached Nua, as the point is called which lies at the mouth of Itivdlek Fjord, the north- ern branch of Ameralik. Here the country was less wild and broken, and, with its low ridges covered with moss and heather, promised excellent reindeer-ground. It was a fine, still evening, and we now set about to cross the fjord. This was the longest sea-passage we had as yet attempted ; but all went well, and we were soon across to the opposite shore. It was dark by this time, and we put to land to get some supper. Here, however, we found nei- ther fuel nor water, and had to eat our food cold and with- out dnnk, a state of things to which we were, nevertheless well used. We had thought of pushing on farther during the night, but we now saw some ominous storm-clouds coming up from the west, and gathering about the sharp, wild peaks on the north side of the fjord. The night, too was so dark that it would have been difi^cult to cross the fjord again, as we wished ; and so we determined to bring the boat ashore, and get a little sleep, in the hope that the moon might come to our help later. During the oper- ation of beaching the boat, Sverdrup was unlucky enough to fall into the water, which is not very pleasant just be- fore bedtime, and when one has so little in the way of a change of clothes. '52 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD ?M 11 w » t I There was no improvement in the weather, and we slept till the morning of October i. It was a splendid sunny day, and there was a gentle wind blowing to help us. In the course of the morning we crossed the fjord again, and went ashore to get ready a substantial dinner of ''two gulls apiece and a soup of unsurpassed excellence. To the broth in which the birds had been cooked we added peas and bread, and the compound was so invigorating that we literalb^ felt the strength grow in us as we took down one basin after another. Unluckily, at this spot where we had landed there was a great abundance of crowberries, and as a matter of course we added them to our bill of fare. It was long since we had had access to fresh, wholesome, \egetable food, and we actually indulged ourselves beyond the bounds of rea- son. First we ate the berries standing ; and then, when we could stand no longer, we ate them sitting; and when this posture became at last too wearisome, we lay prone at our ease, and jDrolonged the debauch to incredible lengths. When we landed there had been no wind, but now a stiff northerly breeze sprang up, which blew up the fjord, and made any attempt at further progress on our part quite out of the question. All we could do, therefore, was to lie here, and go on with our crowberries. At last we grew so torpid that we had not the energy to pick the berries any longer with our hands, and so we turned on our faces, and went on gathering them with our lips till we fell asleep. We slept till evening, and when we woke, there hung the great black, luscious berries still before our very lips, and on we went eating them till we dozed off again. If what people say is true, that gluttony is one of the deadly sins, then may Heaven's mercy save us from the dire punish- d we slept lid sunny ) us. )rcl again, or of two nee. To kve added 'igoratin«: we took ere was a of course since we bod, and Is of rea- en, when nd when prone at lengths. )w a stiff jord, and (uite out IS to lie grew so "ries any Lces, and 1 asleep, lung the lips, and If what dly sins, punish- ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB i^^ ment ihat must await us for what we did that day in Ame- rahkfjord. It has always been a cause for wonder to me that we did not pay the penalty then and there ; but as a matter of fact, xve suffered no ill-effects from our excesses At midnight the wind dropped, and 1 turned the crew out. In spite of the crowberries, Sverdrup had had sufH- IIV AMERALIKI.il. KI) on TlIK MOKNI.NG OK OCToliER I {From It //lotii^rii/'/i) cient energy in the course of the evening to collect some wood and fetch water in the event of our needing a meal in the night. We now, therefore, fortified oursdves for work, and by one o'clock we were afloat, ready to push on with renewed energy. We made our way quickly along the shore in intense darkness. The phosphorescence of the water was almost as brilliant as anything that tropical seas can show. The blades of our oars gleamed like molten silver, and as they stirred the surface the effect was ^54 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD W\ ■ seen in the glittering radiance that stretched far below. The whole scene was very grand as we passed along under the beetling cliffs, where we could see scarcely anything ^ut the flashes of phosphorescence which flitted upon the water round about us, and danced and played far away in the eddies of our wake. We seemed to have luck with us just now — a state of things to which we were not much accustomed. The weather was fine, and there was no wind ; so, to make th- best use of our opportunities, and keep the steam up, we had recourse to frequent stimulants in the way of meat- chocolate. Rations were served out often and liberally, and with apparent effect, for we made rapid progress. At dawn, while we were resting at a certain spot, we heard numbers of ptarmigan calling in the scrub close by us. It would have been easy to bag some, and I was tempted to try ; but we thought we had no time to waste on land for such a purpose, so we showed an heroic deter- mination by rowing away from the enticing spot. We rowed on all the morning without stopping, except for chocolate. Along the whole stretch of shore the rocks fell so abruptly into the water that there were but two or three places where a landing was possible. About noon, to our great astonishment, we found ourselves ipproach- ing the mouth of the fjord. Here we came upon a point with a nice flat stretch of beach, and pulled in to land. The spot seemed a favorite camping-place, for there were several rings of stones marking the sites of Eskimo tents, and masses of seals' bones and similar refuse strewn about the place. The consciciSness of having got so far made us unus- ually reckless. We felt tb.at we should soon be in Godt- \% \ ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ,55 haab now, and •- honor of the occasion we contrived a dinner which, in magnificence, surpassed even that of the day before. We had now no need for parsimoay or self-restraint, and no meal through >ut the course of the expedition came up to this in extravagance. We began with sea-urchins, or sea-eggs, which I collected in num- bers on the beach close by. The ovaries of these are especially good, and little inferior 10 oysters, and of this delicacy we consumed huge quantities. We dien vvent on to gulls and guillemots, which were followed by the usual exceilent soup. Biscuit and butte we had in abundance, and there were plenty of crowbcrries for him that had recove-f 1 from the surfeit of the preceding day. It was, indeed, a d'-.ner worthy of the name, as Sverdrup saifl. It was no eusy matter for us to conve\- ourselves into the boat again, and bend over the oars to do our proper work. If at any time afterward I wished to bring Sverdrup into a thoroughly good humor, I had only to call to mind our notable dinner at the great camping-place in Ameralikfjord. Fortune was strangely Kind to us that day: we now had a fair wind behind us, aKd, in spite of our torpor and laziness, we made rapid progress dri-.g the afternoon. Everything was rosy to us now, and we pulled away in sheer fulness of heart. There was one thorn m the side of our happiness, nevertheless. This came from the absurdly thin little rails on which we had to sit instead of thwarts. I suffered so much that I felt I could well do without a certain part of the body altogether. We shifted, and shifted again, but with little relief to our sore- ness and discomfort. The happiness of this world is, indeed, seldom pure and unalloyed. : ■ Thus we passed out of the fjord, and saw the i;ea, islands, and scattered rocks spread out before us, and Hghted by the most glorious of sunsets. The whole ex- panse seemed to be susoended in an atmosphere of gently glowing light. The vision stopped us, barbarians as we were, and deprived us of speech and power of ac- tion. A feeling of home and familiar scenes came over us ; for just so lie the weather-beaten island of the Nor- wegian coast, caressed by flying spray and summer haze, the outskirts of the fjords and valle)s that lie behind. It is not to be wondered at that our forefathers were drawn to this land of Greenland. We had set ourselves the task of passing the mouth of Kobbefjord, an inlet which lies just to the south of Godt- haab, that evening, so that, in the event of bad weather next day, we could, nevertheless, easily reach our destina- tion overland. We now came to a little fjord which is not marked sufficiently cleariy on the map we had, and which we therefore wrongly assumed to be Kobbefjord, though 1 thought at the time that it lay suspiciously near to the mouth of Ameralik. Consequently, we thought we might as well land there and then, as we sat simply in torture, and our legs were stiff with the pain and discomfort of the position. But then it struck us that we had better keej) on till we could see the lights of Godthaab, for, in our innocence, we sup- posed them to be visible from the south. We saw, how- ever, nothing at all, and, as the current now ran hard against us, we were at last obliged to desist and go ashore. This was at a poi-.t which lies at the foot of a high mountain, win'ch we afterward found to be Hjorte- takken. It was now about nine o'clock, and, with the >fl ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ' 157 exception of short intervals for breakfast and dinner, we had been fixed to those seats of affliction for a good twenty hours. It was indeed a welcome change to have a broad surface to stretch ourselves upon. Phenomenal as our dinner had been, the supper which now followed was not much less so. For the first time since we left the :/ason we -^ould go- to work upon bread, butter, and liver "pate" without restraint and stingy weigh' ing out of rations. We drank lemonade to our heart's desire, and did our very best to prevent any of that prov- ender which we had been economizing so long from remaining over, to be carried to people among w^iom it would have no v-xlue. This thorght it was that harassed us, and urged us to further effort; but in the end we were obliged to desist, with our task as yet undone. This was the last of these wonderful nights which we had a chance of enjoying before our reentrancc into civili- zation. We felt that it was our farewell to Nature and to the life which had now grown so familiar and so dear to us. The southern sky was as usual radiant with the northern lights, streamer after streamer shooting up to the zenith, each more brilliant than the last; while the .stars glittered in their usual impassive way, their brightness more or less eclipsed as the rival lights waxed or waned in intensity. We were both of us in a strange mor H : our wander- ings were all but ended ; we had met with manv mishaps and many unforeseen obstacles, but we had succeeded in spite of all. We had passed through the drifting ice, and pushed our way up -long the coast; we had crossed over the sncw-fields of the conti- nt, and made our way out of the fjord in our miserable little boat, in defiance of ti igfatffii^ I . adv( NANSEN TN THE FROZEN WORLD winds had worked hard, and undeniably gone through a deal of tribulation to reach the goal which now lay so near to us. And what were our feelings now? Were they feelings of triumph or exultation ? For my own part, I must confess that mine were not of this lofty order ; to no other feeling could I attain than a sense of gross repletion. It was a feeling grateful enough tome; but as for our goal, we had been kept waitimr too loncv there was too little surprise about its eventual attainment for us to give much thought to it. We curled ourselves up in our fur pelisses, chose each a stretch of heather among the rocks, and slept our last night under the open sky as well as we had seldom slept before. It was late before we woke next morning, October 3, and nhen we at last shook off our sleep, the wind had long been blowing freshly up the channel leading to Godt- haab, and calling us to work. But we felt that for once we need not hurry — we could sleep to the end, and vet reach our destination in good time. We began breakfast again with the worthiest intentions of cpnsuminj'^ to the last morsel the provisions which remained ; but though wc Utacked them manfully, we had to put to sea once more with this end still unattained. With the wind behind us we made rapid progress north- ward, and when we i)assed the spit of land on which we had camjDed for the night, we found tha* we had been all the time on the south side of Kolibefjord. This fjord now lay before us set in a circle of wild, lofty mountains, among which Hjortetakkon was most conspicuous, with its sides sprinkled with fresh snow, nnd its peak from time to time wrapped in light, drifting mist. ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ,^^ We now set about to cross the fjord to the south side of the promontory ol which Godthaab itself Hes. As we reached the middle we heard, for the first time for many weeks, the sound of unfamiliar voices. They were evi- dently Eskimo women and children from whom the sounds came. They were screaming and shouting; but though we listened, we could make out nothing, and though we looked, there was no one to be seen. Some time afterward we learned that these voices must have come from a party of folk who had gone over to "Store Malene," a mountain lying to the east of Godthaab, to gather berries. They had caught sight of us, and were shoutmg to one another that they could see two men in half a boat, and were much exercised to know what new sorcery this could be. Such a vessel they had never seen before, and they did not at p" like the look of it. This Eskimo descriptic. of our little craft as half a boat was really very happy, as it did much resemble the forepart of an ordinary boat. Some way farther on we saw m the distance the figure of a man sitting, as it were in the water. This was the first "kaiaker" we came across on the west coast. Presently we caught sicrhf of tvvo more; they were out after seal, and took no notice of us. I his was either because they preferred their own business, or because tliey thought there was something wrong about us. There is no doubt that they saw us long before we saw them, for the I-:skimo has the keenest of eyes, and never fails to use them. As we rou-Ied the next point. Sve-drup, who was row- ing bow, caught sight of some houses which he thought must be Godthaab. I turned my head in astonishment and saw some l':skimo huts, but could not think them to i^ "n^Hr 1 60 NAASEN JN THE FROZEN WORLD Ifw I H: be Godthaab, as, according to the n.ap, the settlement did not lie just there. Sverdrup then said : " But those big houses can't belong to these wretched Eskimos." I then turned quite round, and could now see the slated roof of a long building, surmounted by a little tower, and was quite ready to agree that this could not be an Eskimo abode, though it struck me that it might very well be a warehouse. But as we passed another point, we found we had before us no warehouse, but a church and a num- ber of Eskimo huts lying by a little bay. We did not think it was any use landing here, and were for keeping straight on ; but suddenly a fresh breeze sprang up, and made it very heavy work to row, and we concluded that it would be better to go ashore at once, and proceed to Godthaab overland. So we turned our little tub shoreward, and found that a number of Eskimos, chiefly old women, were already swarminfi out of the houses, and coming down to the beach to receive us. Here they gatliered, chattering, and bustling to and fro, and gesticulating in the same strange way as we had seen their fellows of the east coast often do. We could see little or no difference between the two branches of this people we had met ; here there was just the same outward aspect — the same ugliness, and the .same beaming friendliness and good humor. When we landed they thronged around us, and helped us disembark our goods, and bring the boat ashore, all the while jabbering unceasingly, and laughing, in wonder and amusement, at us two poor strangers. While we were standing there, mounting guard over our gun and the more valuable of our possessions, and ignoring the crowd of people around us, whom, of course, we could not under- ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ,5, Stand one whit, Sverdrup said : " Here comes a Euro- pean ! " I looked up, and saw a young man advancincr toward us. He was clad in an attempt at a Greenland^ ers dress, but had a Tam-o'-Shanter cap upon his head and a fair, good-looking face, which was as little like an Eskmio's as could well be. There could be no mistake about him ; he and his whole demeanor were, so to say, a direct importation from " the King's Copenhagen," as it is called here. He came up to us, we exchanged salutations • then he asked, " Do you speak English .? " The accent was^distinctly Danish, and the question somewhat discom- fited me, as I thought it a little absurd for us to set to work at English instead of our ou n mother-tongue. But before I could answer, he luckily inquired: ''Are vou Englishmen?" To this I could safely answer, in good Norse: " No- we are Norwegians." " May I ask your name .? " " My nLme IS Nansen, and we have just come from the interior " "Oh, allow me to congratulate you on taking your Doc- tor's degree." This came like a thunderbolt ^from a blue sky, and it was all I could do to keep myself from laughincr outright. To put it very mildly, it struck me as comical that I should cross Greenland to receive congratulations upon my Doctor's degree, which I happened to have taken just before I left home. Nothing, of course, could have beeii more remote from my thoughts at the moment The stranger's name was Haumann. He was a good- natured, sociable native of Copenhagen, who was now in the Greenland Service, and acting ns assistant, or, as they call 1 , " Volontor," to the Superintendent of the colony of Godthaab. We subsequently had a good deal of his soci- ety. The Superintendent, he told us, was just now It away IF ' m % h VI [pi 162 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD from home, and in the name of his superior he offered us a hearty welcome to the colony. Godthaab itself was close by, and it was quite by chance that he had just walked out to Ny Herrnhut, the spot where we landed, to see the mis- sionary. This is one of the few stations established by the German Moravian Mission in Greenland. ^ The first question I asked, as soon as I could get an opportunity, was about comn uiication with Denmark, and whether the last ship had sailed. From Godthaab I learned that the last ship had gone two months or more ago, and ther was none now that we could catch. The only possible chance was the Fox, at Ivigtut, but she was to leave in the middle of October, and the place was 300 miles away. These tidings were anything but welcome. It had been the thought of cntching a ship to Europe which had spurred us on during our crossing of the ice ; the vision of a ship had haunted us unceasingly, and never allowed us the enjoyment of rest or ease. We had consoled our- selves with the thougiit that we could make up for lost tm-ie on board, during our voyage home ; and now, when the time came, we found that our ship had sailed before ever we started upon our journey across the continent. It was a magnificent structure of hopes and longings that now sank into the sea before our eyes. As far as I was concerned personally, this was not of much account, for, on the contrary, I was quite ready to spend a winter in Greenland ; but for the other poor fellows it was another matter. They had friends and relatives — one of them wife and children — away at home, whom they longed to see, and they had often talked of the joys of their return. And now they would have to wait through the long win- ii ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB 163 *: ter here, while their people at home would think them long since dead. This must never be ; a message must be sent off at once to the Fox, our last hope of relief. While we were talking the matter over, we were joined by another European — the Moravian missionary, Herr Voged. He greeted us very kindly, gave us a hearty welcome, and would not hear of our going by his door unentertained. He lived in the building with the tower which had first caught our attention, and which served both as church and as a residence for him. We were received here, by the missionary and his wife, with unaffected heartiness, and It was with a strange hiixture of feelings that we set foot once more in a civilized dwelling, after four months of wild life on shipboard, in our tent, and in the open air. The room we were taken into will always remain vividly impressed upon my memory. Its dimensions were not grand, and its features were uniformity and simplicity; but fo'- us, who were used to a cramped tent, and the still greater simplicity of the open air, the appointments of this house were nothing less than luxury itself. The mere sit- tmg upon a chair was a thing to be remembered, and the cigars to which we were tieatcd were a source of uncon- cealed satisfaction. Then the cup of welcome was handed round, while coffee and food were being prepared for us. It was a queer change to be sitting at a table again, and before a white cloth, and to be using knife and fork upon earthenware plates. I will not say, unreservedly, that the change was altogether for the better, for we had been thoroughly comfortable when sitting by the camp-fire, and tearing our gulls to pieces with our teeth and fingers, with- out forks, plates, and formalities. 164 ^rANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD While the meal was in progress, the pastor of God- thaab, Herr Balle, arrived ; soon after him came the doctor of the place, whose name was Binzer. The news of our coming had already reached the colony, and they had hurried out at once to bid us welcome. We were now beset with questions as to our journey: as to why we had changed our route, how we had got out of the fjord, where we had left the others, and so on ; all our accounts being followed with the most lively interest. Then the party broke up, and we took our leave of our kind host and hostess. When we got out of doors, we found, to our surprise, that it was raining. Our luck was true to us this time, and we had reached the habitations of men none too soon, for the rain would have been very unpleasant to us in our little boat. We were assured that our boat and things should be taken care of and sent on, and then we started o£f to walk in the rain over the hills to Godthaab. After a time our way brought us out upon a project- ing point of rock, and we saw the colony lying below us. There were not a great number of buildings — four or five European houses, a church perched upon an emi- nence, and a good many Eskimo huts. The whole group lay in a small hollow between two hills, and by a pleasant little bay. The Danish flag was flying on its high mast, which stood on a mound down by the water. Crowds of people were swarming about. They had all come out to see the mysterious strangers from the interior who had arrived in half a boat. Then we made our way down ; but we had hardly reached the houses before a gunshot rang out over the ■ 5 IHf: I t^.;ia ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB 165 water, and was followed by one after another, in all a complete salute. We had parted from civilization amid the thunder of cannon, and with this same thunder we were received into the civilized world again, for to such the west coast of Greenland must certainly be reckoned. It might have been supposed that we were individuals of the most warlike tendencies. How many shots they fired \ IIOI.KTTE. GREENLAND WOMAN OF MIXED RACE in our honor I cannot say, but the salute was well sus- tamed. The little natives had all their work to do around the guns under the flagstaff, as we were passing amon<^ the houses and between long rows of Greenlanders 0I both sexes, who crowded around and linad. the way. They h( if I 1 66 — and JVJJVS-EJV IN THE FROZEN WORLD especially th( strik women — were u siriKing signt in their picturesque attire. Smiles, good nature, and here and there, perhaps, a little unaffected w^onder, beamed from all the faces about us, and added a new sunshine to the surroundings. Then our eyes fell upon a more familiar sight — the figures of the four Danish ladies of the colony, who were coming to meet us, and to whom we were duly presented. At the same time, it struck us somewhat curiously to see European petticoats again among all the skin jackets and trousers of the fair Eskimos. As we reached the Superintendent's house, the salute was brought to an end, and the native gunners, under the lead of one Frederiksen, gave us a ringing cheer. The Superintendent's wife now welcomed us, on her own part and that of her husband. Here, again, we were tem- porarily entertained, and also invited to dine with the doctor at four o'clock. We had still a long time to get through before then, however, though \ve had plenty to do in the way of wash- ing and decorating ourselves. We were shown up into our new friend Baumann's room, the aspect of which, again, was sufficiently unfamiliar to us to make a very vivid impression upon our minds. Here a musical-box played to us " The Last Rose of Summer," an air which will hereafter never fade from my memory ; and here we were, for the first time, horrified by the sight in a glass of our sunburnt and weather-beaten faces. After our long neglect in the way of washing and dressing, we seemed to ourselves little fit for presentation in society, and, both in our faces and clothes, a considerable number of the hues of the rainbow were intrusively conspicuous. m »: ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB 167 sight in nd here beamed shine to It — the ho were esented. y to see :ets and I salute tder the r. The vn part re tem- ith the •e then, >f wash- Lip into which, a very ical-box ' which lere we a glass :er our ng, we society, lumber LIOUS. \ It was an indescribable delight to plunge the head into a basin of water once more, and to go through the cere- mony of an honest Saturday night's wash. Cleanness was not, however, to be obtained at the first attempt. Then we attired ourselves in the clean linen, so to say, which we had brought all the way across Greenland for the purpose ; and, thus reconstituted, we felt ourselves quite ready for the good things of the doctor's well- provided dinner-table. By all the Danish inhabitants of Godthaab we were entertained with unprecedented hospitality, and the lux- ury displayed on all sides was quite astonishing. We had expected to find that the Europeans exiled to this corner of the world would be so influenced by the na- ture of their surroundings, and the primitive section of humanity amid which they dwelt, that they would have inevitably forgotten a certain amount of their native etiquette. And therefore our surprise was great when we saw the ladies appear at social gatherings hi the longest of trains and gloves, and the men in^jlack coats and shirt-fronts of irreproachable stiffness, and even on occasions going to the extremity of the conventional swallow-tail. Surrounded, as we were, by the natives in their natural and picturesque attire, and thoroughly unaccustomed as we had grown to all these things, to us the absurdity of European taste in such matters'' seemed altogether incongruous. We two were now safe in port, and the next thing to be done was to send iclicf to our comrades in Ameralik- fjord with the least possible delay. They had no means of knowing whether wc had reaches' our destination, or had gone to the bottom of the fjord, and left them to lit It !! IP h I i63 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Starve to death out H^ere. And after this was done we must despatch p messac;e to the Fox. In the cours. of ,he afternoon we tried, therefore to arrange matter. , ; , ^ i thout success. No sooner had' we arrived than a ston. from the south had sprung u-, and the weather wa. .o bad that the Eskimos, who are bad sailors in anything but their " kaiaks," would not venture upon the voyage into Ameralikfjord. The letter to the Fox was to be sent by one or two " kaiakers," but we could find no one in the colony who would undertake to start in this weather, and we were therefore obliged to wait till next day. When night came, and lodging had to be found for us, Sverdrup was quartered upon the before-mentioned Frederiksen, the carpenter and boat-buiMer of the place, while Herr Baumann's room was put at my disposal. It was strange, too, to find myself in a real bed again after six months' absence. There can be few who have en- joyed a bed as completely as I did this one. Every limb thrilled with delight as I stretched myself on the soft mattress. The sleep which followed was not so sound as I could have expected. I had grown so used to the bag of skin, with the ice or rock beneath it, that I felt my present couch too soft, and I am not sure that, after a while, I did not feel a faint longing for the old order of things. On the morning of October 4 I was roused from my unquiet dreams by the gaze of the Eskimo maid-servant who had come with the morning supply of tea and sand- wiches. After this early meal I got up, and went out to look around the place. Down by the beach there was just now a deal of life •i \ ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ' jgp and movement, for a boat's load of seals, which had been caught not far off, had just come in, and the so-called " flensing," or process of cutting the blubber out, was now in progress. I went down with Baumann to study this new phase of life. The Eskimo women, with their sleeves rolled up, knelt in numbers around the gashed and mangled seals. From some the blood was taken, and collected in pails, to be afterward used in the manufac- ture of black puddings, or analogous delicacies: from . others the intestines were being drawn, or the blubber or flesh being cut. All parts were carefully set aside for future use. After having seen enough of the sanguinary spectacle, and duly admired the dexterity and grace displayed by the Eskimo women, as well as the good looks of some among them, we went across to see Sverdrup, and, if he were up, to ask him to come and have breakfast at the Superintendent's house. When we entered, however, we found him already at table with his host, Herr Frederiksen, and engaged upon a breakfast of roast ptarmigan and other delu acies I expressed my regret that this was the case, as I had lioped that we should breakfast together. But Sverdrup could see no reason why we should not do so still. He was now occupied with his first breakfast, certainly, but so good a thing would easily bear repetition, and he expressed himself ready at once to begin again. So he actually did ; and, as a matter of fact, he made at this tmie a regular practice of eating his meals twice over For three days he stood the strain ; but ifter this he suc- cumbed, and had to keep his bed for some hours in con- sequence. It was a long time, indeed, before any of us Hi nl 170 JVJJVS£JV IN THE FROZEN WORLD returned to decent ways again, and were content to take our food like civilized beings. Tn the course of the morning a man was found who was considered equal to the task of carrying our de- spatches southward, and was at the same time wil ing to undertake the journey. The man's name was David, and he was a resident of Ny Herrnhut. He was to go to Fiskernces, a small settlement some ninety miles to the south, and there to send the letters on by other " kai- akers." An errand of this kind is usually undertaken by two men in company, as risks of a fatality are thus much lessened. But as the same David was not afraid of the undertaking, and had expressed his readiness to start the same afternoon, I, of course, had no objection to make. I promised h.im, as well as the others to whom he was to hand the despatches, extra pay in case they caught the Fox. I then wrote a hurried letter to Herr Smith, the man- ager of the cryolite quarry at Ivigtut. The Fox being the property of the company who own this cjuarry, it la)- really uith the local manager to decide what course the vessel should take; but I also wrote to the captain of the ship. In bnth these letters I asked that the vessel should be allowed to come up to GoHthaab to fetch us, if possi- ble. I did not propose that she should wait at Ivigtut till we could join her there, because, in the present uncertain state of the weather, it was quite impossible to calculate how long it would take us to get the rest of the party from Ameralikfjord, and cover the necessarv .^00 miles in open boats. As far as we could judge, ue could not reckon upon reaching higtut by the miudle of the month — the date at which the ship was expected to sail '!. ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB 171 — and we could not ask her to wait an indefinite time for us down there. On the other hand, it seemed to me that, if she thought of doing anything on our behalf, it would be to come and fetch us. By these means she could save time, and it would be possible to reckon, with a fair amount 01 accuracy, how many days the voyage to Godt- haab and back would take her. Furthermore, in case my messengers should catch the Fox, but she could not see her way to fetching us, I hastily wrote a fev/ lines to Herr Gamel, of Copenhagen. This letter, and one from Sverdrup to his father, brought to Europe the first news of our having reached the west coast of Greenland, and contained all that was known of our journey for six months. In one respect they hoM, perhaps, a somewhat unusual position, for their postage came to no less than eighty-five dollars. Our messenger promised me that he would start that very afternoon. He did make the attemj^t, but, as far as I could learn, was driven back by stress of weather. As things were just as bad in this respect when even- ing came, and it was the general opinion that no boat would be able to make the voyage into Ameralikfjord next day either, the pastor proposed that a couple of men should be despatched in " kaiaks " to take to our companions the news of our safe arrival, together with a temporary supply of provisions, with which they could console themselves until the boats could be sent to fetch them away. This proposal I accepted, of course, most gratefully; and while the pastor vent to secure his "kaiakers," two plucky brothers, named Terkel and Hoseas, who belonged to Sardlok, but happened at this moment to be at Godthaab. the ladies of the colony set 172 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD If ■; delicaces. These were stowed away in the two canoes vh,Ie I supplemented them with some simpler art cTes oi food such as butter, bacon, and bread, and last bu no east some pipes and tobacco. Among the lat'e 1 a o;'t^rc'ct r f '■; '^ "■■■* ^ '--^ ' ^•"' -^ -^ --^ 01 tobacco, for Ba.tos private delectation - a cresent «'h.ch I had promised him up on the inland " ga.Ter.el,thee,drofrt:.oi:::hrLS1h; medmm of the pastor, an exact description of the sp^ where t e others were to be found, and pointed out to h.m on the map, which he understood well Godtl^art""' .*"1T' °f "'" =• *^^^ E-^^'™- 'eft Uoclthaab-two bound for Ameralikfjord, and the third for F,skerna..s. The first two, who were e.x-cellont h nds at the,r work, made good use of their time, and fo nd o ompan,ons on the n,or„i„g of the following daj- B he latter, who was an inferior " kaiaker," had o tu back, and was a long time before he finally got off As far as could n.ake out, he was seen hanging ab„ut N, Herruhut, wh.ch was his home, some daj. Tatfr ^ i his same morning, too. a boat for Ameralikfjord macie an attempt to star., but only lo con.e back a co l" hours afterward. As I have already said, these G en landers are ,,. ,.r.a. performers with the oar 1„ t' " a erno n they .h... ...other try, and this time, tra;; -y. we s n, no more of them ; but, as we subseciue „ I earned, they got no farthe, than ,0 an island a !,Me ry o .he s..,.th, w'.,ere they disen,barked and passed the next few d.ay, a, a tent instead of returning, though they ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB ,73 were no more than an hour's row distant all the while There was a very good reason for this odd conduct as it appeared, for had they come back they would have lost all the pay which they now managed to put to their credit; and, besides, they would have had nothing like so good a time at home as m their tent on the island, and therefore they felt no call to move till they had consumed their whole supply of provisions. Next day Uie Superintendent of the colonv, Herr Bistrup, returned, togMher with Herr Heincke the German missionary from Umanak, a Moravian station up the fjc . d, ^,ome forty miles from Gcdthaab. The Superin- tendent had been in Umanak, when a " kaiaker," who had been sent off from the colony, brouoht him the news of our arrival. He and the missionary had thereupon at once despatched a couple of men in canoes into Amera- hkfjord. They also carried a supply of provisions sent by the missionary and his wife, and were told to ^-emain with our party, and help them in every possible way On C)ctober 7. Terkel and Hoseas came back from Amerahkfjord with a letter from Dictrichson, tellino- us that they now felt quite comfortable in there, as they'had an abundance of provisions, and now knew of our safe arrival at Godthaab. ^ Two days later, or on October 9, the weather was suffi- ciently favorable tr. allow of my sending off an ordinary Lsknno boat, which I had borrowed of Herr Voged, the German missionary whom we had first met. The crew consisted as usual chiefi of women. The same dav. too, the first boat, commonly known as " the whaler." finallv left the island on which its crew had hitherto been pic- nicking. ^ 1-1 '. I^f'^ 'in I \ii if lU: 1 174 TV^^iVi-iiiy /.V 7:6-^- FROZEN WORLD Several days now passed, and as we had heard nothing of our companions, we began to expect their arrival every moment. The Greenlanders in particular were extremely anxious to see them. Like all Eskimos, they have the liveliest imaginations, of the fruits of which we had some noteworthy examples.' The very day after our arrival the strangest rumors were" flying about among the natives of the colony as to our experiences upon tlie inland ice. We were said to have taken our meals in the company of the strange inhabi- tants of the interior, who are double the size of ordinary men. We had also come across the tiny race of dwarfs who inhabit the rocks in the recesses of tlie fjords. Of the feet of these little people we had seen numerous traces HI the sand, and we e\en had two specimens of the race in our compan\'. On the other hand, it Mas reported that two of the mem- bers of the expedition had died on the way ; but of this sad occurrence we, as was quite natural, had no desire to speak. At first, indeed, we were regarded as possessing certain ahnost supernatural attributes, and it was feared that we had achieved the heroic feat of crossing the dreaded inland ice by the aid of means not strictly orthodox. And, therefore, as soon as Sverdrup or I showed ourselves in public, the natives assembled in great numbers to gaze at us. I, especially, on account of my size, was a favorite object of their regprd. We received appropriate names at once : Sverdrup was called " Akortok " — that is to say, "he who steers a s'-ip;'^ while I was honored with two appellations —" Angisorsuak," or " the very big one," and "Umitormiut nalagak," which means "the leader of the ARRIVAL AT GODTHAAB jy^ men with the great beards," under which description the Norwegians are generally known. It had also come to the knowledge of these good people that we had two Lapps in our company - members of a race which they had never seen. The two "kaiakers" who had come back from Ameralikfjord had minutely de- scribed their meeting with the strangers. " There were two men," they said, " of the people who commonly wear great beards, and two who were like us, but were clad in a wonderful dress." They were thus quite acute enough to see that the Lapps, in spite of all distinctions, belon^red to a race somewhat on a level with themselves, and were widely different from all Danes and Norwegians. At last, early on the morning of Octobtn- 12, the two Eskimos who had been sent into the fjord from Umanak arrived with a note from Dietrichson, saying that the whole party were now on the way. The entire colony, Europeans as well as natives, now turned out, and awaited their arrival in great excitement. At last we could see, by a movement among the " kai- aks," which lay below us, that the boats must^De in si.rht Presently, too, '' the whaler" appeared from behind a pro- jecting point. The " kaiaks " simply swarmed around her, and we soon caught sight of our four companions, seated in the stern, in front of the steersman, and already waving their caps in the air by way of salutation. It was a little strange to me to see them sitting there as passengers, instead of working at the oars. The boat came slowly on, with a long string of "kni- aks tailing out behind, and soon put in to shore under the flagstaff mound, where the four strange bcin-s from the mterior landed, and were heartily welcomed "by the 176 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Europeans of the colony, as well as by crowds of Eskimos, to whom, of course, they were a source of renewed wonder and admiration. The Lapps came in for marked attention. The Greenlanders set them down as women, because they wore long tunics something like the cloaks of European ladies, as well as trousers of reindeer skin, which particular garments are only used by the women of the Eskimos. Balto seemed to take the attention which fell to his share with the greatest complacency and non- chalance. He talked away, related his experiences, and was soon on an intimate footing with all the inhabitants of the place. Ravna, as usual, went his own silent way ; he came up to me, ducked his head, gave me his hand, and, though he said very little, I could see his small eyes twinkle with joy and self-satisfaction. They were all glad enough to have reached their desti- nation, and the announcement that there was a very doubt- ful prospect of their getting home this year did not seem to have much effect upon their good spirits. As stated before in this work (see page 74), Nansen and his companions had to spend the winter at Godthaab. On April 1 5 the ship Hvidbjorncn arrived, and soon after the home journey began ; on May 2 1 Copenhagen was reached, and on May 30 they entered Christiania Fjord, where they were received by hundreds of sailing boats and a whole fleet of steamers. \m CHAPTER X WITH THE CURRENT In the beginning of 1S90, Nansen delivered a lecture before the Norwegian Geographical Society, and set forth his plan for a new Polar Expedition. " I believe," he said, after giving a short sketch of the history of polar investi' gation, " that if we study the forces of nature itself which are here ready to hand, and try to work with them instead of against them, we shall find the surest and easiest way of reaching the Pole. It is useless to work against the current, as previous expeditions have done ; we^ must see if there is not a current that will work with us. There a-e strong reasons for supposing that such a current exists." Nansen's plan was founded upon the assumption that from Bering Strait and the north coa.t of Eastern Siberia a constant and comparatively strong sea-current sets in the direction of the North Pole, whence, again, it turns to the south or southwest, between Spitzbergen and Green- land, follows the east coast of Greenland, and then sweeps around Cape Farewell into Davis Strait. Three years after the sinking of the Jcauneffc. north of the New Siberia Islands in June, ,88,, a number of a,-ti- c es^wei-e found on the drift ice off the southwest coast of Greenland, which must undoubtedly have belonged to the lost ship — among them, for example, a provision list with the signature of the captain, De Long, a list of the 12 178 NANSEAT AV THE E/WZEiV WORLD I lli:) ll'! Jcanncttcs boats, and a j^air of oil-skin trousers marked with the name of one of the sailors who were rescued. The news of this discovery upon the drifting ice floe attracted much attention, and it was conjectured, with a Ijlausibilily approaching to certainty, that the i1oe must have been carried by the above-mentioned current from the New Siberia Islands, across or near the Pole, to the place where it was found. It was calculated that the articles must have been conveyed at a speed of about two miles in the twenty-four hours, which c()rresi)()nded with the rate at which the JcanucUc was borne along in the ice during the last four months of her existence. These relics of the yeanintfc are not, however, the only objects which have made the long journey with the current from I<:ast Siberia across the Pole, and 'ha\e been swept southward along the east coast of Cireenland. ,\ so-called " throwing stick," used by the i-skimos for hurl- ing their bird-darts, was found by a (Ireenlander, and given to Dr. Rink at Ciodthaab, who aflerwai-ds presented it to the Christiania University. It has been sJK.un that this instrument is (|uite different in form from that used by the C.reenlanders, but exactly resend)les t!ie throwing- sticks used by the l^skimos of Alaska, the northwestc-rn extremity of North America, which borders on iVring Strait; so that it too, in all probability, had traxerscd the Polar Sea. The drift wood which is washed ashore in (ireenland in such large (|uantities. and is so indispensable to the Eskimos in the absence of timber trees, has been shown to consist for the most i)art of !"mber native to Siberia, so that it too must ha\e been carried by the same current across the very precincts of the Pole. WITH THE CURRENT 179 w '^ mm r I NANHKN IN iSqj In the course of his wanderings along the shores of Denmark Strait, Nansen found on the drift ice lar^re quantities of mud. Of this he collected a number of specmiens, which were examined by Professor P. Cleve of Upsala, and i\. ]<:. Tr.rnebohm, of Stockholm, and proved to consist of varieties of soil characteristic of Si- beria. Thus the probability is that this mud, too, had made the long jDolar voyage. These facts of themselves sufficiently prove that there f : \: i8o m <.s m {t . i J\rAJVS£JV m THE FROZEN WORLD must be a practicable connection between the sea to the north of Asia and the sea on the east of Greenland - not, perhaps, an open water-way, which one could scarcely expect to find, but a practicable route in the sense thai the current carries the ice floes (now frozen together, now piled one on the top of the other, and then again broken up and scattered), across the distance indicated, with con- siderable regularity and in an ascertainable ,pace of time I^rom these premises, then, Nansen drew what we may' fairly call the inevitable conclusion that if an ice floe with what happens to be upon it can thus make its way across he po ar .-u-ea in a given time, it must be no less possible tor a ship, fixed among the ice floes in the course of the current, to comj^lete the same passage in the same time His plan was to make his way, with a small but strondy built vessel, to the New Siberia Islands, and there or thereabouts await the most opportune moment for mak- ing the furthest possible advance in ice-free water He thought It probable that he could get well past the Islands " When once we have come so far, we shall be right in the current in xvhich the ycannette was caught Then the thing will be to press on northward with all our might until we stick fast. We must now choose a favora- ble place, moor the ship firmly between convenient ice floes, and then let the ice screw itself together around her as much as it pleases — the more the better. The shin will s.mply be lifted out of the water into a firm and se- cure ice berth." Henceforth - so the project continues -the current takes up the work of i)ro]3ulsion ; the ship IS no longer a means of transport but a barrack The current sweeps it past the Pole and onward into the sea between Greenland and Spitsbergen. At the 8oth deo-ree WITH THE CURRENT i8i of latitude, or possibly before that if it be summer, it will probably find open water and be able to sail home. But if it should be crushed by the pressure of the ice ? Then the equipment and provisions will be moved to a strono- NANSKN ON TIIK ICK (SI'MMFK DRKSS) (From an instaiitaiieom (iltoti\i;r«3 ology, zoology and botany, palaeontology and ^^eology. " We Norwegians," so he ends his lecture, " have before now contributed not a little to the exjjloration of the Arctic area; our gallant Tromso and Hammerfest men in particular have done excellent service in this respect. NANSKN 0\ THK \VV. (WINTKR ORKSs) {From iiu insl,itit,iiii;iiis /•li,itoi^t;t/'li\ Hut as yet no Norwcj>ian crew has set forth straight for the Pole in a Norwegian craft. " 'IMie polar area must and shall be investigated throughout its whole extent. There has hitherto been a noble rivalry between the nations as to which should first achieve the goal ; and one day it will be achieved. !? f-ii:; :f 'I ,^'1 h ^ II if wmTi 184 jv^jvsbat in the frozen world " May it be Norway's fortune to lead the way I May it be the Norwegian flag that first floats over the Pole I " In November, 1892, Nansen expounded the same plan before another geographical society, not a young body l|ke ours, but old and world-renowned above all others -- the Royal Geographical Society in London There was a brilliant gathering, including almost all the Englishmen who have distinguished themselves in Arctic exploration, and they are not a few. Before this society, the first to which Nansen, on his return from Greenland (1S89), had set forth the results of his expedi- tion - before this society, which h.d done more than any other for the advancement of Arctic research ~ before in short, the most competent body of Arctic specialists' in the world - he had now both to explain and to defend the basis and the details of his plan. There they sat before his eyes, all those celebrated explorers whose names were already inscribed in the history of Arctic research - those grizzled and white- haired pioneers of the ]3olar world, the heroes of so many an achievement before Nansen was born. There sat Admiral Sir George Nares himself, the celebrated chief of the Alert and Discovery expedition, during which Commodore Markham had, on May 12, 1876, reached the latitude of d.^'' 20', a record which only Lockwood had since beaten. There sat Admiral Sir Leopold McClin- tock, leader of the Fox expedition (1857-58), by which Franklin's fate had been finally ascertained. There, too was Admiral Sir L. Ingleficld, who in 1852 brought Kane' Basin within the sphere of geographical knowledge. And there, among the rest, was the famous Arctic traveller, Sir Allen Young, who. so long ago as 1857, had accom- WITH THE CURRENT i8S panied McClintock, and in 1875 had taken the Pandora right up into Smith Sound to bring tidings of the Nares expedition ~ the same Pandora which, under the name of the Jeamiette, carried the hapless De Long to his fate. A whole host of other famous polar travellers were present — Admiral Ommanney, Dr. Rae, Captain Wig- gins, the well-known Yenisei trader, Captain Wharton, etc. It was to this illustrious gathering that Nansen was to expound his scheme. His lecture was, as usual, clear, sober, attractive in its form, and plausible in its matter. But he here stood face to face with a concentrated mass of experience, all tending to prove the insuperable difficul- ties of polar travel, which could not instantly make way for a new idea. Practically all of these famous pioneers of Arctic research, one after another, commented unfavor- ably upon the scheme. Old Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock opened the dis- cussion as soon as the lecture was over. 1 le began his speech thus : " I think I may say this is the most adven- turous programme ever brought under the notice of the Royal Geographical Society. We have here a true V'k- ing, a descendant of those hardy Norsemen who used to pay this country such frequent and such unwelcome visits." But he could not venture to express any great confidence in the scheme put forward, even supposing Dr. Nansen succeeded in getting into the alleged polar current. Sir Leopold feared the force of the ice-pressure, and did not believe that it would force the ship up on the ice. The next speaker, too. Admiral Nares, expressed strong doubts as to the plan. \ le i)articularly doubted whether the Fram would succeed in finding any polar current, f ■ i86 JVANSEM IN THE FROZEN WORLD and dwelt upon the dangers of a drift voyage such as Nansen projected. Admiral Inglefield expressed himself more favorably but Sir Allen Young again emphasized the dangers and difficulties, thought that land and shallow water would be found in the neighborhood of the Pole, and very much doubted whether the ship would be forced up on the ice His opinion was that it would be wisest to strike for the north from a point well to the westward of the New Siberia Islands. Captain Wiggins, too, was opposed to making the New Siberia Islands the starting-point, " as they are the most treacherous, low, sandy, muddy, horrible places." But on tne whole, he approved of Nansen's plan, and ended by wishing him a hearty God-speed. Captain Wharton, a well-known authority on these questions, gaN^e him warm encouragement as to his theory of the current. He thus ended his speech : " People sometimes ask: What is the use of Arctic exploration ? Amongst other things I think it may be said that its use is to foster enterprise and bring gallant men to the front. To-night we have an excellent example of that in Dr. Nansen. I can only say to him, God-sjieed ! " Manuscript communications from y\dmiral Sir George Richards and the celebrated Sir Joseph I). Hooker werc also read, both sceptical and full of warnings. Sir Joseph Hooker thus ended his remarks: M may conclude with expressing the hope that Dr. Nansen may dispose of his admirable courage, skill, and resources in the prosecution of some less perilous attempts than to solve the mystery of the Arctic area." It was not until late in the evening that Nansen him- 11:1 WITH THE CURRENT 187 self was at last called upon for a short reply to all these doubts and anxious warnings. His answer is as like him as it could be. Though plainly willing enough to take advice as to details, he is in the main unshaken in his conviction of the practicability of his scheme. And while he answers, point by point, the objections to it, he gathers new arguments from these objections themselves. Refer- ring to Admiral Nares's remark, that an Arctic expedition ought always to have a secure line of retreat, he answers : " I am of the opposite opinion. My Greenland expedi- tion proved the possibility of carrying out such an enter- prise without any line of retreat, for in that case we burnt our ships, and nevertheless made our way across Green- land. I trust we shall have the like good fortune this time, even if we break the bridges behind us." It is, as Sir Leopold McClintock said, the old Viking blood that speaks in these words. For it is true, as that famous explorer hinted at the beginning of his speech, that there is a touch of romance in Nansen's scheme. It is constructed, indeed, upon a scientific basis ; but no one who was exclusively a man of science, or exclusively a sportsman, would have had the foresight to conceive such a plan, or the courage to exe- cute it. A creative and daring imagination is its deter- mining element. I f-i! If i- M CHAPTER XI NANSEN AT HOME AND ABROAD Immediately after his return from Greenland, Nansen was offered the post of Curator of the Zootomic Museum of Christiania University, and accepted the offer. Be- sides the duties of this position, an immense Quantity of work fills up the interval between the Greenland and the North Pole expeditions ; he writes the story of what he has done, and he makes the preparations for what he has yet to do. And to all this we must add his lecturing tours to different parts of Europe. In 1889 he married a daughter of the late Professor M Sars, like his well-known son. Professor Q. Sars, an emi- nent naturalist. Fru Nansen is probably the most skilful lady skirunner in Norway, besides having attained great celebrity as a concert singer. A honeymoon was out of the question. The day after the marriage, the happy couple started by way of Gothen- burg, Copenhagen, Flushing, and London, for Newcastle, the scene of a geographical congress which lasted a week' \\hile the ne^v-made wife wondered in her secret soul that her husband should thus prefcM- " geography " to "love." Thence back to London. In the great city, they let the world, with its discovered and undiscovered countries, look after itself, and gave themselves up, in the solitude of that densely peopled wilderness, to the rapture of ex- istence. Then they passed six glorious days in Paris. In ansen iseum Be- ity of d the at he e has Liring )r M. emi- kilful ^reat after :hen- istle, r'oek, that Dve." : the :nes, tude cx- In :''^. infills F.VA NANSF.N (From a photograph) \ ' f : If I 190 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD October they were home again , but the sixteenth of the month found them once more on the move, this time for Stockhohn, to attend a meeting of the Swedish Anthro- pological and (ieograph.ical Society. This society had, in January, 1889, determined to confer its Vega medal upon FriiUjof Nansen, and it was now handed to 'im by the King. Only five people had received it — Norden- skjcid, Palander, Stanley, Przewalski, and Junker. The spokesman of the society, Professor Gustaf Ret/Jus, said in the course of his speech: " Dr. Nansen has had for- tune on his side in his first enterprise. Let us hope that this victory may not prove his Narva, leading him to un- derrate difficulties, and thus luring him on to a Pultowa. May it be only the first of a series of triumphs ! " The speaker knew, he said, that Dr. Nansen was in no way puffed up by his achievement, but precisely the same as he had been two years ago when he came to Stockholm to consult Professor Nordenskjold as to 1-s projected f his exploit, not only ^he field place in It IS in the journey. But Nansen might well b the speaker continued, because it wa to himself, but also to his country. . of battle that small nations can vindi^ the world, and secure their independence domain of culture, of civilization, of science and art — a domain which lies open to all — that they must press forward into the front rank and strive for the palm of victory. Here it is that they must seek for their true distinction, and earn the respect of the great nations. As far as we can ascertain, the Vega medal was the first distinction of its kind conferred upon Nansen. Seven years ago, as an unknown seal-hunter in the Polar Sea, he had looked with reverence upon the gal k. it craft which '^%ii- ■' KM "4\\„...,..'' a,/.,:..-:iiiaP^"" ..uV.lUUl'' DR. NANSEN Hi H : H W 1 192 JVAATSEJV IN THE FROZEN WORLD had borne Nordenskjold around Asia. Now he hi.nself held a place of honor by the side of that renowned travel- ler, and received the medal xvhich bore the name of his ship and was. according to custom, presented on the day when the Vega reached Stockholm after her northeast passage. The Vega medal was far from being the only mark of distmction c-nferred upon him. In the course of these years Nansen became a member of a host of geograph- ical and other learned societies, and received several gold medals and other decorations. We may mention th^ Karl Ritter medal, >iid the Victoria medal of the Royal Geographical Society, conferred upon him in thr ^^ gin- ning of 1891. This celebrated body states as fol^ows^its reasons for selecting him for this distinction: "The patrons of the Victoria medal, to Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, for having been the first to cross the inland ice of Green- land, a perilous and daring achievement, entailing a jour- ney of more than three months, thirty-seven days of which were passed at great elevations, and hi the climate of an Arctic winter; obliging him to lead a forlorn hope with the knowledge thaf there could be no retreat, and that failure must involve the destruction of himself and his companions ; and calling forth the highest qualities of an oplorer. For having taken a series of astronomical and meteorological observations under circumstances of ex- treme difficulty and privation, during a march which required exceptional powers of strength and endurance, and mental faculties of a high order, as well as the qualities of a scientific geographer, for its successful accomplishment. And for his discovery of the physical character of the interior of Greenland, as well as for other valuable scientific results of his expedition." NANS EN AT HOME ANi: ABA ^ AD 193 A distinguished friend in Copenhagen, writing to con- gratulate Nansen on receiving the Victoria medal, ends his letter thus : " If you sh6uld hereafter become ' Com- mander ' or ' Grand Cross ' of any order whatsoever, you must e: :use me if I do not congratulate you. Crowds of people have the right to wear a ribbon ; but die Victoria medal is held by very few, and it 's a devilish select com- pany it brings you into." The Grand Cross is presumably in reserve for his return from ;.he Polar Seas. Hitherto Nansen has received the Knights' Cross of the St. Olaf Order (May 25, 1889) and of the Order of the Dannebrog. It can scarcely be indiscreet to add, that it pained him greatly to be the sole recipient of these distinctions. He felt strongly that hi ■ comrades who had risked their lives with him, and shared with him his toils and dangers, oudit also to share with him the public recognition of their exploit. It was certainly no fault of his that he was the only membe- of the expedition who received the cross of St. Olaf. Even before he returned from Greenland he had been elected a member of the Christiania Scientific Society. A whole host of evidences of the appreciation of his achievement in scientific circles streamed in upon him after bis return, in the form of letters from the leading authorities on Arctic exploration. We shall here quote only a single expression from a letter addressed to him by the celebrated Arctic traveller, Sir Clements Mark- ham, dated March 11, 189 1. He says of the Greenland exTDedition : " For my part I regard it as being, from the geographical point of view, one of the most remarkable achievements of our time, remarkable alike for intrepidity and for the importance of its scientific results." «3 Vl 194 JVA.VSJSJV IN THE FROZEN WORLD II On June 24, 1891, Nansen was appointed Correspond- ing Member of the Institute of France, in succession to Nordenskjold, who was promoted to the rank of Foreign Associate. When he and his wife returned from Stockholm they lodged for two months with Martha Larsen, formerly housekeeper at Great Froen, whom we have already had occasion to mention more than once. Her house, which revived all the memories of his childhood, was like a haven of rest where he could take refuge, at any time. He had lived with her during the " hard spring," when he had to struggle both with his doctoral thesis and with his preparations for the Greenland expedition. Here he would seek rest and refreshment of an evening in chatting over the old days at Froen. " Do you remember, Martha," he would say all of a sudden, " that time when I came to you streaming with blood from a cut in the leg.? " " Indeed I do — you had fallen on some broken glass." " No — I can tell you tiie truth now, Martha. You see we had got new sheath-knives, both Alexander and I; and as I was slashing the heads off thistles with my new knife, I ran it into my leg. But of course I could n't tell you that." " It wasn't like you to tell me a lie," r.ays Martha, with mild reproach. "No, but there's a limit to everything, Martha; and I could n't have the new sheath-knife taken from me." It has been the lot of Martha Larsen to sweeten the year-long toils of the i)o1ar exj^lorers. Not that she, per- sonally, took part in the expedition ; but she was the self- appointed purveyor of jams and jellies to the Fram. In NANSEA' AT HOME AND ABROAD 195 t the course of his voyage northward, when Nansen was sending his farewell greetings in letters to all who stood very near to him, or had played an important part in his life, he did not forget his faithful old friend. From Kha- barova, Yugor Strait, he writes to her on August 3, 1893: "As I am on the point of leaving this last place from which letters can be despatched, I must send you a part- ing greeting, and thank you for all your friendship and goodness to me." Her friendship he describes as untir- ing, and says that she is always finding opportunities to be of service to him and to his wife. We need not apol- ogize for referring to this simple little letter. It is not every celebrated man whose mem.ory is so alert at the critical moments of his life. From Martha Larsen's the newly-married couple re- moved to the Drammen Road, where they set up house. But there was too little sun here, and too much town, too much civilization. They determined to build for them- selves, and bought a site at Svartebugta (the Black Bay), where Nansen, as a boy, had often lain in ambush for wild duck. While their building operations were in pro- gress, they lived in a pavilion close to Lysaker railway station — a pavilion which has since been transformed by the painter, Otto Sinding, into a comfortable house with a splendid studio. But up to this time it had never been inhabited. The floor was close to the ground, and it was very cold; the water in the pitchers froze hard every night. " That winter," says Mrs. Nansen, " cured me of the habit of feeling cold." In this dog-hutch and in this biting cold, Nansen set himself down to his book upon Greenland — he had no difficulty in recalling the atmos- phere of the inland ice. 196 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD V t i -^ • I f III If he took an hour's hoHday and became a human being again, he repented of it afterward. But he was for- ever going over to watch the progress of the new house, in the details and arrangements of which he took a keen interest. The " high seat," and the bed, in the old Nor- wegian style, were executed from his own design'- by Borgersen, afterward so well known as a wood-carver. The house, which was built by Mrs. Nansen's cousin. Architect Welhaven, was finished in March 1S90 but they had moved into it long before that. It was Bjorn- stjerne Bjornson who gave it its name. He rose from the " high seat," champagne-glass in hand, and said : " Godtkaab slcal det hede ! " (" It shall be called Good Hope ! ") Godthaab lies in the bight formed by a little projecting ness, sheltered and secluded, and quite alone. In front of the house is a wooded and grassy sIojdc, leading down to the shore, whence the fjord stretches wide and open right to Nesodland. Here Nansen had his foot on his own ground, and could keep his own boat for sailing on the fjord. But in the autumn he set off on a long lecturincr tour, accomjjanied by his wife. He spoke in Copenhagen, London, Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Munich, and Ham- burg. We have received from one of tiie most eminent geofi;raphers in lun-ojic, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, a very valuable statement of the impression which Nan- sen at this time left behind him in scientific circles. We quote from a letter dated May 17, 1.S96: — " As I have been confined to my room for several weeks, and am not yet permitted to do more than the most imperative work, I unfortunately cannot give myself ► i . NANSEN AT HOME AND ABROAD 197 ^■•-..5«1^^., NANSEN'S HOME the pleasure of entering upon a detailed account of Dr. Nansen's visit to Berlin. I hope, therefore, that you will accept in its stead the following brief notes. " Fridtjof Nanscn was here in November, 1890, two years after his memorable crossing of Greenland, and a year and a half after his return to Norway. As he wanted to complete his book describing the expedition, he had hitherto been unable to accept any of the rejjeated invitations he had received to visit Berlin. On Novem- ber 8 he lectured before a meeting of the Geographical Society. He was warmly received, for we had all fol- lowed his daring journey with interest. The peculiar magic of his personality, which never fails to affect those i lii 198 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD li ■ i : 1 ■ :1J i! ,j I J l. ( who stand face to face with him, was strongly felt during the delivery of this lecture. He took us all captive by the magnetism of his immovable will. We saw in him a strong man marching toward a clearly realized goal and clinging with tenacious energy to a well-weighed and carefully projected plan. We were strongly impressed with this feeling, even as lie told of his crossing of Green- land, and how he had 'burnt his shiixs ' before settin^^ r 1 ^ O forth on what was then regarded as a foolhardy act of daring. And it was with growing enthusiasm that tlie meeting hung upon his words as he went on to sketch in outline his great new scheme for reaching the North Pole. Man)- were of opinion that the enterprise was altogether too hazardous, and were doubtful of the jirem- iscs on which he based his belief in its possibility. But not one among his hcaicrs doubted that if the thino- ^-as within the range of hun\an possibility, Nansen was the one man predestir.ed to carry it out. On lookino- into the reasons for the brilliant success of his first undertak- ing, one could not but recognize that they lay in the care with which every detail of the ])lan was thought out. the sedulous forestalling of every possible contingencv, the physical training which enabled him to cope with all physical difficulties, the talent f<;r making the most of mechanical aids to locomotion, and finally, the indomita- ble strengtii of will. AUhough, no doubt, this new pro- ject far sur|)assed the former enterj)rise in magnitude and daring, vet all the precautions necessarv to secure a fortunate result seemed to have been concei\-ed on a proportionally larger scale. " Such, my honored friend, is the impression Nansen left behind him. No one who was present can ever for- i irins: 2 by ini a and and rreen- :t of tl ie etch ortli was rcm- But was tl le into M-tak- 1 the t out, all oi iiita- Ludc cure in a iscn for- I m it i ' ri: 1 1 l1 m ■iir 200 HANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD get the picture of the handsome, well-knit young man who so modestly told the story of an accomplished feat, and sketched in such simple words the outlines of a still more daring enterprise. Every one felt fully assured that whatever determination, strength, and intelligence can do to vanquish the hostile forces of Arctic nature misht be confidently expected of Fridtjof Nansen. And although we cannot quite rid ourselves of the idea that the assump- tions on which the scheme is founded are not as yet fully established, yet we are convinced that Nansen's clear insight will realize the actual conditions when he comes face to face with them, and that he will wisely confine himself to attempting what is physically possible, instead of clinging with stolid obstinacy to the plan once laid down. In this confidence, we look forward to seeino- your gallant young countryman return with a rich harvest of scientific results, followed as he is by the warm sympa- thy of the whole civilized world. " One thing I must add to my account of the impres- sion produced by Nansen. I must note the happy com- bination in him of a remarkable spirit of enterprise with a strong scientific sense. These two qualities are not often found together. Especially in our age of athletics, it may almost be said to be the rule that the most daring exploits — for example, in mountain climbing — are carried out purely fir their own sake and to satisfy a mere love of adventure. So much the more heartily should we ap- plaud the man who is impelled by higher motives to the conquest of the greatest physical difficulties. Nansen's lecture left no doubt of his keen interest in, and thor- ough understanding of, the problems connected with Arctic research. He took especial pains to acquire and I ill \ t NANSEN AT HOME AND ABROAD 201 a communicate a scientific insight into the physical con- formation and conditions of Greenland; and he has clearly a no less enlightened sense of the scientific significance of polar exploration." What especially occupied him in these years was the preparations for the Polar Expedition. The equipment mvolved an immense expenditure of thought — from the construction of the ship to the minutest detail of the com- missariat. Even the selection of the crew must have meant a great deal of correspondence — no fewer than 150 foreigners applied for leave to join the expedition. The list is headed by Englishmen and Americans, then come Germans, Danes, Swedes and Finns, Italians and Frenchmen, etc. The labor was enormous. Everything had to pass through hie head, every one of the thousand details. Compared with this mental toil, the labor of dragging the sledges over the Greenland ice fields was little more than child's play. It engrossed him day and night, and encroached terribly on the few hours that were left for his home and his family. The strain upon his vital force was incomparably greater than in any of his previous efforts. In the beginning of 1892 he again set forth on a lectur- ing tour, this time in England, the profits going to the expedition fund. He spoke in London and in the other great towns of England, Scotland, and Ireland, visiting Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Hull, New- castle, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Bristol, and many other places. " His lectures," writes a friend in England, " were highly aj^preciated and made a great success. His mastery of the English language was remarkable. He made himself I i I \trt ij j 202 JVANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD thoroughly heard and understood. Of course he read his addresses ; but to my thinking his speaking was most effective when, at the end of his last lecture before the Royal Geographical Society, he laid his manuscript aside. It was, in a sense, a farewell to England, inspired by a depth of feeling which stirred his audience to enthusiasm. I can assure you that when Nansen returns, a magnificent reception awaits him in this country." Late in the autumn of this year his sliip was launched. " A whole troop of invited guests," writes Gustaf Ret- zius, in the " Aftonblad " for November 3, 1S92, " took the morning train on October 26, from Christiania to Laurvik. There had been ten degrees of frost in the night ; snow had fallen, and a thin white veil lay over hill and valley. Gradually the mists dispersed, and the morning sun shone out with the peculiar softened splendor characteristic of a clear winter day. Nansen himself receives us at Laurvik station, and leads us to a whale-boat, lying at the pic/, with a crow's-nest at its foretop. It carries us down the fjord, then turns to the left and runs in shore. Here, in Ra^kevik Bay, lies the hull of a ship, shored up on the beach, with its stern to the sea. It is Fridcjof Nansen's new shi}), which is now to go off the stocks. The hull is high and broad, black below, white above. The three goodly masts of American pitch-pine are still lying along- side her on the wharf. Three flagstaffs have been erected on the deck, two with flags, the one in the middle without. It is reserved for the pennant bearing the ship's as yet unknown name, which is to be hoisted after the christen- ing. There are many speculations as to what the name is to be. People guess Eva, Lei/, AW^e, and Nordpolcn. " Thousands of spectators have gathered around Colin t o fcr| l.i i| ; i ■ ' » I, n J 204 I^AA'SEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD Archer's wharf, thousands have clambered up on the rocks. But around the great vessel lying shored up on the slips stand groups of sturdy figures in working clothes, with grizzled hair and furrowed features, carefully examin- ing her lines and build. These are whalers and seal-hunt- ers who have year after year braved the dangers of the Polar Sea. There are also many workmen among them, ship's-carpenters who have helped in Hie building, and who now regard their work with just satisfaction. But the master builder is the stately man with the serious refined features and the long white beard. It is Colin Archer. " Fridtjof Nansen, followed by his wife, now mounts a platform erected close to the vessel's bows. Mrs. Nansen steps forward, breaks a champagne bottle against the stem at one strong blow, and says loud and clear : ' Fram skat den hede'~^^\v^ shall be called Fram.'' At the same moment the flag is hoisted on the unoccupied flagstaff, and the word can be read in white letters upon a red ground. The last moorings are now quickly cast off, the last supports knocked away, and the great vessel glides, at first slowly, then quicker and quicker, stern-foremost, down the sharply sloping groove which leads to the water. It plunges deeper and deeper. For a moment it almost seems as though it were going to sink, or at any rate to strike the bottom. But as the stem approaches th-e water the stern rises, and finally the whole vessel floats away, to be brought back in a few minutes, laid alongside the wharf, and there moored. At the moment when the whole bulk of the ship had taken the water, a great wave swept shoreward and washed over the rocks and over the onlookers who had perched themselves close to the sea. ^ Fram = Forwards. NANSEN A 2' HOME AND ABROAD 205 We could see them from the distance scrambling like wet flies up the slippery rocks. A large boat which had been swept ashore by the wave was with difficulty saved, but without misadventure. " On the platform, by his wife's side, Fridtjof Nansen stood tall and erect, and watched the scene. All eyes were bent upon them. We could not but think what their feelings must have been at the moment when the vessel glided into the sea: feelings of gladness that the prologue to the long dark drama that was to be enacted in the polar night was now happily concluded ; feelings of pain at the thought of the long separation that lay before them. " For all who were present, it was a moment of deep emotion when, amid the booming of guns and the thun- dering cheers of the multitude, the Fram plunged into the sea and rose again proudly in its freedom. Many were afterward heard to say that it was one of the most impressive experiences of their lives. As the ship glided forth in the silvery light reflected from the calm surface of the sea, we seemed, in a flash of foresight, to be read- ing the Saga of the future. We seemed to glance down the vista of her destiny, to see her, in waters no keel has yet furrowed, spreading light over regions no eye has yet seen. And when we came to think of the stern realities which must one day surround the vessel and its crew on their daring quest, the cold, the darkness, the storms, the icebergs, ana all that follows in their train, we c^nld not but feel a touch of awe. But in Fridtjof Nansen 's serene, unembarrassed, steadfast glance, there was no trace of doubt or anxiety. He has the faith and the will-power that can move mountains." 2o6 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD * ! t : I Colin Archer, the builder of the Fram, beloncfs to a Scotch family. His name is widely known and highly respected in Norway. " It is not many years since our pilot boats were sadly deficient in point both of speed and of safety. They were neither well built nor well designed for the work they had to do, so that it frequently hap- pened that the boat went down and took the pilot with it. Mr. Archer devoted himself to the task of furnishinir our pilots with a faster and safer sea-boat After more than twenty years' work, he has met with such success that the pilot can now face almost any weather in one of his boats, and that those he leaves at home need no longer tremble and turn pale when the surf is lashing and the storm sweeping over the sea." In a speech which he made that day, Mr. Archer said that he would never have been able to solve this peculiar problem, so unlike any that he had hitherto attempted, if Nansen himself had not furnished him with the key ; it was Nansen s constructive sense that had throughout pointed the way. But Nansen had no less right on his side when he praised Colin Archer's talent, and expressed the belief that never before had a ship been built for Arctic work with any approach to the care and thought which had been devoted to this one. Let us hope that Colin Archer's most noteworthy " pilot boat," which is to pilot humanity through ice-packed channels and over un- known waters, may stand the test as well as the other " Archer-boats," its predecessors. The Fram, which in reality somewhat resembles a pilot boat, is specially designed to play the part allotted it in Nansen's general scheme. His idea is not to burst his way by force through masses of ice, but to let the Fram NANSEAT AT HOME AND ABROAD 307 lie firmly frozen in and be carried forv/ard by the current. It is not a fast ship, then, that he needs, but a vessel which can bea ,:.a immense pressure of ice without beino- crushed. It had to be so designed that the ice should not be able to grip its sides and squeeze them together, but should, as ic were, wedge itself under the hull and force it up out of the water. For this reason the sides and bottom are strongly rounded. In order to secure the greatest possible strength the ship had to be as small as possible, and particularly short in proportion to its breadth. This would facilitate both the raising of the hull when the ice got packed under it, and the handling of the vessel among the floes when it should be released from its ice-berth. The Fram's length on deck is 128 feet; length on water-line, 113 feet; keel, 102 feec. Her extreme breadth is 36 feet; breadth at water-line, exclusive of ice-skin, 34 feet ; depth, 1 7 feet. When she is lightly loaded, the draft of water is 12! feet. The keel, which is 14 inches by i^ I'nches, American elm, projects only 3 inches be low the planking, and its edges are well rounded. The frames are double, being built chiefly of Italian oak, < l> tained from the dockyards at Horten, where it had been stored for thirty years. The lining is pitch-pine. The outside planking consists of three layers: the inner one being 3 inches oak, the middle one 4 inches oak, and outside all an ice-skin of greenheart, increasing in thick- ness from 3 inches at the keel to 6 inches at 'the water- hne. Both. bow and stern are protected by a covering of iron bars. The total thickness of the ship's sides IS 24 to 28 inches, and their power of resisting pressure is thus very considerable ; but it is greatly increased b- !■■ ' I 208 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD W m W powerful beams or stays of wood or iron. The hold is divided into three water-tight compartments. The structural strength of the Fram is thus quite exceptional. Never before has a vessel been so fortified against the attacks of the ice. During these years of toil Nansen enjoyed breathing spaces, when he gathered his friends around him. These pleasant interludes in his work will never be forgotten by those who took part in them. They remember the din- ner when all the painters — Werenskjold, Eilif Peterssen, Skredsvig, Munthe, Sinding — gave themselves up to high jinks without beginning or end, when they would on no account listen to polite speeches, but rushed into the kitchen and set the pump going whenever any one began. Nansen was thoroughly at home among the paint- ers—he himself dabbled a little in their handicraft,' and, during his Bergen days, had worked in the studio of old Schiertz, who thought he had the makings of an artist in him. They remember, too, that Midsummer Eve, when Lammers sang of the hero Roland, and Nansen went down to the bonfire and piled on wood. Hy way of exemplifying the hours of relaxation in the life of labor depicted in this book, one of tlie authors will note down his recollections of a luncheon party at Nansen's house, the day after the launch of the Fram. J Nansen draws t-xci'llently : all the plates for l\i.s zotilofrical, anatomical, and histological essays arc drawn by himself. We mav mention, as a charac- teristic instance of liis encrjjy in every department, th.i he was not content with himself making the drawings for his works. Init also learned lithography, so that, for example, the plates in his principal es.say on the mrvoiis system arc drawn on the stone with his own hand. NANSEN AT HOME AND ABROAD 209 It had rained overnight, so that the roads were ankle- deep in autumn mud. Nansen himself met us at the station in the highest of spirits. When we reached his house (a quarter of an hour's walk from Lysaker station) it was raining. The fjord stretched before us dark and depressing, the gray autumn sky seemed to droop disconsolate among the pine stems. But in Nansen s study branches and logs were crackling and smouldering cosily upon the open hearth. Here everything is in old Norse style. Nansen him- self, as before mentioned, designed the furniture of light pine-wood, beautifully carved nith dragon arabesql'iL^s. Over the high seat hangs a tapestry of an antique pat- tern. Luncheon was served in the cosey little dining-room, and merriment was the order of the day. Full' justice' was done to one dish after another ; and Nansen is not the man to forget to season the viands with talk. He was, of course, still tail of memories of the previous day, and one incident of the launch after another was related and discussed. IVIrs. Nansen had to analyze her sensa- tions at the moment when she broke the champagne bottle against (he l)..u- and said: - Fnim slcal dai hedc!'' Some one else related h..w Archer was seen to close his eyes when the ship began to move; and so forth. When the champagne appeared, Nansen proposed Ket/.uis's health, and Ket/ius thus ended his speech in reply : — " This is a delightful home of yours, Nansen. and I cannot but mar\el at your resolution in tearing yourself away from it to set forth into the polar winter, and brave an unknown fate. You. a biologist, have the sea stretch- 14 r 2IO NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD rr* 'I ing before your very wind .ind fascinatin"■ age «e d,d. A I of a sudden I had to stop short, and hout to l..v.a It was too steep for snow-shoes, there wa nothu,g or ,t but to sit down and slide. It s not good for your trou.sers, but it "s safer in the dark " Iho wmd nipped om- ears till they tingled, for it was nce.ng hke anything; and on we went. Suddenly, .as uewere gou,g at full speed, n,y hat blew off-a inlo gray hat of the sort I usually wear " -So I had to put (he brake on, and get to n,y legs a-nrin up I saw something black upon the snow' .scU. i i|> o , , .scy.ed ,t, and found i, was a stone. The hat UH,st bofartherb,ack — ves. there il WIS \ ■ ,,','""''' a stone II, -''-■>"'-"- It "as. .Agani I clutched at a tone Hats seemed to swarn, all over the snow; bnt "Henlaunetopn, then, on, hey .all turned .,,st,nc" aic not awh„ belter. There was nothing for it but ,0 g" ahe.ad hatless. ° '" .,.;'7"T'''"' "'"■'■'■ '''"''^'''"'■' •'--'•'shouted, '•va I Ik' answer cimc from f.ir. f,,r below. ere seemed .0 be no end ,0 ,hat mile. Hut we '"•'"aged ,0 keepgo„,g somehow; and n,nv and then »c • Seven Knglisli miles. ^^ ii'i III If f I i ^ 214 MiJVS^Ar IN THE FROZEN WORLD could use our snow-shoes too. All of a sudden the ground seemed to fall away at our feet; we stopped at the vercre of a precipitous bank — how high it was we could n't se^'e, but over it we had to go, one first, the other after. The' snow was deep, and when that is so, you can clear incred- ible distances. " We had long ago lost our bearings, if we had ever had any. We only knew that ue must oo ahead. At last we came to a dead fix. Eva had once more to sit and wait vvhile I cast about for a ^^•ay. I went groping around in the darkness and was a long time gone. All of a sudden a thought struck me: suppose she were to fall aslec])! Such things have been known to haj^pen, and she must be dead tired. 'Eva, Eva!' I shouted. ' Yes ! ' she an- swered right enough, but this time from far, far above. If she had fallen asleep I don't know that I could ever have found her again. As it was I groped my way up to her, bnngmg with me the good news that I had found a water- course. I won't say chat a watercourse is the best possi- ble snow-shoe course, especially in pitchy darkness, when your stomach is empty and your conscience ill at ease — for this was really a reckless piece of work. Hut some- how or other we did contrive to make our way down the watercourse. " Now we were among the birch-trees, and at last we struck upon a road. So the worst was over. l\ar down, we came ui)on a hut. I thought it looked cosey enough,' but I<:va said it was dirty and horrid. And now she was quite lively; she was determined to |)ush on. just like a woman. " To make a long story short, we at last reached the parish clerk's house in Eggedal. It was now late at night, NANSEN AT HOME AND ABJWAD 2,5 SO we had to wake the people up. The parish clerk was quite frightened when he heard we had come from the top of Norefjeld. ^ '' This time Eva was not so particular about her nioht's odgmg. She had no sooner sat down in a chair than'she ell asleep ; ,t was twelve at night, and she had been on her teet for fourteen hours. " ' He s (luite worn out, poor boy,' said the parish clerk'- lor hva was wearing a gray snow-shoeing dress, with a short skn-t and trousers. " ' It is my wife,' said I. " Vou should have heard the exclamations. ' Oh I ord oh Lord, you don't mean to say so ! Think of draggin..' yc)ur w,fe with you over the top of Norefjeld on^ New Years Kve ! ' "I3ut now came supper-and as soon as she smelled that ,t was not mysosl and pemmican she wakened up " It e.uled m om- resting three days at the parish clerk's -and that was our New Year's Kve ascent of Norefjeld I thought ,t great fun ; but 1 don'l know what Kva would say. " When «c k.ft |.:.n;odal tlu. ,„,.„- l,oyan,I I -,,„ lies at Pipervikreadv to ^ta,t Onlyastnall grou,, of Christiania people have ga here, ,0 stare at the chnnsy-looking ship which st l-st .s berth long after the time appointed for the star,. J"slshtrs,heno,ieetal"Kierllu.n,-andlostan.«, taking no noti e ..any one, we ., ,0 the bridge, and gave ,n-ders for the . r let i, ■ "" '" ''" '"'^ "' "'■•^' '""'"^"" -■" -ver One une picture from his storj. of that New Year's Kve ex- ped.t.on has often risen before our minds during these y-.rs of wa,t„,g. She sits alone upon the UK.unt.^'n, and .p.es f,,rth uuo ,he in,penetrable darkness, s ,g, " " '.^. hen ,a voice is heard fron, far off on the snow- held, lie IS there! 1 le is comiuL' I If CHAPTER Xn ON ROARD TIIK " FRAM " p,is::;'"w c t" "'='" •'"""■'" "-■ -'"'^^ ''■-•>•• "•■•■'- loressoi v\ . L. linio-jrcr, ever since we starter! f,„,„ ';-cIegocle. NVe had first „,acle a tack' ,„„ „ ng t aeross tl,e Vestfjord toward Moskena-s Isla ^1 l"^cl now put about, and were heading straiassage soutlieast of .Skraa^■en liftec'r'tirse'a'it ':"'"' '"" ''''■'' "'^" ^-^^ *a„, and the sea n,t<. f,.am-topped «aves which nlashed mono onously against the l.,,ad ho.v of tl,e /.>! T , poughed her way .hrougl, tl,en,, as hea., .aan 1 Dutch galh-ot and as steach- as a ,„ck ^ Up on the bridge the pilof, Haagensen, was pacing to and f,o ,„ sturdy securhy, now and then sh, utin.: ,„ c .altct. But the fan-way was at tl,is point so .dear that there was not very much for a pilouo do -a wide eh neU, front, and a steady wind blowing, hour af;:,;,,: At he end of ,hc bridge Nausen h.,d rigged up for I>."-elf ,an open-air s.u.ho-an easel an«« haj to bestir Ci- self nr order to look presentable when she . ■> to T ^^5 and a daily scouring was necessirv tn ,- '"'"», of the ronl d„-ff,- "ecessaiy to remove all traces '[le coal-sh,ftmg operati.ns in N.-erosund o trouble for the crew was small, and thingsCe o he fa t, at the cargo was so exceedingly heterogeneous. It .s not so easy to get everything into order ,vhen an exact account has to be kept of where all the ,: able a,t,cles are stowed, so .,at they n,.ay always be at hand when needed, perh. s in the mon,ent of' l.am.. add.tion to the general work of the ship, and the avera<^e day was anything but a holiday. "■'^' ^s^r^ZT^ "T ''-''' "°^ y^-' «"-''"' *eir day's »o.k. The first mate was busy carpentering. Little r 222 NAASEN IX THE FJWZlwY IVOAW.JJ r I I Scott Hansen was every one's favorite; althoui^h a mere boy to undertake such a voyaoe, — he was only twenty- five, — he did !iis man's work with tlie best of tliem. He was always in good humor, always friendly and pleasant to every one; but his eyes would beam with affection when they fell upon the barometers and clironometers and all his other dear instruments up in the cjiart-room, which had been |)lace(l under his care, lie was to be both astronomer and meteorologisl — and first mate into the bargain, and a little of everything else. He was expecting to meet Professor IMohn next day up at Lodin- gen, and was consequently very busy puttiPig together a cage for his thermometers, planing and nailing away until far on in the evening. There was not nuich room on the de-k of the /n/w ; indeed, there was scarcely a sjiot that was not cumbered with deck cargo of all sorts. Almost the whole s|)ace for- ward was taken up with the su])i)orts for the longboats, and the superstructures over the hold, to sav nolhino- of an mimense number of odds and ends, such as a huge i)air of bellows, a si)are crows- nest, a great tool-chest, etc. Hu^ aft it was even worse — what with a stack of timber (|)lanks, beams, etc.), a number of large beer-barrels (a steadily diminishing number, it nuist be athnitted), the huge spare rudder and spare jiropeller, several parts of the great windmill for generating eli'ctnVity when the coal i.^ exhausted, ca|)acious tanks for |)ttroleum and gas oil, oi e of the boats, and finally, under the bridge, a whole pile of dried fish to feed the dogs who were to be taken on board at Yugor Strait. Around the wheel, howexcr, was a small open space built in with deck cargo, where one could actually j)ut (hV nOARD THE -FRAAr 333 one's foot 0.1 the deck and sil eosily sheltered from the wind. This was the favorite evening rendezvous of those who had time to sj)are for a smoke and a chat. Here we sat this evening in the twih'-ht, while the Fmm buffeted its way throuo-h the seas muier the I.ofo- tcn-Wall— Kcndriksen, (Ijertsen, Jacobsen, Christiansen (one of the r.reenland party), and I. The pipes were in full blast and the talk in full swing. Jacobsen was a capital narrator, when you could work hmi up to the point, which was not every day. He had seen a great deal of the world between the South Pole and the North, and had an unusually rich stock of expe- riences to drau upon. Whether he was recounting his adventures a.uong the Maories of New Zealand or among the ice Hoes of Nova Zembla, he always managed to pu't an extraordinary amount of life into the situation, and to transport his hearers into the thick of it. This evening he was telling the story of his polar-bear hunts, with one of the hourbon princes, on Spit/bergen, and he graphi- cally depicted for us all th.« manners and customs '"of the l)olar bear, its spirit of inquiry and its clumsy cunning. I iiave since read s.- ,ewhere that at parting the princcTpre- sented him with his own gold watch ; of that he said iiothmg. and 1 saw nothing of it while I was on board the Fnxtit. I'oiar bears being the topic, first one and then another contributed something of Ids own experiences. "How many bears have you shot. I lendriksen, roughly speaking? " asks the mate. I lendriksen was a lialsfjord man ; the shape of his fore- head, his broad cheek bones, and the whole tv|)e of his pliysiognomy seemed to indicate that he Ji.nd Ouien b!oo He was up „, the maintop and wanted to come down 'to the c eek forward. Con.ound me if he did n't slide down I e stay from the n,ain-top to the fore-top. holding on by hands alone all the way! There isn't nnnth boird r,„,i,i I 1 . '"^'<= IS nt another man on boa.d con d have done ,t ; but Amundsen's fists are as hard as shoe leather, and no n,istake. And th " o «.urse, ,,e s a bit lighter than , am, for example," .' [ as tell ?'",'" "n"'''" ''*" "^ '''^^'^^ ''''*''• '™de my way asuel as I could over the obstacles that bestrewed thi "l>.ch several powder-casks were piled up dryin. LkI down the cabn, companion -a journey wWch ifit d d notre,un.eag3™nastof the first rank.Ls cerilly n t to be >ecommendecl to a gouty subject or a fat „,a„ The cabn, steps went right past the galley, where Juell uas at tnat moment c]pf^i^ in u: . v ' \ ^ . ^""-'n acep in his culinary occuoations: ■A empen,g sn,ell of cooking greeted myLs.ri cu' looked n, for a monrent to warm myself 1 little and W Juoll stood in his shirt-sleeves busy at his work the mustaches d,oopn,g hke a bridle fron, the corners of hil " ^'"^'^ '"'fl "arm here, Juell," said I ;■ Warm ! 1 should think it was ! When all the pots arc bo,hng for dn,ner I believe the devil hin,self won d n" h.s nose ,f he poked it in here. It 's the hardest job '™ ever had n, my life. I 've made many a voyag t my "' i ^■?ni< 230 NAA'SEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD i K day, but this is the first time I 've shipped as cook, and if I come safe and sound back again, it shall be the last time ! Take my advice, Professor, and never be a cook, whatever you are." " No, no, Juell — we can't all be tailors, you know. I ^^^, don't suppose I 'm in much danger of re- ceiving an appoint- ment as chef. But when you coinc home again, Juell, I hope I shall be able to sfive you a dinner and say iak for sidst} and thank you for all the good dinners on board the Framr " Thanks for the invitation," answered Juell. " But it w^on't be for some time yet, I 'm afraid. If only Peik here will hold out till we come back, I dare say it won't be such a bad trip after all." ' Peik " was the popular name for an insulated cooking- apparatus, of Finne's invention, a great contrivance which held the warmth very long. Nansen took a lively interest in it, and several times, while I was on board, assisted at the cooking of the dinner, in order to familiarize himself with the working of Peik. And Peik cooked many excel- lent things. The fare on board the Fram, in sjjitc of Juell's apologies for his deficiencies as a culinary artist, was really capital and not at all monotonous. The menu generally ' " Thanks for our last meeting " — a common form of salutation. Kl rciIKN OK TIIE " KKA.M ON BOARD THE " FRAM" ^j, consisted of soup or fish, and a dish of meat, with half a bottle of beer a head, so long as the beer lasted. I re- member, for instance, that the first dinner I ate on board consisted of tinned fish-puddings from Stavanger, tinned rabbit from Australia, and wild ducks which Nansen had shot on the way. A great .-nriety of German preserved vegetables were used in the soups, and A.nerican cran- berry jam was often served with the meat. The provision- ing of the ship, like all the rest of its equipment, was most carefu ly thought out in all its details. There was a par- ticularly large supply of vegetables and of fatty matter so that, so long as it stuck to the Fram, the expedition should not suffer from •• fat-hunger," as the Greenland explorers had suffered. There w-ere no less than ,3,000 bs of butter on board, one third of it the best Danish bu or, and the rest superfine margarine, a present from Pellenn & Co. While I was on board we ate nothing but this margarine ; it was of such excellent qualitv that I do no think any one would have taken it for artificial butter unless he had been told. On the whole, the ship was Lavishly provisioned ; you could scarcely name a thing that was not in stock, and generally in considerable quantities. One thing, however was entirely absent, and that was alcohol -for drink^ .ng, that is to say. The spirits for preserving ".speci- mens would scarcely come under the heading of com- missariat. ° A passing steamer in Trondhjem Fjord had thrown us a bottle of port wine, bidding us drink it at the North Pole Ih.s was-with the exception of the b which was ca culated to last for a couple of months -all the drink- able alcohol on Doard. " You must lay in one or two i MiJ 'ir ■i ill 232 yv:^iV5^.V AV Ti^A' FROZEN WORLD bottles of champagne in Tromso, Nansen," I said one day in a joke, " to drink a skaal for Gamle Norge, when you hoist your flag on the axis of the earth." " I was think- ing of smuggHng on board one or two bottles of brandy for Christmas Eve," he answered; "but you need n't speak about it to the men." The doctor afterwards swore me to secrecy, and told me that he, too, intended to smuggle a bottle or so on board at Tromso. I can see in my mind's eye the saloon on Christmas Eve, with the steaming toddy on the table. If I know Nansen aright, the dose for each man will be of the homoeopathic order. How clearly it stands forth in my memory, that cosey little low-roofed cabin, with the small state-rooms around it ! " Saloon " is a misleading word to use. The Fratns saloon was little more than a cot. But the thought of the high endeavor to which it was dedicated made it seem loftier and more spacious than the most majestic hall. In itself, too, it was a cosey little retreat, exceedingly pleasant to creep down into when it was too raw and cold and wet to remain on deck. On the front wall of the saloon, between the two entrance doors, was placed a long sofa with high end- posts carved into dragons' heads. It was covered with a heavy rug of bright Norwegian colors. In front of it stood the long narrow dining-table ; by making ourselves as small as possible, we could all (except those on watch) sit down to it at once. The table-service was the same for all dishes ; an enamelled tin plate and a big enamelled cup. Over the middle of the sofa hung, in a frame, an ad- ■ f i I; OJV BOARD THE " FRAW vJv5 mimbly painted design for tapestry, by Gerhard Miinthe representing three fairy-tale princesses surprised by three prnices transformed into bears. To the left of this little masterpiece hung a woodland scene by Eilif Peterssen and on the right a delicate sketch in colored chalks by Skredsvig, representing the point and landing-sta-e at SALOON ON THE " FRAM " Nansen's home at Lysaker, with, under it, a study from Jtederen by Kitty Kielland. Against the right hand wall stood an harmonium made by Nystrom & Co., of Karlstad. It was arranged so that It could be played either by means of the keys like a piano, or with a handle, like a barrel-organ, the tune beinc determnied by a strip of perforated paper. Its repertor; consisted of over a hundred pieces, from the minuet in Von Giovanni and airs from Der Freischuiz, down to the commonest dance tunes. As an institution, however, it did not seem to be particularly popular ; at anv rate there was a unanimous movement on board for buyinis r^ces on the pattern, and were already beginning i sof- n the gay colors rather too much. " It s got to last tih we come back again," said Nansen, " so we musc be sparing of our splendors." * In the saloon I found ^^^ supper-table still spread, al- hough It was already pretty late. The engineers who had been on duty had come up to have supper and draw a breath of fresh air, which rhey had w^ell earned; for the stoke-hole of the F.am, a paradise no doubt in the polar winter so long as the coal lasts, must in these more south- erly latitudes and in summer have seemed very much the reverse. There they sat, then, the tno .r^^letes aforesaid, Enri- neer Amundsen and Lieuten • : ar^ Stok-. Johanscn enjoy,,^^ their rest and their .suppe^ Presently in eame' Scott Hansen and Dr. Blessing, and we got a warm cup of tea horn the steward and attacked the supper manfully — I, mdecd, for the second time. .'knew that I should probably eat only one more supper on board the Fram, and recollections streamed in upon nie of my days on board, wi.ich had passed so quickly along with many a thought of the days that were as ye, hidden ,n the mists of the future. In the mean time, the supper and the talk went on as usual, Juell going back- i II i I i ! i "■ :' I 'iili I ■ III 236 JVAJVS£JV IN THE FROZEN WORLD ward and forward and assisting in both. The talk ran on all sorts of topics, but of course chiefly on the Fratn and everything connected with her. Now the petroleum launch was the theme — one held that it was a wretched affair altogether, that it was quite impossible to keep it clean, and that after you had used it once, it took half a day to make it fit for use again, while another defended It and maintained that, with its great speed, it would be mvaluable for reconnaissances, etc. Then some one de- scribed what a sharp look-out you had to keep among the open lanes in the ice, how it felt to get into an Arctic^ fo^r, and so forth. ^' I was to take no part in all this, so felt myself rather outside the conversation. I turned to the doctor and said, " Tak for vtadcn} doctor. It will probably be a long time before you and I have supper together again on board the Fram!' " Two summers, I expect," said the doctor, with his usual cheery confidence. " If you have good luck, perhaps you '11 be back next autumn," said I. " That would be the devil's own luck," was the answer. " No luck at all," Amundsen put in. " If anything worth while is 10 come of th: trip, we must be away two years at the very least." A hearty burst of laughter greeted Amundsen's frank prognostication. His view of the matter was undeniably both a stoical and a practical one. After supper I went into my cabin to rest a little and get out my overcoat before going on deck again. Nan- sen had given up his own cabin to me, and slept in » " Thanks for t!,c food ! "_u formula always used at the end of a meal. i ON BOAJiD THE "FMAU" ,„ the deck-house while I was on board. The door to his cabin was on the rmU „.on ( _, ■ • h-l-„ ,11 ,. , • * ' forward in Ine saloon, and l.ke a 1 the doors m the Fran,, was immenselj- solid wi^, a high t reshold. None of the cabins had any sort o vmdow (the sides of the ship were t.enty-four inehe Stt : '" " f™'' ''^ *^^-^ "-' -■>' — o ventilation was a couole n^ ii u i • ,i , Tf „,,. r V^ ° ■'"^' "o^cs in the door tself lZt-rTr''\ ^'^'•'^- '-■ ""'- the ineandescen; lamp with which each cabin was provided, were hghted. When you entered the cabin and turned the knob for NAN.SEN'.S STIDY ON TUF. "l-RA'.i." the clectnc hght, the first thing it shone upon was an ad- mil-able drawing by Werenskjold : " Eva with little \.\. in HT ap I-l„,s all that was dearest in ,1,,, «„,|d con- fmntcd him the mumen, he put his head in at the cabjn door. I w,.|| remember one. morning when ho eauie to etch something before I had got up. He turned tlu- but- ton while still in the doorway and began to chat wil h li i' , i ith nic ir » i Mi r'4 =s II III M If f '* ^' I • ! tij 238 JVAJVSEA^ IN THE FROZEN WORLD but I saw where his eyes fell, and where his thou'^hts were. ^ _ Under the picture was a bench, a sofa by day, a bed by night. Here were no soft spring mattresses, only a stuffed pallet with a jjair of warm blankets and a single very meagre pillow. But how sound one could sleep'' on this smiple couch — that is to say, when the Fram was not roi. .ig so as to land one on the floor e^•ery now and then. For the Fram could roll, at any rate before the caroo was shifted in the Na.'rosund. ** Scott Hansen declared that she had described an angle of forty-six (' grces in a heavy sea off Lister. It must have been an uncomfortable night; the whole forward deck was deep in water, so that the deck cargo was wash- ing about from one side to the other, and at last there was nothing for it but to throw overboard a number of jjarafTin barrels. I'ortunately they were only emi^ty barrels in- tended for preserving the skins of hears, seals, walruses, and other game; and there were plenty of them left! Even while I was on board the Fram. she rolled a good deal one night, although it was not blowing particularly hard, and the sea did not run very high — indeed, there was only a long swell, in crossing the Vestfjord, on the other hand, when it was blowing quite fresh, the ship was as steady as a rock the moment she was under full sail. She was, indeed, a strange, a uni(|ue vessel. Sverdruj), vho, as a rule, said little enough, could not help now and then giving exjjression to his affectionate surprise in a subdued " She s a rare little cr.ift, and no mistake ! " Hut to return to Nansens cabin. On one side of the vn(\ wall was a cupboard containing the cash-box, pai)er.s, diaries, etc., the key of which was in Nansen's ,^^^■n keep- ON BOARD THE ^^ FRAAr^ ing; on the other side, near the head of the bed or sofa was^a bookcase with a rich selection of Hterature of many lands. Numbers of books had been presented to the /'ran^ by Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish publishers and others. The tolerably extensive library thus formed was alvvays_ at the disposal of the crew. Besides, the doctor had h,s own medical library in his cabin, and Scott Hansen kept a collection of books, mainly meteorolocncal and astronomical, along with tlie charts in the chart-room. But Nansen had picked out for his own use a number of books which he kept in his cabin. They were for the most part, of course, geographical, geological, zoological, and other scientific works, but with a fair sprinklimr of .magmative literature and philosophy. Ibsen and Bj5rn- son, Vmje, Jonas Lie, Runeberg, and others were repre- sented, some of them by their complete works ; and here too were Tennyson, Keats, Byron, iM-auenstedt s Schopen- hauer, etc.-m short, an ample stock of reading even for the long night of the polar winter. WMien I entered on my short occupation of the cabin t K. greater part of these books lay in a chaos on the floor' along w,th all sorts of other things; so I took it upon my- sel to arrange them according to subjects in the bookcase, and I made free use of this library while I was on board 1 h.s evenmg, for instance, when I lav down on the sofa after supper, I opened the first book that came to hand and found ,t to be Nansen s " Mow can the North Pola^ Rogu,n be Crossed ? "-containing his lecture before the Koyal Geographical Society, and all the objections of the celebrated Pinglish sailors. It was the first fun. I had seen ,t It made a peculiar and moving impression upon nic as I read it here in Nansen's own cabin. 240 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD m !i; 8 M II: When I had done, I felt I must go up and see him. Until that moment I had not quite grasped and realized the significance of his enterprise. He himself was always so easy and unpretending, and on board the Frain every- thing took its daily course with such a total absence of solemnity, that I had, as it were, lost the sensation of there being anything unusual in this voyage. To cross Greenland, to start for the North Pole, to go to the end of the world, seemed no more to these men than a trip down Christiania I^'jord to the ordinary mortal. I could hear Juell's quick tongue, in the saloon, supply- ing a running commentary to one of the doctor's stories ; on the deck some one was rumbling a beer-barrel along; the i)iston kept up its regular throb, and the propeller its vibration, while the /';v^w clove its way foot by foot through the sea, slowly but surely — as though driven by some natural law ever onward and onward toward the unknown <'oal. Nansen had lent me a camel's-fur jacket while I was on board; it was so cosey and warm that it seemed to put my skin into a jjositive glow when I had it on. Thank Heaven, I thought, he need certainly neither starve nor freeze so long as the I'^rani holds touether. But if the Fratu should be crusiied, as one of the Eng- lish admirals prophesied.'' " Then we '11 take to our longboat," Nansen had answered. '* The boats are too big and heavy," another admiral had objected. "We have five or six smaller boats with us," was Nan- sen's reply, " and if the worst comes to tlic worst, we '11 get along on an ice Hoe ; I Ve done it before." ON BOARD THE "FSAM' M« Yes, I fe t must see him and express my affection or h,m m the httle time we could still be together Up the compamon, past the steaming galley, out into the free air of heaven ! There the Fram lay, heaving gently in the full c'ory of the summer „,ght. We had at last drawn near tht peaks of Han.mero, so that we could see their green-clad base. Before us stretched all the mountains of the mainland hose neares bathed in a splendid purple glow, while far ther ahead they passed through all gradations <^f subdued color from tender violet to deep gray, right down to t e edge of the crisp blue-black sea. It was strangely still. Not a soul was to be seen on the deck, forward, and when I looked aft, to the south- ward, I saw noth.ng but sky and sea. The solenm silence of the summer mght took such hold on n,y mind tha. I emamed leaning on the bulwarks for a long time watching the plash of the waves against the ships side,' before I went up to him. ' There sudt "Oh, they didn't treat me n<- oil i u ;^nye.y anything to ;L:a:r^i7r/ .ot e.,,.,,, we can .^iij ^^^ T^ ~,i^ J^: '"•■ '^'"■^'^'' "P '^'-^ P-'-'i-S things, and we went Two days later, on the even in (r nf r,,i at Tronisn If i i • , ^^"'"^^ "^ Ji''y 12, vve parted 244 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD if;.... tM t ! II I 11 i 1^ I Nansen and I had been afoot all day making purchases. Moreover, we had been studying geology in Tromso Mu- seum, had had a glass of wine at Mack's, and had, for the rest, put in our time usefully and agreeably. I had betn aboard the Fram in the afternoon to say COLIN AKCHKR, THK lUIII.DKK OK THK " FKAM " good-by, and had poked my nose into every hole and corner to fix my impressions firmly in my memory. On board I found Mogstad, who had now joined the ship, and was to replace Gjertsen and Christiansen. He impressed me as a fine, active, fearless fellow, and was doubtless a valuable addition to the crew. ON BOAJiD 7 HE ^^ FRAM" of the no.ct!:^^-::;^rtT'^^'''r'^"'^^ to his wife He h-^l ,, promised to take No.e.,o.i.;rLS IT, :r ::, - :rr :' great pity t'o lo;e It i "J rs JIm '^'^ ' ^-'^ '^ "^ we shoult, have to leave thej Jri'T..^^^'"^' ^ '"' -"^:i^;:f;:airir^^^^^^^ worn-out pair of boots °™''''°''"' '-^'- » said.''"' ""^' "^ ^"' '^"■"S '■- ^-» home with you," I we''SraSi:::r;~'--;'^evesse,u„ti, so bad that we could ntl; " '^ "^' "^'^ "'S"^' ^e be annoyin. to In ' to f T'^*' '"'"'' "^™ '' "-« -y "" .'° '"vc to lose more than necessarv " That evenmg Nanson •,„.! c i '•'•'-''■^'^ry. on board the ffJ^Z ' , T "'' •''^^°"'P--'"ied me way of stirrup cui' " ' '""■' °' '°' '°^^^ "^^ wife/iirbicrr ■•"' '"'"'■'^- " ^^ '°- *° y°- all at home ! " '' *-""' "'>' '"™ ^" ^va and Liv and " 1 ronifse me vnn 'ii f-,? too reckless4,Kl a s T " ^'^''-'f' -^ -t be -en.s,i,h;-;::;~:rc^izt f I ji I " «-: ■!KaS-..."'-J,r.^-?j^.^ IM 246 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD melt into one behind the veil of snow, thick as in mid- winter, which is sweeping over the sound. One last glimpse of the Fram through the mist, and all is over. When shall I see him again .? ;i ■ TllK "IKAM" I.KAVING liKKUEN, NORWAY, KUR THi.; ARCTIC REGIONS a, \ ^ in mid- ne last ver. i hi NANSEN'S STORY AS TOLD UY HIMSELF It NS J I lljfjll If: ' M" / !^'a?ffi»j|fll5aR_®(;aHfiC^": (1, »j ON SO 5 M ■A < o a. Kg •a £03 I o w is as O z; o a: u X CHAPTER XIII INTRODUCTION As soon as ever I hefnn f.^ fU- i i it struck me tint tl e !f •*"'' Arctic enterprise ha.s been ,i,e ^r n hi , "";.'-" ^'•''^"'"S f™'" ""^ ''-'h and often cr!,.:! ^^S^nj^';'-^^ ^'^'>''-'' ''- »'"PS -an.s „. dog, ,,„ .r;:;;^,": ,- ■;- -f Progress by curred to me, however thit H " ' '"''^- '' °'=- wi>ich the interior of i,::^ X:'""^' be other ways by -•-bed,andit is n,any;::r, tri' rf'" '''"'''' '^ plan of the voya.^e we have 1, "' <^™<='='"- rorrectness of this theory, that I was equally certain that an expedition which, with a specially adapted vessel, pushed into the ice and allowed itself tobe fro/en in at the right spot on the Siberian side, must necessarily driit the same way, and thus be enabled to lift, to some extent, the veil which is drawn across these regions In my lecture delivered before the Ro3'al Geograj^hical So- ciety in November, 1892, and published in the "Geo-mpb. ical Journal" for ,896, I unfolded my plan and the^iews upon which it was based. The proofs upon which I chiefly based my theory of a drift across the Polar Sea were, as before mentioned: — (1) 'Fhe continual conveyance of Siberian drift wood to the Greenland coast. (2) The finomg on the coast of Greenland of a throw- ing-stick (an I^skimo implement), of which it might with certainty be affirmed that it came from Alaska by the Bering Strait ; and (3) The very nature of the ice that comes drifting south along the coast of Kast (ireenland. and which is .(msider- ably larger and more massive than aii)' drift ice we know and may therefore safely be said to haxe drifted a lon.r tmie m the sea before it could be packed together and piled up to form such enormous masses. 251 INTRODUCTION One proof to which at that time I attached consil erable value, and which, after investigating the circum- stances more closely, I consider to be of still greater im- portance, was that all over the ice which comes driftin<. southward along the east coast of Greenland, down hrough the strait between Iceland and Greenland, I found brown dust and mud. This, I concluded, could not con,e rem any othe,- place than Siberia. During my Green- land expedition in ,888, howeve,, I collected some sam- ples of th,s dust which I got the geologist Fornebohn, to exam„,e. Without knowing n,y views -simply fro„, microscopical examination of this dust- he gave it as his opnuon that it had probably come from ^n extensive alluvia country, and therefore considered Siberia to be its probable source. liesi■ ""-H.-.ing this n,ore c lo ely dur„,g the expedition, I found a whole world of 'I'atoms and other microscopical organisn.s, both ve..e- 252 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD { ; n \ •!l W table and animal, living in the fresh-water pools on the polar drift ice, and constantly travelling from Siberia to the east coast of Greenland, — a world which has hitherto only been known from the above-mentioned samples, but which, perhaps, no one dreamed was living on the ice in the far north — that ice which was thought to be utterly forsaken by all living beings. After having brought forward in my lecture the various proofs of the correctness of my theories, I summed up in the following words: — From all these facts we seem fully entitled to draw the conclusion that a current is constantly running across the polar region to the north of Franz Josef Land from the sea north of Siberia and Bering Strait, and into the sea between Spitzbergcn and Greenland; and as we have seen, the floe ice is constantly travelling with this current in a fixed route between these seas. Since such is the case, the most natural way of crossing the unknown re(>-ion must be to take a ticket with this ice, and enter the cur- rent on the side where it runs northward — that is, some- where near the New Siberian Islands — and let it carry one straight across those latitudes which it has prevented so many from reaching. As was emphasized in this lecture, it was not, of course, the object of the expedition to reach the North Pole, but to go right across the unknown polar region As I then said (" (;eograi)hiral Journal," p. 20), it is not possible to guarantee exactly over what point the current will take one. " It may be possible," I say, " iha the current will not carry us exactly across the Pole, but the principal thing is to exjilore the unknown polar regions, not to reach exactly the mathematical point in which the axis of our globe has its northern termination." M flit W I II: 1^- II I ii 254 NAA^SEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD To attain this, it was clear to me that there were only two ways of proceeding ; it ^ -as either — (i) To build a strong ship, so constructed that it can withstand the pressure of the ice, and, living in this ship, to float across with the ice ; or (2) To take only boats along, and camp on an ice floe, and live there while floatine: across. My plan was especially based on the former of these two ways, but also in such a manner that we were pre- pared to take the second way in case our ship should be overcome by the superior force of the ice. In order, however, that this slK)uld not happen, I gave all my care to the building of a ship especially fitted for this object, and I was fortunate enough to find in the well-known Norwegian naval architect, Mr. Colin Archer, a man who devoted himself with all the skill and capabil- ity he possessed to the task I set him. Seldom, if ever, has a ship been built with more care or greater conscien- tiousness than that with which Colin Archer built the Fravi; but in return he has the satisfaction of having produced the first ship that has ever passed the Polar Circle. The Fram fulfilled jjerfectly, down to the small- est details, the requirements which I put upon her. It was not only her great strength and the picked material of which she was built which enabled her to go through the excejotionally severe ordeals to which she was sub- jected, but !t was also the unusually good shape, and the numerous ingenious means by which all dangerous jjoints were protected, and which were due in a great measure to Colin Archer's insight It is therefore to a great extent owing to him, through the good ship, that the whole expe- dition, which it was prophesied in advance would be the INTRODUCTION hardest and most dangerous that man had ever vet ven- tured upon, was a real pleasure or holiday trip, durinsr wh,ch we led so comfortable a life that L could bf more comfortable, even in Old England VVhen I delivered n,y lecture to the Royal Geographi- cal Soccty, many of the great Arctic authorities who were present as n,y true friends, and anxious about the safety of my con.panions and myself, strongly dissuaded me fron, the atten.pt. A few of them went so far as to say that the whole plan was founded on theories which were far from agreeing with the actual circumstances- and the general opinion, both in England and elsewhere' was that ether the expedition would never be heard of agau,, after havn,g once confided itself to the capricious po ar ,ce, or it would return without results ; and all autho„t,es seemed to agree that it was an utter i.npossi- M.ty for ash,p to withstand the ice-pack in the unknown oral A. W Greely, thought it "almost incredible (l,at the plan advanced by Dr. Nansen should receive encour- agen,ent or support," and he concludes his article in the K,rnm w,th the following words: ■■ Arctic exploration is sufllcently credited with rashness and danger in its leirit- .mate and sanctioned methods, without bearing the bur- den of Dr. Nansens illogical schen,e of self-desiruction " I his, of course, could not shake my faith in the correct- ness of my plan. The Norwegian Storthing ha'.berian coast and northward to 79° N. lat., I found only very inconsiderable depths — less than ninety fathoms. A little south of this latitude, how- ever, th v'epth increased with astonishing rapidity, and \ found the sea north of that to be between i, 600 and 1,900 s with his re was of thout this, those who servations iment in a vork, etc. ; monotony s wlio had lore work ct consti- entific in- :arcely to ich abun- before us nsible for obscrxa- complcte. botanical Boreah's, I obscr\a- addition "d, sound- lalinity of Ic'ctricitv. hward to IS — less ide, how- ty, and I nd 1,900 ?«L"IM :.%n ITHLANT) ^ -Fan p^ajtcTtD :^oirTf: < ■MOWN THUS / ■-1 \ N V-; \ CTUiL ROirrt •5H0VVN THUS. >. .:. -.».... ... ..*„. „., .u,., ,<„„. 'z:^zz~zizzz^^. _Jll 268 JV^JVS^AT fjv THE FROZEN WORLD %: TK- J- *J^Lueen ^pitzbergen and Greenhnrl a" ea,l,er theories based upon a shallow Polar Sea In the numerous bottom samples brought to th s.^rf.;e I our sounAngs I ahvays found a r^markabl al ™ e o o gan,c l,fe, a fact which will probably lead to IT "ter a on of our v,ews with regard to bottom deposit" The temperature and salinity of the sea also „.„ f ,' different frnn, ti ■ • ' ™™ *" l^e ™ry ties fo ^"PP°-^'"°"« "f most scientific author - temperature beincr o^ ,^„ u "^ ^^'^^ Stream, its *- >•- »,.i;: !— ,:\■;;-- >JtLK again, and were our course to ho r,,. i i n^ap as it actually was it would h \ "^'"^ ''^ '" loops and knots L "^ '""'' ^' confusion of tHing of t f; 1:7" ""'' '^ '-^"^^ ^^^ "^^^'- -3- ever on which • "^^'--^ -tlinc map, how- -pp:":sm:h::m::i^^^'"^''"'^'-'^---^-'-'/-^ % June 18 we had in this .ay reached S,° 5.' N. lat., f TIf£ VOYAGB OF THE " PKAM" ,s, in lower latit^Ii "'n; utl OcToT'' ^" .'f^' ^''•"' mas Dav iSoj X,« °', *e evening of Christ- i^ay, 1S94, ),3 „,3g reached in ahn.it ^Z" -c , and a few days later 83° .4' N la ^ ' °'^- latitude until then reached bj.nn'f' ~ ""' '"'■""''^ the°™"' ' '"' =• "'5' "" ^-- "- objected to tne gieatest pressure we exuenVn^^ri c r on our expedition the ^reTlT , " ^'' ''' °"^ McClinto k, J t .s hi' 'f ""'^"' ^"- ^^°^-^^^ 1.0 1 1 . ^ ^'^^ opinion that the Fra^n unnlrl be able to withstand the ice-nressnrp Jn fi f]v,f if ,1 i^t;pitssure m the summer, but hat If she were exposed to it in the winter he beh' e the probabi ity of her being able to stand the presst "o raise herself was very sli.rhf Ofi a P'^^^-'^"»<- oi e.Wssed thc™.,el.e/y:;t.e '^Zj;:^::'^^ n tiK «nuc.. Now, however, the />«„ „.as not only to be exposed to winter pressure, but she was then fa ^ .VreslibtV "^"!™^'= "^'^^^- °f ice came gliding with inenclous. The ,ce piled itself up above the cunwale. - could ,ive,-^i: n::r-,r::::::,-:-S orouglit m safety on to the ire All k. j 1 1 . "■'J uic ice. /vii hands were rpnrl\r f/^ !:% el!;:;:"" ■™" -- - - ^"°-^ - ^^^^^ But the /).<,„ proved to be stronger than our faith in 4 U ■ 270 NANS EN IN THE FROZEN WORLD her. When the pressure was at its height, and for the first time her timbers and beams began to creak, she broke loose, and was slowly lifted up out of the icy berth in which she had been fast frozen. It was a triumph. By putting together the very worst possibilities, I could hardly imagine a more dangerous position for a vessel, and after that experience I consider \\\^Fram to be capable of anything. Notwithstanding the most careful examination, we have not been able to discover a single crack, a single splinter displaced in her. After this it became comparatively quiet as regards the pressures, and we drifted on rapidly in a northerly and northeasterly direction. , ^; . I CHAPTER XV THE GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION As I now thought I could assume with certainty that the Fra^n in a short time would reach her highest lati- tude north of Franz Josef Land., and as early as the following summer would, as our plan presupposed, be near the sea north of Spitzbergen, I believed the oppor- tunity had come to carry out a plan I had for some time entertained; namely, to examine the sea north of the Frams course. This could only be done by a sledge ex- pedition, which could not reckon upon getting back again to the Fram, as the chance of refinding a vessel drifting in the ice was small. As a journey of this kind might appear to be fraught with some risk, should unforeseen iiind ranees be met with, I felt that I could not take the responsibility of sending any one else, and therefore de- cided to go myself, although there was no lack on board of those who were more than desirous of going. I chose as my companion Lieutenant Johansen, who gladly ac- cepted the offer of going, The command of the remain- der of the expedition on board the Fram I left in Svcr- drup's hands. I of course felt some hesitation in thus leaving my companions and placing the responsibility for their well- being and safety in the hands of another ; but with the perfect confidence that I had in Sverdrup's capability as a leader and power of overcoming difficulties, I had no Ui\ m f!:h ' VI 272 A':4JVS£Ar m THE FROZEX WORLD fear of his not bringing all hands safely home, even should the worst happen and they have to abandon the Fram: an event, however, which I deemed highly im- probable. ° ■' All the winter I had been busy making preparations for I1.S expedition. I had had new strong sledges made on board specially calculated for being drawn by dogs over the uneven ice. Ne.xt I had made two kaiaks, twelve feet ■n length, and so roomy that they could each carry a man with provisions for four months, as well as some dogs on the deck. The framework of these was made of bamboo and covered with canvas. When completed they wei<,hed about forty ,»unds each. The provisions, which consTsted e.Nclus,vely of the best kinds of dried and greatly con- densed articles of food, -chiefly dried meat, dried fish steam-cooked oatmeal, biscuits, butter, etc., etc., - „-ere' stowed away in canvas bags of convenient size. We had constantly driven the dogs to keep them in trainin.. for the journey, and all kinds of experiments had been tied with the tent, sleeping-bag, etc. It was my intention to leave the Fram ns soon as the dawnmg polar day would allow of our traversing the .■ough drift ,ce. .So on February .6. with si., sl^d.^es twenty-eight dogs, two kaiaks, and provisions for men' and dogs for several months, Johan.sen and I left the Fram. However, after four days' toiling with all these sedges over the rough ice, we su„- that, thus heavily aden, w. should not be able to reach our goal in good "-. Ihed„g,s could not on this ice dr,aw"as much as «e had expected of them ; and we therefore decided to return to the ship, in order to reduce the luimbc,- of our sedges and the ,|uantity of our pro isions, and to wait a little Jonger before setting off. ! r i t 18 Pi if! I :fl 274 A^^Jvs£^v Av me frozen ivoRr.D On Marel, 3 just as wu were approacl,in. the Frarn tiK sun appeared above tl,e horizon for the L, i\Z7 1 .^,g. ^ter the .on,est poiar n.Vht ever i^i ec'^ -n. ^AXSK. ...o UKUTKN...,. ,.,,,3,.. X.K.V,XO THK^^ kIam" no^:r,.trt:tr;::h::;'--^^^ 'cc. \\c thus need not set off ,0 earlv an,l 't was not until Mareh ,4 that we a.ain ad f a ' dl our ...panions, this ti„K. in earnest;^^v/,l ■ r ;; «c had the same tuenty-eifrht do, , smoothc, ,ce, the .ce there being older, and its uneven- .. THE GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION 275 ness therefore better covered up by the drifting snow. This appeared at first to be the case. We found the ice tolerably easy to get over, and did some good days' marches. On March 22 we had already reached 85° 10' N. lat., and we calculated that we could cover greajer and greater distances as the sledge-loads grew lighter with the daily consumption of food on the pa.^ of both men and dogs. The dogs, too, appeared to hold out fairly well. But by and by the floes began to be more uneven, and packed together, and the drift, which until then had seemed to be slight, was now against us. On March 25 we had reached 85° 19' N. lat; on the 29th, 85° 30'. The ice was obviously drifting southward at a good rate, while at the same time our progress over the rough ice was slow. It was a never-ending labor, forcing our way through and getting the sledges over the high hummocks and piled-up ridges of ice, which were always being formed afresh, and which the snow-storm never had time to smooth over. On such ice the dogs, of course, were of very little assistance. When they came to obstacles such as these they waited patiently until we had carried the sledges safely over, and they could once more draw them Oil over a short stretch of level ice to a fresh obstacle. The ice was in constant movement and thundering around us on all sides. On April 3 we were in 85° 59' N. lat. We pushed on with all our might, always hoping for better ice. On April 4 we reached 86° 3'; but the ice grew worse, until at last on April 7 it was so bad that I thought it unadvisable to continue any farther to- ward the north. If it were like this in the direction of Franz Josef Land, we might have difficulty enough in getting there. We were then in 86° 14' N. lat!^ and It Ik I' if I '1 UA m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. ^ t/i f/. 1.0 I.I 11.25 U ill 1.6 V^ V/, /y Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WHSTEK.N.Y )4SI0 (716) •7a-4S03 # V k V ^\ Ss 4 * i/.A 276 JV^m£JV M THE PMZEN WOULD ''!■ ;* V. -«^o:^Z^Zi:^^ ' "-' ^"*- highest hummock I could fi,d1 '' T ^'""^ "^' P=ied.up ice as far as thl ioS "™ ""'^ ^'"'^^^ =>"<• the wind v'tho^Ube „. s " "'. ?'""'' '" ^'•■■'' '^'='°- fo.adi.a„ceof m ';L;r:i f ™'"''^"^ °' "'^"^^ probable that land win 7 ' f "*''"" '° "<-' ^^''C'^ly Pole, ever, if v 1 ' ,°" ''" '''''= °' '^e North thing like a c„„H ''"T ""' ™ "'^ «'her side any- peK o .aVir:; r:.f thJir ^"-'-" -- o«^;:o;^r^:i:k!:i:rit";::-- was approaching, and the temperatu 1 "d ht . H T'^ comparatively high, we did not think t sit u' " nave verv In w f, >,-,.., ^ &nouJd ao;ain and ma^: h e ^ '""■ •^" "--'"-■ '" -e we^ht reduced the o fi T '' """■^'""' '" l--'^'^'. we ciothing on bo f J , :::n 7' '^■'', °"^ -™ '- time, a proa-edin./, h ""' ^'"" "'"= «'^<^°nd bitterly. ^ "''" "■'' "'•^'''^ «"b«equently ,o repent For about three wcd-^ «i,,. * about 40° below „■• '""l"-'"""-^' ■•'■■"lained at ^ero, but S.K. L ■ ™"« "" ^''"' ■ '" ■ ■" below -ch a to rati 17"" .'V'-^° ''^'""- ^"°' ^^''h cold „, ou C ,rf ■■" ,"■';"• "" """" ''■" '• '"'"-'y owing to the:" r. ..:";'; \,::'t'^"; ^^^^^^ --.^^of ice-s^r ::;:;:— :;: lii-iji THE GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION 277 every night in our sleeping-bag, no little physical heat being spent on the process ; and not until we had lain with chattering teeth for about an hour and a half did we begin to feel at all comfortable. A few minutes after we got out of our sleeping-bag in the morning, our clothes were again transformed into ice; and I scarcely think that either Johansen or I will ever wish for a repetition of ^those days. In March the minimum temperature was 49° below zero, the maximum 4" below zero. It was on April 8 that we altered our course and be- gan our wanderings toward Cape Fligely, in Franz Josef Land. For a time we still had the same toilsome kind of road to go ; but after one day's march the ice became bet- ter, and its passage somewhat easier. It was our habit to vvind up our watches every evening when we got into our sleeping-bags. Being, however, very anxious to get on our day's march was sometimes very long, and on April 12 more than thirty-si-c hours had elapsed before we again crept into our bags; and when we then thought of our watches they had run down. This was an unfortunate occurrence. I had taken no observations for longitude for three days. I of course took an observation for time the following day, but nas obliged to make a reckoning or the three intermediate days' journey, which, however. 1 knew must be fairly accurate, even thougl; I could not tell how much the ice had drifted in that time. In order to have our time once more quite exact. I now wanted to take some lunar distances; but on setting about it I dis- covered that the table necessary for thci,- calculation had been left on board by mistake. Wc naturally, during the rest of our journey, continued to take observations for longitude with just as much care, and thought that we could not be very far out. 'H is ! ■' 278 JVJJVSBAT IN THE FROZEN WORLD When we arrived at 85° N. lat. on April 25, to our astonishment we came upon two fox tracks. This seemed to rniply that we were near some land ; but nothino- of the kmd was visible, notwithstanding the clear weather What now most hindered our progress were the cracks and channels in the ice. In that low temperature they were, as a rule, covered with a thin sheet of ice, which made it impossible to use our kaiaks in getting across. We were therefore often compelled to go a round of many miles, and it would sometimes take half a day to get past a channel of this kind. The farther south we came, the more of these there were, and they greatly hindered our advance; while provisions were dwindling and the dogs had to be killed one after another to feed the remainder. Some of the dogs at first evinced great aversion to eating their companions ; but as their hunger increased, and they got nothing else to eat, they gradu- ally became so voracious for this food that it was diffi- cult to keep them from it as soon as a dog was killed. Their rations had to be gradually reduced to the small- est possible amount, so as to make the little we had 00 far enough, and keep them alive as long as possible; iTut by degrees they grew sadly worn out. Many of them drew their load faithfully until they suddenly dropped down with fatigue, unable to stand any longer. We then had no other choice than to kill them oii^ the spot, or to lay them on one of the sledges, and take them with us to kill them when we pitched our camp in the evening. In June the channels became more numerous and more difficult than ever to deal with, and the state of the ice was very bad. Dogs, ski. and sledge-runners broke through the crust on the snow, and sank deep into the THE GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION 279 soft and wet snow beneath. The number of dogs new, too, was very small, and was continually diminishing. Advance seemed almost hopeless, but we had no choice, and so toiled on as best we could, while the rations for both dogs and men were reduced to a minimum. It is well known that, according to Payer's map, tiiere is a land north of Franz Josef Land, in about 83° N. lat., which he has called Petermann Land, it had been my intention to try first to gain this land, where progress would probably have been easy, and where we could have reckoned on finding sufficient "-ame for our rifles. According to our reckoning, too, we ought now to have been in the longitude of this land ; but we came farther and farther south without being able to descry any land at all. At the end of May we were in 82° 21' N. lat; on June 4, in 82° 18'. By June 15 we had drifted north- west into 82° 26', and should not then have been more than about twenty miles north of Cape Fligely. We still, however, could see no land. This became more and more puzzling, and the state of the ice grew continually worse. At last, on June 22, we shot a large seal, and now deter- mined to wait until the snow melted, in the mean time living upon seals flesh. A little later we shot three bears, and we now had abundance of food, so that our two remaining dogs could be well fed on raw meat. It was not until July 22 that we once more set out over tolerably good ice, and two days later we at length came in sight of unknown land. We were th.en in about 82° N. lat., but we were to have a hard struggle to reach this land. One day during that time we had an adventure which might have been much more serious. We were just about to cross a channel in the ice in our kaiaks. This I, ■. '4A i 4- It s ' 280 ^^^-^^^ /^ r^^ j^j^OZSJV IVOJ^LD tl St I T: °'" '"'"• ""^ ''<"''■"« "^^ •'ear by ■■nto the wL, : d : 'ir;: "T" "^^ '°" ^"•^ sfengtl, , hauled ,l,e h^avi de, kaf T"""^ '" "^ ea,, and the bear fell down dead between us. The onlv ™™d Johansen had teeeived was a sh.ht setatch „ the Sf^eX'rLr'' '"' "■^'"' - "- -> -" '^^- ove"tt::::iV;r'-"r:;;:,:,r, r '''''" -^ •^" .1 /-n , cnannels between were n<« n ; *, filled with sn,all ice-piece.s and ccshed fee L; non,e a aroe piece of ^ll T'"" ^"' """"«'' '''''- "'■■ '«>"«! '"be able to cross over the s ^ t etcn"'''f '""" "t^rt s s : r "-'•"--' ™^ »'-,andwr,::.tSj;-f:,;^;"-a„,the r";5;i-jT^^.;;''-r'-"'-^™"— lat. and ,- F , /"' ""T' '" '^'""^ ''° '^' N- ,1! '§ I I 384 'h IV* n I? \r ■I ,' ) ^w^^A.. /^ rm ^^o^^^ ,ro^^,, expect to arrive in tim*. f^ ^ j where we should acco'd „11 '"^ '*"'''' «""« '^""'^■-"d ■•"g time enough to Tav "n^ ' '° """"' '^'^o"' hav- fitted for wintering in and tL '''''"^'^ '''=""=d ^^^" opportunity for getti"; " „ " TZ"^ '° '^'^ ^"«^-"' '-- and P^parf forlTnter °"''" " ^^"' '° ^'°P -"^"rtCert-tttitn-'- however, the manipulation oftl,. u ' '"° "«="■ attended with considera e J W haT tT'™'^ ^""^ "P dragging them upon hnd or , . '"'' *° S'^^ only expedient wa, to 1 ''h " " *' '"'^^ ^"^ our -oving the hide Ld Wubbe d" '" "" "^'"- ''''•'' ^- succeeded in gettin. our n ' Tl^ ''^'"^ P'°''^^ we rated with oil^nd dirt hu " T^' ""^^^hly satu- unfitted for protection a;anst I' ""^ "^'" P'^™'''-'riy There was no scarcity of bel s ^ T"' '°" "'^ ''°^"^- winter store of food After I ' T "'°' '"^^"^ '<"■ "U'" supply, we set to work on J T^ '^'^ '" ■-• '«"Pomry «tone, earth, and moss Hn "' "^"'^ ""^^ ^uilt of ifiv'";"" '^''^"^^oZzr t::i^T'' TWs w7us°ed as L''rWgepiec"'rt,n' "rorlTshoI walrus hides over it, weth ed at k T'"'"^ '"''''^'^'^ with large stones. On thetoo !f V ^^'' °" '^°* ^''^e^ build a chimney was not ea! \"' ''''" ^"°*- To necessary. Our'onJ el^m" " ^' ""' "^^ ^^™- of ice and snow, which had 0^1'" "*" '° '^"'" ■■' o-hree times in the coursf ortheMr^ ' '~^- '- "uhbLrd :L:t:'\:;s f,e:ri n -^^^ "^'- nesn and fat was our only i. 'I'i t ^ome, and ^out hav- prepara- med well sufficient t to stop :lie blub- wo men, als was to give ind our hile re- -ess we y satu- :uliarly 5torms. 'or our porary lilt of -emed how- 'hore. tched sides To ones Id it two Irus )nly T/f£: GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION 285 food. In the evening we fried it in a large aluminiun^ frying-pan ; in the morning we boiled it. We made our bed and sleeping-bag of bear-skin. To keep warmer, we both slept in one bag, and, taken altogether, we were quite comfortable in our low hut, of which a great part lay below the level of the ground, and was therefore fairiy well protected from the violent winter storms which con- tmually raged above it. By the help of our lamps we succeeded m keeping the temperature inside at about freezmg-point, while on the walls it was, of comse, consid- erably lower. These were covered with a thick coating of frost and ice, which in the lamplight imparted a beautiful marmoreal appearance to the walls of the hut, so that in our happier moments we could dream that we dwelt in marble halls. The hut was about ten feet long, six feet broad, and high enough in some places to allow of our standing almost erect. Our couch was formed of rough stones ; we never quite succeeded in getting it even tol- erably level, and our most important business throughout the winter was, therefore, to bend the body into the most varied positions in order to discover the one in which the pressure of the stones was least felt. We had no work which could help to make the time pass: we did little else than sleep, eat, and then sleep again. If r.ny one still holds the old belief that scurvy arises from want of exercise, this is a striking proof that such IS not the case. Strange to say, our appetites con- tmued unimpaired the whole time, and we always con- sumed our bear's flesh and our fat with the same voracity When the weather permitted, we would take an hour's walk every day in the dark outside the hut ; but often it was so stormy that it was not expedient to put one's nose 41 i I if,( f y ' ■ i -i 'ii if ^ UL. . ?S6 beyond th( AUJVS£Ar IN THE FROZEN WORL which D passage which led to our palace. Several aays woulu often pass in which we lay quite still, until .f last a scarcity of ice to melt for drink inc.- water, or of food, com- pelled us to go out to fetch ice or to drag in die carcass or eg of a bear. After November we were not visited again by bears until March, and our only company in the winter was a number of foxes which constantly sat upon the roof ot our hut, whence we could hear their perpetual gnawing at our frozen meat. It made us often dream that we vyero sitting comfortably at home lis^ ning to the rats in he lo ft above; and we by no means grudged them a li tie of all our abundance. These foxes were of both "" therefore preferred to 1 u "' '"° f" "orth, an,and only at tne last moment managed to run my kaiak on to a floe that was projecting under the water, and escaped in safety from the boat on to the ice. The next day was employed in repairing the kaiak, and in drying clothe^, outfit, photographic apparatus, etc.,' which were all soaked with sea-water, though fortunately no real harm was done. The following day, when we were about to continue ih I ifff ' % H ■ m r '1 =9' NAMSEJV IN THE FROZEN WORLD Zi^ ":' " ' "'" J"^' '^'•^^='""8 breakfast before me torn h T1 ■ ""'"' °' ™'"^ ^^"^ *"»- 'o me from the and, carrying a confused noise from the housands of loons and other sea-birds which inh bit d vo ces, 1 suddenly started at a completely different sound ->l>.ch so much resembled the barking of a dog that fo a moment ,t seemed to me that there^ould be^^o dot of .'ts be,ng th,s. But then it was once ntore lost ,' e nc.se of the birds, and , thought I n,ust have bee: ml! taken. Agan,, however, the wind brought over a fresh ^f-eam o sound, which left no doubt whatever of there actually bang dogs in the neighborhood. I ran down . Kl waked Johansen in the sleeping-bag by saying, '• I have heard dogs ! " But I could not make him compre end, so I gulped down my breakfast, put on „,y ski, ixl dashed off across the ice. As , approached the shore saw a man comu,g toward me. It was Mr. Jackson and hearty was the handshake with which he welcon'ed me [In order to make the narrative nmre con,plete, as well as to g,ve merited recognition to one of the leading recent enterprises ,„ the field of Arctic research, we will ^ay that he gentleman whom Dr. Nansen so opportunely nL at h.s critical time was Mr. F. G. Jack.son, leader of the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition which left linglan,! in '«94. Veiy soon after the meeting of these ^.vplorers one of the members of the Jackson party came to the Nansen camp He was closely followed by four compan- ;on.s. hey all gave Lieutenant Johansen a cordial .rreet- mg. and then escorted him to the headquarters of the expedition. I.i ' ast before )itre land- across to from the inhabited lese bird- it sound, that for lo doubt ■it in the ccn mis- a fresh of there n down ^ing, " I conip re- ski, and shore I on, and I me. as well ; recent ay that met at of the uid in jlorers to the mj)an- T/fJi GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDITION 293 .i^reet- )f the i f H* iV wt '•^^ ^■^^■ MEETING OK DR. NANSKN AND MR. JACKSON ,N KRANZ JOSEF LAND. JUNK. ,896 IByfcrmUsiono/Mr Alfred C. ffarn.sworth, 0/ the Jackson-ffarm.uorth erfiediUon) Before organizing this expedition Mr. Jackson had seen a good deal of Arctic work, and had won distinction by making, in connection with his investigations, a sledge journey of four thousand miles. For a^long time he had desired to explore Franz Josef Land and the area to the north of this comparatively unknown region. His plans ill ■ < |i If y ' !!■" r; , i i i; 294 ATAJ^S^JV fjv THE FJiOZBW WOULD were carefully laid, and they seemed so practicable th.t he was enabled, under the most favorable conditions to make an effort to put them into execution. He found \ munificent patron in Mr. Alfred C. Harmsworth 1 ber of the Royal Geographical ^oc^^ZT^^t^:^' sented to bear the whole expense of^'the^ex^S bTt" also gave a great deal of time and personal ffor't.C secunng as complete an equipment as'it was possible : A whaler named the Windward, an exceedingly strong se:v'ic: i'n 'th ' '"" ^™"""^' ^''^ ^P-'^' -^-- t? s ^m vac 's ' "", r"'"'' ^"' ^^--si.^^A into a steam yacht. Several boats of different types were built nd seventeen sledges, of an impro^ed pa'ttern desig d by Ml. Jackson, were made. Tents, materials ready to be pu together for houses and a large supply of ex'cl scientific instruments also formed a part of the outfit For the first 'ime in the histoiy of Arctic exploration a ew pon^s were taken for use in travelling and in hauling loads. These were obtained at Archangel, and thirty dogs were secured from Western Siberia. The Windward sailed from Greenhithe on the after- noon of July u, left Archangel early in August, and pro- Hith his fow companions, established his headquarters The settlement, which consisted of seven huts, was named Elmwood. The Windward returned home, and was on her second voyage to the station when Nansen and Johansen became the guests of its inmates The primary object of this expedition was to make a thorough exploration of Franz Josef Land, both of the coast and of the interior, and thus determine whether it THE GREAT SLEDGE EXPEDIITON 295 ible that itions, to found a a mem- nly con- -ion, but ffort in sible to strong ence to into a •e built, ^signed y to be cellent outfit, ition a auling thirty is the southern portion of a great polar continent or a collection of islands. In this work Mr. Jackson has been very successful, having discovered many islands, and an important body of water which he has named Queen Victoria Sea. As nearly or quite all that is required in this direction has been performed, it is understood that in the spring or summer of the present year (1897), Mr. Jackson will take up the secondary, though very interest- ing and important work of the expedition, and either upon the open water or the frozen surface of this great sea, according to its condition at the time, commence a voyage or a journey which will be continued as far as possible toward the Pole.] after- d pro- :kson, irters. amed as on and ike a • the er it IP fi", '\ I • rJ i « I CHAPTER XVr HOMEWARD BOUND We were received here with a hospitah'ty and hearti- ness such as those Arctic surroundings can seldom have w.tnessed ; and though we had fully intended to go on our «-ay to Spitsbergen, which would probably be our quick- est way home, we could not tear ourselves away from this hospitable spot, again renounce all the ease and comfort «;H.ch were here offered to us, and once more take our Ngnms stafif into our hand. We decided to accept the kmd mv,tat,o„ to wait for the ;f^Wz.«.<^, which was soon to arrive, and then again return to Europe Never shall I forget how delightful it was. as soon as we entered Jackson's comfortably arranged house, to have a warm bath. It was not. indeed, possible to become clean the first time, but still it imparted a feeling of clean- mess ; and then delightfully soft, clean woollen garments to follow, to be shaved and have one's hair cut have a capita dinner, coffee, cigars, port wine, and, last but not east, books and the latest literature (two years old. indeed l>ut new o us) -in short, we felt all at once transported as ,f by the stroke of a magic wand, into the heart of civ^ il...at,on. The attention, the consideration, which every member of this expedition offered us was touching, and made an indelible impression on both of us. It seemed as f their aim was to soften by their kindness the recol- lection of last winter's loneliness and dreariness. lii HOMEWARD BOUND 297 OR. NANSF.N, AS PHOTOCiRAPHK D BY MR. JACKSON IMMEDI.-.TF.LY AFTKR TIIKIR MF.ETING IN FRANZ JOSEF LAND, IN JIINE, 1896 (By per mission of ."r. Alfred C. Harmstvorth, of the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition.) ;>' ; We now discovered that my suspicions, as indicated above, were correct. We were actually on the south coast of Franz Josef Land, and had arrived at Cape Flora, on Northbrook Island. Our observations and determination of longitude were fairly correct, in spite of everything, ind our chronometers proved to have been right. On the other hand, there were mistakes in Payer's map, 'i..\P ■I 't If J lie: tU I 298 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD which had put me on the wrong track — mistakes of which I have not yet found an explanation, but will find, it is to be hoped, on conferring more closely with Payer himself. The broad sound, through which we had come south this spring lay ji-^t a little west of Austria Sound, and was considerably larger than the last-named sound. It had already been traversed by Jackson, and called by him the British Channel. During the winter we had been encamped just to the west of Austria Sound, on an island which I have called Frederick Jackson's Island. Before we set out on our expedition, I stated, in my lecture before the Royal Geo- graphical Society, my opinion that Franz Josef Land was only a group of islands. This opinion has now been fully confirmed. Franz Josef Land is not only a group of islands, but a group of little islands of such small extent as perhaps no one had thought possible. In my opinion the islands forming Franz Josef Land may be considered as a continuation of East Spitzbergen, and the most important, most interesting subject yet to be worked out is the exploration of the still unknown western part of Franz Josef Land and its connection with Spitzbergen. In this region there are probably many new islands which it is to be hoped Jackson and his expedition will have an opportunity of discovering and charting. How far north the islands extend it is not yet possible to determine, but it is scarcely likely to be very far. I will not venture an opinion as to whether Petermann Land has any existence ; our course was so easterly that it may well have been too far off to be seen ; but in that case it must be an island of inconsiderable extent. The HOMEWARD BOUND 299 whole of that part of Franz Josef Land traversed by us consisted of basalt, and has once formed a continuous basaltic land, which is now, however, by numerous chan- nels and fjords, cut up into small islands, entirely or in great measure covered with glaciers, and where only here and there along the shore the dark basaltic rocks are visible. As a rule the land does not rise to a height of 2,000 feet above the sea, and only occasionally did the gla- ciers seem to approach to a height of 3,000 feet. On the south side of the country there is, beneath the basalt, a deep stratum of clay which extends to a height of from 500 to 600 feet above the sea, and which belongs to the Jura formation, and where both Dr. Koetlitz, of the Jack- son expedition, and I found numerous fossils of various kinds, chiefly Ammonites and Belemnites, which leave no doubt as to its age. As far as I can for the present say, a large part of this clay belongs to the so-called Oxford clay. Lignite ai.d fossil wood were also common in these clay strata. In a few places numerous fossil plants were also found, whose age I have not yet had time to determine, but which probably belong to a later formation than the Jura. In the mean time the days at Cape Flora passed imper- ceptibly. We spent our time partly in making scientific excursions of small extent, partly in reading, writing, and preparing a map of our route across Franz Josef Land as it appeared, according to our investigations, to be. In- cessantly did we scan the horizon in expectation of the Windward, the ship which was to come from Europe ; but a great quantity of ice lay in he sea outside, no sail appeared on the horizon, and as time went on we be- came more and more impatient, and more and more often did anxious remark. Tail on the possibility of the ice hin- ? ;j W^' r ||i: fl.' i 1 1 8 iW ' f. '^ 1 1 \u n\ .1 1 300 JV^JVS£JV IN THE FROZEN WORLD dering the Windward from coming in tliis year. When a month hud passed, Johansen and I began to repent a little that we had stopped here, and had not gone straight on to Spitzbergen, where we should probably long before this have found a ship and been on our way home. I began to think, indeed, of setting off again, as I was un- willing to risk passing another winter in the Arctic re- gions. I was tolerably certain that the Fram would come home this year, and would then, of course, throw our friends into the greatest anxiety witli regard to our fate ; there would then hardly have been an>- hope at home of ever seemg us again. At length, when six weeks had. passed, I was suddenly aroused one night by Mr. Jackson with the news that the Windward had arrived. The cheers and joyful exclama- tions with which the news of our arri\-al at Cape Flora were received on board the Windioard were proofs of such great and sincere delight that we could hardly have ex- pected greater from our own countrymen. It was a fresh demonstration of the sympathy which exists between the English and Norwegian nations. The stores brought for the Jackson ex])edition were soon unshipped from the Windward, and by the aid of sledges dragged over the ice to land. In less than a week all was ready; and as soon as letters and telegrams for home were ^^Titten, on August 7, we went on board, and the Windward weighed anchor to make for home. On board the ship we had the shortest and pleasantest homeward journey that perhaps any Arctic expedition has ever had. We again experienced English hospitality to its fullest extent, and those days can certainly never be forgotten by either Johansen or myself. HOMEWARD BOUND 301 There was a great deal of ice in the .^ea between Franz Josef Land and Nova Zembia, and it would certainly have been only too easy to r.:n the little Windward so far into the closely packed ice that it wciiJ have taken weeks and months to get out again. But with his great experience and his clear-sightedness in all that concerned ice and ice navigation, Captain Brown, the old whaler under whose command the Windward now was, knew how to find just the only way that would be certain to take us through 220 miles of ice out into the open sea to the nortli of Nova Zembia, and thence shape a straight course for Varclo, where we arrived on August 13, six days after having left Cape Flora. Thus I and one man of my expedition had now come to our native land, v/here we were received with open arms. Our first ques'' 1 after setting foot on Norwegian soil was whether an) diing had been heard of the Fram and our comrades. Our fear the whole winter and spring had been that the Fratn would reach home before us. To our relief, however, we now learned that nothing had been heard of the Fram, and our friends had been saved from unnecessary anxiety. I telegraphed immediately to the King of Norway and the Norwegian Government that all was well on board the Fram when we left her, and that I fully expected her and the remaining members of the expedition home again safe and sound in a short time. Great, then, was the joy when, in Hammerfest, on Au- gust 2 r 1 received a telegram from Skjarvo, a little port not far off, to say that the Fram had arrived in the night, all well on board. I 1; , \\h !■ ^1^ ' I! i» I !• '.I CHAPTER XVII HOW THE "FRAM" FARED— SVERDRUP's STORY When I left the Fram, I gave instructions to Svcrdrup Amoi:g other things they ran thus: "The chief aim of the expedition is to push througli the unknoun Polar Sea from the district around iVew Siberia north of P^-anz Josef Land, out to the Atlantic Ocean near Spitzber^en or Greenland. The principal part of this task I conskler we have already accomplished; -the rest will be accom- plished httle by little as the expedition goes farther nest In order to make the expedition yet nu,re productive, I will make an attempt to push on farther to the north with dogs. Your duty will then be to bring the lives hereby entrusted to you home by the safest way, and not .o ex- pose them t., needless danger, either out of regard to the ship, cargo, or results of the expedition. " How long it may be before the Fram drifts out into open water no one can tell. You have provisions for several years; but should it, for some unknown reason tr>ke t(,o long, or should the crew begin to suiYer in health' or you for any other reason consider it best to abandon' the vessel, this should unqueslionably be done. At what time It should take place, as also the way that ou^ht to be chosen, you yourself will be best able to' judge. Should .t be necessary, I consider Franz Josef Land and Spitz- l^ergen to be the best lands to make for. If search is "I'ade for the expedition after Johansen's and my arrival ( ) ^^^ CAI'I'AIN tilTU NKUMANN SVIKDKIM' 304 NAiVSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD M I f ,1 ' tllii. Mi!! •■ 1 flil: ii . i: ^ ! home, it will first be made there. When you come to land you should as often as possible erect conspicuous cairns on promontories and projecting headlands, and within each cairn place a short statement of what has been done, and whither you are going. In order to make these cairns distinguishable from others, a very small cairn should be erected four metres from the laree one in a northward direction by the magnet. What outfit will be the best in case of the abandoning of the Fram is a question we have so often discussed that I consider it superfluous to dwell on it here. I know that you will take care that the needful number of kaiaks for all the men, sledges, ski, snow-shoes, and other articles of outfit, are put in order as soon as possible, and kept in readi- ness, so that such a journey over the ice could be under- taken with the greatest possible ease. Information as to the provisions I consider most suitable for a journey of this kind, and the c(uantity necessary for each man, I give elsewhere. " I know, too, that you will hold everything in readi- ness to abandon the Fram in the shortest possible time in the event of a sudden misfortune befallintr her in the shai)e of fire or pressure. If the ice permits, I consider it advisable that there should always be a depot, with sufficient provisions, etc., upon a safe place on the ice, such as we have lately had. All necessary things which cannot be ujjon the ice ought to be so jjlaced on board that they are easy to get at under any circumstances. As you know, there are only concentrated sledge provisions now in the depot; but as it is not impossible that the ex- pedition might have to remain quiet for some time before setting off, it would be extremely desirable to save as much HOW THE ''FRAM'' FARED 305 give tinned meat, fish, and vegetables as possible. Should dis- turbed times come, I would even consider it advisable to have a supply of these articles also ready on the ice. " Should the Fram in drifting bear far to the north of Spitzbergen and get into the current under the east coast of Greenland, many possibilities could be imagined, which now it is not easy to form any opinion about ; but should you be obliged to abandon the Fram, and make for the land, it would be best for you to erect cairns, as mentioned above, there too, as search might possibly be made for the expedition there. In that case, whether you ouiiht to make for Iceland (which is the nearest land, and whither you would be able to go in the spring by following the edge of the ice) or for the Danish colonies west of Cape Farewell, you will be better able to judge when you see the circumstances. " The things that ought to be taken with you, if the Fram be abandoned, after the necessary provisions, are weapons, ammunition, and outfit, all scientific and other journals, observations, all scientific collections that are not too heavy (in the la.ter case small samples of them), pho- tographs, the original plntes by preference, or if they are too heavy, tlien copies of them — the areometer, with which most of the observations on the specific gravity of sea-water are made, besides, of course, all journals and memoranda which are of any interest. I leave behind two or three journals and letters which I will request you to take especial care of, and deliver to my wife, if I should not come liome, or you, contrary to expectation, should gel home l)efore us. " Hansen and Blessing will, as you know, take charge of the various scientific observations and collections; you 20 if /H m 306 JVAJVS£A' IN THE FROZEN WORLD tW' ■ \ m =- 1 I- ! 1 i yourself will see to the soundings, and that they are taken as often as opportunity permits. As the crew was small before, and will now be still further reduced by two men, some work may fall to each man's lot ; but I know that as far as possible you will spare men to assist in the scientific observations, and make these as complete as possible. . . . " In conclusion, I wish all possible success to you, and those for whom you are now responsible ; and may we meet again in Norway, whether it be on board this vessel or without her." The requests I had here set down Sverdrup made it a matter of conscience to comply with, and the summer after Johansen and I had left the Fram was employed, not only in the work necessary for the safely of th vessel, but in making the outfit required for a sledge journey over the ice as perfect and complete as could well be. And never, perhaps, has an expedition been better pre- pared for leaving their vessel than this, although the prob- abilities were that the necessity for so doin the Fram was in 84° 50' N. hit., r^ U. lon' 1 f >' 1 » 308 iV^A^^^vV nv THE FROZEN WORLD viz., 85° 57' N. lat. and 66° E. long. Some days later she was still farther north, but on those days it was cloudy, so that no observations could be taken. By the middle of February, 1S96, the Fram had come in a southwesterly direction to 84° 20' N. Lit. and 24" E. long. But here, (inite unexpectedly, long-continued south winds stopped the drift until May, when it again began to go south, until on July 19 they were in CS3" 14' N. lat. and 14 E. long., where the work of getting t!ie Fraui out of tlie ice betian. Had she not got loose here, but had been obli<>;ed to con- tinue drifting, she would of course have come south with the polar ice along the east coast of Greenland, toward which the direction of her drift pointed directly; and had she not got loose before, slie wo:il 1 have been driven south righ.t to Cape Farewell, a drift which has already been accomplished several times, anl which would, there- fore, not have been so well worth repeating. Throughout her drift tlirough tlie unknown Polar Sea from New Siberia to the north of Spitzbergen, tl-.(^ Fram was constantly exposed to pressure, none, however, being S3 serious as tliat, already described, in January, 1895. During this last summer, especially now in June, 1896, the pressure was particularly great, and of a jDcculiar nature. The Fram at that time lay in a channel, which, with the changing tidal current, alternately opened and clcxscd twice during the twenty-four hours. Throughout one week in June, at the s]- -ing tides, the jjressure in this channel was extremely hard, and the Fram was regularly lifted uj) once or twice a day. so high that her bottom could often be seen above the ice. But broad and safe as she is, she rose (|uietly, without letting a sound be heard within, either in timber or woodwork. No one on later she oiidy, so licldle of westerly ait here, stopped th, until E. lonor., e bei^an. . to con- .ith with , toward I)' ; and 1 driven already :1, there- )lar vSca e Fram r, being ^' 1895. ,1* ii ^ 1/ m ■ if'; i f ,1 If:- I'i.ll ii' The higliest temperature observed during the journe}^ was, as far as I remember, f or 8° (Fahrenheit) above freezing. The fall of moisture in the inner regions of the polar basin was very small, as the cold air carries very little moisture with it. All the winter and spring, there- fore, we had, as a rule, unusually settled, clear weather; while, on the other hand, in the latter part of the summer no small amount of fog might often be seen lying low down on the surface of the ice. Rain was, of course, a great rarity. During the whole voyage the Aurora Borealis was of exceedingly common occurrence, and scarcely a day passed in which it was not observed, provided the sky allowed at all of its being seen. We thus had exception-^i opportu- nities of studying this wonderful natural j^henomenon, which often rose to a grand intensity, setting the entire sky id flames. Northern lights of various colors were very frequent, and at times the colors were surprisingly intense. On the other hand, no sound was ever heard from them, nor did we ever see them quite low. Atmospherical electricity was also a subject of investi- gation, and sometimes the electricity was fairly strong. The result of these investigations, however, cannot be discussed until later. During the whole journey, samples of the air were taken in glass tubes, and will be analyzed at home. The depth we had found during the earlier part of our drift continued -fter I had left the Fram, and the lead showed between i,8oo and 1,900 fathoms, until the water began to grow shallow, as the Fram worked her way south toward Spitzbergen. Th(^ water temj^eratures, too, con- tinued almost unchanged ; but the layer of warm water i iit:i I water HO IV THE "FJ^AM" FARED 3„ below the cold, fresher water, w:.\h I have already men- tioned, became somewhat deeper toward the west the l^earer they came to the North Atlantic Ocean between bpitzbergen and Greenland. I have already said that the health on board was unus- ually good, and so it continued to be the last year also 1 he only cases of illness were one or two slight attacks of gastnc catarrh, a short attack of rheumatism, and two or hree other trifles. There was no sign of scurvy during the whole journey, and in my opinion this disease cannot appear if sufficient attention and care are given to the provision department in fitting out an expedition ; and it IS therefore a disease which ought to be forever banished from Arctic expeditions,- this disease which has hitherto been the one to claim the greatest number of victims offered to polar explorations. When in June and July of this summer the expedition began to see some prospect of being able to force its way south with the Fram, much labor was ^^.nt in gettin' her out of the ice. a task which was not -as. in the crrea^J packed masses. The only way was to try o blow up these pieces of ice by blasting, in which process both gun- cotton and ordinary gunpowder were employed The former of these proved to be the most effectual ; but heavy charge, of gunpowder might also, if judiciously placed, have had a capital effect. During these blasting experiments an accident hap- pened which might easily have had the most serious consequences. Sverdrup, with one man as helper, had just laid a train in a crack in the ice, and set light to the fuse, when suddenly the piece on which they stood gave way, and they fell into the water with the charge, and'' the IM 313 NANSEN IN THE EKO/JiN WORLD Wr*. ': I I 1 burning fuse close to them. The situ:, .ion was anything but agreeable, and they made the most desperate exertions to get on to the ice again, and out of reach of the charge before it exploded ; but the edge of the ice was high, and it was only after two or three unsuccessful attempts that they succeeded in getting to a place of safety. The charge exploded soon after. After several days of exhausting labor at this ice-blast- ing they at last succeeded in setting the Fram free, and on July 19 the work of forcing her southward through the closely packed ice began in earnest. The ice here vvas trei...iidous throughout, the Moes sometimes being so large that the end of them could not be seen even with a glass. No open water was visible, and the situation often looked hopeless. Hut it is a capital thing not to have any way of retreat; in other words, to have no choice but to go on. So on they went, and they had a capital vessel, by whose means the impossible became possible. By steaming and warping they forced their way, bit by bit, through ice which would have made most men give them- selves up to despair; and when it was too bad'for this, a way was made by blasting. For about a month they kept on with this work, and during that time broke their way through 150 geographical miles of ice — ice perhaps vaster than any other vessel has ever yet ventured upon ; and on August 13, the very day on which Johansen and I arrived at Vardo, they got out of the ice into open water. At the time of their coming out of the ice there was a fog, which, however, soon lifted, and close by was seen a^ small vessel, the Sisters (Sostrene), a schooner from Tromso, which greeted the Fram wi^h hearty cheers. Captain Bottolfsen coming on board. The first question anything Exertions c charge ligli, and ipts that :y. The ice-blast- Free, and througii I ere was eing so n with a jn often lave any ; but to I vessel, )le. By by bit, c them- r this, a th they ce their perhaps 1 upon ; n and 1 water. 2 was a IS seen r from cheers, jestion //OI-^ THE ^^F/iAM" FAKED 3,3 put to him was whether Nansen and Johansen had ar- rived m Norway. The negative answer to this acted like an uncomfortable damper on the joy they had experienced in gettmg out of the ice, and few on board the Fram had any hope now of ever seeing us again. Supposing, how- ever, that people on Spitzbergen might be better informed hey went there to meet Andree, who was supposed to' be at that place. There, however, the intelligence was no more reassuring, and their fears for us - their two com- rades-grew more and more serious. Captain Sverdrup was perhaps the only man on board who still believed that we were alive; he thought that we had arrived at I^ranz Josef Land so late last autumn that we had been obliged to winter there with Jackson's expedition, and all on board were agreed to go at once to Franz Josef Land to look for us. The Fram was indeed fully equipped for starting on a new polar expedition, should it be neces- sary To ..lake quite certain, however, it was oecided to go home to Norway to see if there might be any later mtelhgence of us there. It was during the night of August 20 that the Fram cast anchor in the little haven of Skjarvo, in Finmark bverdrup immediately rowed ashore to despatch some tele- grams. After he had hammered for some time in vain upon the various dcors of the telegraph office, a head was put out of a window, and an angry voice called out : — "It's too bad that one can't even be allowed a qu-'-^t night s rest ! What do you want, and who are you ? " " My name is Sverdrup, and I am captain of the Fram " came the quiet answer. At this the tone of voice in the window immediately changed. " I 'H come directly," it shouted, and the win- .tr I'f A' ' < 3M JVAJVS£:Ar JN THE FROZEN WORLD »-^«-- - _ '. THE "FRAM" IN THK HARItOR OF CHRISTIANTA AFTKR HKR RETUR.M dow was closed again. Sverdrup went around the house to the entrance, and there, to his surprise, found the person whom he had seen at the window in the simplest deshabille standing fully dressed before him. No human being had ever dressed more quickly, he thought ; and his astonishment was not lessened by the first words that the head of the telegraph office said to him, " Nansen and Johansen have come back." Sverdrup hardly gave himself time to answer, but rushed down the island to the shore to shout out the glad news to his comrades, who fell on one another's necks in mad delight. The news was immediately sent out over the water to the Fram, which soon after greeted it with a salute of two guns, which echoed far out into the still summer night, proclaiming the return of the Norwe- gian polar expedition to its native land. (Nansen and Johansen met the Fmm in Tromso harbor.) RECEPTION AND FESTIVITIES AT CHRISTIANIA The reception which took place at Christiania on Sep- tember 9 was so brilliant that no sovereig,. could be welcomed more royally. As soon as the tidings of Nansen's and the Fram'^ re urn were flashed over the world, committees Z; foimed to arrange great festivities, and th.y worked with unremmmg .eal to have everyth-ng ready'at the pr; ! ■me. The notice was rather short, but it appeared to be ong enough, as everybody was anxious to ' ssist and a h-dred willing hands were ready where there^LTotm .■;id use for only two. On Wednesday, September g, the c.'.pital of Norway was m , s best attire. There were Hags everywhere along the route of the procession, and festoons of evergreens and sh.elds w,th the names of the explorers in silv, r on a blue ground ; but the most original spectacle was an im- mense tnnmphal arch, occupied by several hundred yorn. people dressed in white. " All business was suspended, stores and offices closed at noon, and crowds of people thronged the streets from early morning. The festivities commenced on Christian ia Fjord A fleet of about a hundred gayly decorated steamers, large ana small sa.led out in the morning to meet the fZ and escort the good ship to the city. While this --.and demonstration was taking place on the sea, every localit ■ m and around the city from ..vhich one could get a view was filled with people. When the large fleet of steamers met the Fram and ll Wr 316 NANSEN IN THE FROZEN WORLD I \ m\ k her escort of eight men-of-war, a tremendous cheer rang out, and the Fram steamed into port amidst the salutes from the ships and the guns on land. She looked quite insignificant with her sombre and ice-battered hull in these gay surroundings. The guns of the fortress then gave the signal that the fleet had arrived, and a boat rowed by quite young sailor boys took Nansen and his men from the Fmm, while the multitude cheered and waved their handkerchiefs on see- ing the hero of the day, who was dressed in his celebrated blue jacket. At the pavilion, on the pier, a large chorus of men sang with great effect, at this inspiring moment, the well-known hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is our God." While everybody present joined in singing the nation-1 hymn, Nansen and his comrades walked'from the boat to the tent, where the indescribably joyful meeting with their families and most intimate friends took j^lace. Then followed the official reception, at which Mr. Sunde, the president of the Christiania City Council, made the speech of welcome. After deafening cheers Nansen responded in a loud, sonorous voice : — " Countrymen : it is a difficult task to express the fcel- mgs that animate my comrades and myself. Well I remember the day we left home. The fjord lay before us heavy with rain ; it was hard to say Good-by, and great was the responsibility; we felt that Norway's best wishes were with us; we realized that if we flinched the country would be disappointed. Hut I was certain that my men would do their duty even to the shedding of the last drop of blood. I can say that no one ever went to the North with nobler men than I flid. I thank y„u. from the bottom cf my heart, for your greeting of wU^ eer rang B salutes :ed quite hull in that the ig sailor ^hile the > on see- lebrated ; chorus noment, God." nation rd boat to th their Then de, the speech ponded he fcel- U'ell I before >y, and ■'s best led the in that of the ent to ^ you, )f wlI- ''itmi 318 'If,; 'f 1^ 1 1* I '■ i f If ArAJVS£JV IN THE FROZEN WORLD come, — a greeting that hardly any other Norwegian ever received. Thanks to Christiania. We only did our duty, therefore the welcome is doubly dear to us. Long life to our capital city ! May it often send out men like those it sent with me ! " After the reception was ended the explorers were taken into carriages, — Nansen and Captain Sverdrup in the first, — leading the procession as it moved up through the city. They received unceasing ovations, and on passing un- der the trium])hal arch, with its living decorations, flowers were thrown to the heroes. The professors and students awaited them at the university, and on their arrival the rector, Professor Schiotz. on behalf of science, welcomed Nansen and crowned " The Meroes from the Desolate Ice Fields " with laurel. The goal of the jjrocession was the royal castle, into which Nansen and his men jjassed while interminable masses of people collected outside, and called for him so persistently that he had to appear, time after time, on the balcony to bow his acknowledgments. At the state din- ner that followed and to which about one hundred people were invited, Nansen wore the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf, with which King Oscar had honored him at the reception at the castle. Sverdrup wore the cross of a commander, and the sci. ntific members of the expedition the cross of knights, and the other members, the new Fram medal of silver. The only speech that was made was that of the King, who said : — " This is a notable day indeed. Nansen is now, as a discoverer, the victorious pioneer of an important work of civilization, whom the whole world greets with acknow- Lon hi Briefly told, the plan of Lieutenant Peary for this expedition was as follows: With five or six companions he would land at Whale Sound, on the western coast of Greenland, latitude 77° 35' N., in June or July. The remainder of the summer and the autumn were to be spent in erecting a hut in which to spend the winter, storing meat and other supplies, making scientific re- searches, collecting specimens, and making excursions to the inland ice. In addition to this, if the character of the season would permit, a depot of provisions was to be formed near the southern corner of Humboldt Glacier. During the winter the members of the party w^ould repair their sledges and ski, mend their clothes, and get into readiness for use whatever they might need for travelling purposes. They would alsc practise running on ski and on Canadian snow-shoes. In the spring four or five of the party would make an effort to cross the inland ice to Petermann Fjord. From that point, if reached, two or three of them would continue the journey, while the others would return to Whale Sound. The advance party would push on to the most northern pcint in Green- land. After ascertaininn- ts exact geographical position, they would commence the return trip and rejoin their companions at Whale Sound, and the entire party would, at the first opportunity, return to the United States. -- h y for this )mpanions II coast of Lily. The ere to be he winter, entiiic re- ;ursions to cter of the A'as to be It Glacier. )uld repair [ get into travellins; on ski and or five of land ice to sd, two or wliile tlie E advance : in Grcen- il position, cjoiii tlicir wty would, tates. CHAPTER XVIII WINTER QUARTERS AND PREPARATIONS EiviNr, AsTROP, tlie author of tl,is sketcl, of a most remarkable expedition, was a young Norwegian who a compan,ed Lieutenant Peary on his perilous journy over themland ,ce and to the most northern poiit of Grel land. The following is his narrative ■_ The number of members of this expedition was five Besides Lreutenant Peary, its commander, there we^e D^' . A. Cook, a physician and a very active and enero-etic man who was about thirty years of age; Mr. Lan,tdon G.bson, a promment .sportsman and an excellen'. hutter i t'"v f ^^1""^' '''"'^'^"'^^ '° «'- P^'-^r- «- CO •, \ rS° • '' "^'"^•"l°gi-^' °f tl'e expedition, who ontributed «.,ooo toward fitting it out and who neve e urned; and myself. I was the youngest member of «^ Ic^ft?' "°' ^"""S ™'^l^'^'f«l "•)• '«o"tieth year when «e left po t. Each member tendered his services without remunerafon. Matthew Henson, a colored man who h.-^ w :: ":r"'^T'^"'/'=">-'^ --- f-- -•'"y >'-■-«, went uth us as cook. A remarkable innovation which gave the expedition an added, not to say a sensational interest was the presence of Lieutenant Pearys wife, who car-' nestly desired to accompany her husband. Up to this time no white woman had ever ventured into the Arctic regions. ^ The expedition left New York J une 6, 1 89 1, in the 1 If ft- ICK-I'ACK IN MELVILLE liAV Our principal occupation at this time was the shooting of a few seals and some sea-birds. On July II a great misfortune befell Lieutenant Peary. This was the fracturing of his right leg. Although com- pletely d'sabled physically, he accepted the situation calmly and unconij^lainingly. For four weeks he was confined to his bed, but he never lost his patience or wavered in his confidence of success. Our first bear was shot on Julv 16. During the next few days several more of these ferocious creatures were ; Bay, and progress. impatient Inglefield quarters. Dotinii of nt Peary, -igh corn- situation he was tience or the next res were 1 if $28 ACJiOSS NOKTIIERN GREENLAND i«^' I ,' seen, but we were not able to get within shooting distance of any of them. While east of Cape York, on July 22, we got out of the pack-ice, and on the next day we beheld in the distance the desert coast which was to be our home during the coming winter. The place which Lieutenant Peary had finally chosen for our winter quarters was situated on the southern side of McCormick Bay a little sop'H of latitude 78°. We reached it early m the mornip , f July 24, and spent almost the entire day in looking t 1- the most suitable spot upon which to build our house. Toward evening we de- cided to take a small dry place that was near the coast, with a creek running directly past it. During the following week the crew were busy hauling our provisions and stores, while we were equally industri- ous in building a house out of the materials which we had brought along in the ship for that purpose. This house was twenty-two feet long and twelve feet broad, and was divided into two rooms, one of which was considerably larger than the other. The walls and roof were made of one-inch boards, which were covered on the inside with tarred pasteboard. A foot inside of this wall there was another covering of common pasteboard lined with thick blankets. On the outside a wal. of stone, three feet high, was built around the house. Upon this wall we piled the numerous boxes and barrels in which our provisions were stored. In the autumn we stretched a canvas awning from the roof of the wall around the house, and thus formed a closed passage surrounding the building. This aided greatly in keeping the interior warm and cosey during the winter. ( .* i distance ut of the distance ring the y chosen lern side 8°. We d spent ible spot 5 we de- le coast, hauling industri- L we had s house ind was iderably made of ide with ere was ± thick et high, iled the •ns were awning id thus ;. This d cosey frmr^^ qi^ajite^s and ^jiemj^ations 3., On July 30 the Kiu left us, after Lieutenant Pe.r- sad to see the ship, our las. tlttio^Xhe"!!:" world, disappear in the distance TxT. civilized and could without interruS^';..:; ^ J^ *- z::i:^'"^' '-' ''''-'"'' .a; heforets " tt: Island and persuade the™ to settle n^earour hous^ Th s because they would be of great assistance to u" i J'he wmter by sew.ng our skin garments, and might be h Ift .n vanous other ways. On August :. four'^of u set ou on a boat expedition to the island. We reached it fely and found some Eskimos. The first „,eeting with ttem eemed verv queer, as we did not understand a vv do tl e.r language and they were equally ignorant of ours de Jd'^rr "' '''"'• "•<= "^'^^S^'^ '» -^ke them : derstand what we wanted. A family, consisting of a man h.s w,fe, and two children, were willing to go with uTat' once, and we took them over in our b^at, afrivinl a" the house on the i8th of August. Summer was now far idvanced. The remainder of the ZJI^u ""'^ P"''>' '" '^"""■"g --eindeer. We clothmg for the winter. On these hunting trips we went *£^1 , it r I m I it I ; '.'i » IH (I In p 330 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND nearly to the end of McCormick Bay, and we were usually quite successful. We had killed, in all, thirty-four rein- deer that autumn, when darkness set in and we were obliged to cease our hunting expeditions. On October 26 the sun left us, not to return for nearly four months. During about half of this period there was hardly any difference in the light between night and day. I will try to give an idea of what we did in this long period of darkness. As I said before, our hut was warm and cosey, and though the quarters were close we all got along very well. We had three meals each day. The last of these consisted of reindeer meat and different canned vegetables, and was more elaborate than either of the others. The day was spent in various kinds of man- ual labor. This was partly in the nature of necessity as there were many things to be done in the way of prepara- tion for our sledge journey in the following sprino- I did most of the carpenter work, making sledges,"ski, and other articles. Among the others. Lieutenant Peary particularly excelled in the high art of cutting clothes and most of our skin r,arments were made after^ his patterns. Dr. Cook performed quite respectable work as a tanner ana Mr. Gibson was equally successful in the line of shoe- making. After a time we became so proficient in Hi'^se occupations that we jokingly expressed to each other our doubts whether we had ever been doing anything else in this life but tan, sew, or cut patterns for the peculiar fash- ion of clothes wiiich we wore. On Saturdays we began the day by sweeping the loner stovepipe. This was such a difficult task that all of the male members of the expedition were obliged to help • and when it was finished, if one were to judge by the color 'v^ -» 'W' s long menirr"; '" """ '"^ ^^^"^ ™='g'-d that we were f-ee obliging Eslcimos, who 1 i IV;;; f "^'^ '"■ b.-ush with co„side,.ah,e energy, w.Jf^ ^i: ;" ^"'"^ On Sundays we walked about in our niore or less worn cvihzed attire, and, considering the eireunis n Pearod to be a rather fine looking set bT; m"';"" morning we were content to pnt a!we a 1 "^ vanity and cheerfully don our sl4, elo:;l: agli:""^"^ '" known to furnish protection ^;:o;r;,;: ^ZfC^^^ were prepared in the singular but rather troub e o,nc O.eenland way of chewing ,hen,, after thoj. are d^I i order to break the fibres. The sewin.. wn. 1 , I-kinu, women before the win L; W, , " ' "^ •Skin clothes, like clothes n,adc o 'o 1 : , i:;;';"'^'- /-iMf a^i ,, <^^un.i niaiciiai, wear > tat they wear more in son.e places than they do in others. I ns was especially noticeable in respect to tl e one of Ins garn,ents by putting a patch of ice bear skin on the n,ost e.vposed place. The long white hastk n.g out certainly gave him a comical appearance in ea' :' "Vl '""" '^"'" " "'^' """-' """"« ">«-■ -"»- r an f 1 """'"P"" •■"'^' '"■•'S*'-"'-' ^'^'entifie «.as, and books pertannng to Arctic travel, of which we ^' ' „ tl M. ^*i#»if?. i i • |l r t m-^ I- 332 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND had brought a large supply. Our evenings were largely spent in attempting to talk to the Eskimos. We told them of the distant countries to the south. They ap- peared deeply interested; but when we asked them if they would like to go with us, when the ship came to take us to our homes, they replied with great earnestness that they would never leave their country of rocks and ice. They often sang and danc . for us. That is, one man or woman, at a time, would go out on the floor and make the most hideous faces and movements, singing more or less improvised songs of a mystic character, which we could not understand, and beating a r' am as an accom- panmicnt. The other Eskimos and ourselves, all but the negro, stood around the dancer in a circle. The negro sat away back, on the edge of his berth, and played hymn- tunes on an accordion which was sadly out of tune, as a kmd of protest against this display of heathenism. ^ Nearly every day during the winter we received new visits from Eskimos. This was especially noticeable when we had a full moon. Then they would fairly come in droves. On these occasions some of them would build their characteristic cupola formed snow-huts immediately upon their arrival, and would settle down there to live • while others, who intended to stay only a short time, were usually allowed to sleep on the floor of our house, where they often could be seen packed as closely as sardines. One can easily imagine Hiat at first this was decidedly disrgreeable particularly to our sense of smell ; but such is the modifying effect of habit that the atmosphere, which had seemed almost suffocating, by degrees became endur- able, and at length caused us no trouble whatever. By this intimate association with the natives, we soon Wmmg QUARTERS AND PXEPARATIONS 333 ^TJT^ "T'*; '■''"''"''• ^"'' °'^'^'"^d considerable prae- hca^ knowledge of their difficult language. ^ Of course, Christmas must be celebrat,.H .„„ ,x. , we could not have balls and sleigh rides 30 o„ A ?"^ Eve we had a large dinner parfy About six „mT'' - stopped o:rrt ::rd ';o,: rrrxh"::- Z!T- -r-'" "" '"'="^^' "'^ Eskimo? We hd ii:iiii;"S:rrto'rS^^^^^ .ui. amusing tfr hi: rriiiXT:£,::r as well as i did iLTrr °"^"'*'^''"^''°" member, nf ti, !• "^"'"8 ^°"i« of "le members of the expedition secretly put on masks I d c rrr '"v ""-- ^^"^ "^=" '°''°-d. ow ien aves ' fThe ;"""'' "'"' '"^'' ^^ --" bravest of the men disappeared with remarkable alertness hrough t e door. This closed the festivities ^ he evening. It was late in the forenoon of the next dav nouse again When we explained to them the mystery the oref "?' '" '"' ''^"''"'' "' °" '-'s 0' were'fil d" Z""7- =""' ''"'^"' "^^"^ "'^ -^sks, they were filled with admiration, and had much enjovmenl with ^the^toys which had previously filled th^S: i..i:,J:Jl r i P H 334 ACXOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND Between Christmas and New Year it snowed almost mcessantly. During the winter there was a snowfall of a little more than twenty-three feet. The northern liehts were not very brilliant. Our chief consolation durin; ?:~-' "^ -nted to sleep, in fair weather w^imlHi^j'™ ™ the snow, sheltered by a sled-e ■ If T , 1 " "" ""der an oilcloth All T ' ''™"' ''' "'^'' 'he aid of a spirit hni " Z""' .™°'""S «- done by -pnit lamp. Pennnican, dried and .rround Pi 336 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND f* > H Iff .•I I' meat mixed with fat, was our principal food during the whole journey, but we also had some shipsbread, a little rancid butter, Knor s pea flour, condensed milk, chocolate, and meat powder. On April 30 we transferred provisions, sledges, and other equipments from our winter quarters to McCormick Bay, and afterward to the border of the inland ice. It was ICEBERG OFF CAPi CLEVELAND, McCORMJCK BAY exceedingly hard work ; and as our course took us through deep drifts of snow and over steep heaps of stones, it was necessary to make the loads very small. When this work was accomplished everything was in readiness; and the small party, consisting of Lieutenant Peary, Gibson, Dr. Cook, and myself, set out with hope and confidence that in due time we should reach oui uistant destination. I I After marchiiiLr for sevp.--,] ^ a snow hut (Eskimo i-Hoo , , '''''"• ^<^ built ■'•he sto,™ 4ecl o- tSsl" 7 "' '"""^ ^''^"-- and we crept out of ot,r nan-ow .^L ' .'h" " T""'' o""- eyes. Our sledges «ere „,.n , "'.•^ ^'^^ ^'S'l' met ''i!i^of hard snow, and w": OH ' "■"'' ""''''- ■"-•■^' -g shipsbread l,acl boenl" >t h T "" "^"'"^ ^'""=''"- P;ce, where we eould not rl o . he ^' 7' "T ' '''- always restless in a snow-storm h H ? , """ "^"^^ and straps in pieces ^„;'"""' 'y"" S"awed their harness others h.'; bee a taikeT n "•'",• °"' "'"^ "'^^^ "' "- call poblakto, si , 1 1 T'T' "'"'' "^^^ ^-^•'•"'- 1-int of death. T iw ':'"'; r' ""' "^•'■^' '"'' "-' wa.s great dan^^er hnt th, " T ^'"""""Sin.^'.as there - the malady.f w! ' h L:' t^'^S T"'^' '■^" ^-'--'"^^ "■s to proceed. Ourin.. fl,, I ""possible for con,e very htn, jr 'd "f 'T "" ^'^S'^ ''•''<' '-■ from thei str p?had d " ■" ''"^ ''"''^ "^^'"^''C-'^es .->iicm>, nacl clcvniirf>rl " "" ^'''^"^'^- -•'-' their new masi;;:!' ' ." ,^:: ^^ -;!' -i'™-'""! Penm,ican on the ;, ,':", • "^7;""« -'■^" l-'-s of '^■■■V>''''-'«-^-«.>l^a n ■;■"t:';^'"^™'^"•- '--l■•nt".hesnow.n,d|„,,,H \-,,'™/''"V'""''''^ -- -^ -^' '-^n, harness hin,. r,::i ^^l^^eS 22 338 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND %\ '! » t: in this work he can, as a rule, do it without getting bitten more than two or three times. In two cases we had to lasso the dog doubly, each man clinging tightly to his rope and a third man holding: the animnl down in order to make it possible for a fourth person to put on a new har- ness or repair the old one. i'f sei'AKaho.n UK ice i'i.oks If I CHAPTER XIX ACROSS T'lK ICE CAP leHect.on of the .sun on Ihe snow was less annovine T^ muc wander day was sacrificed to .he ,ods o Teep and to he art of preparing tea and pea soun VVe had reached an elevation of three thousallfi , ! feet ab the sea level. Konr of IZ^^ td^ ^ .ejes . d all the articles .e^:::^:pt:L;7;t:Zt h:ndred;::r"'' "■■-■■^""=' '''-" ™^- "--^ --^^'^t 'n^lehtld Gu.f and Kane Basin. Before us slouin^ toward the north and northeast, but so little as to bf hardly nofeeable, lay the inland ice. I had often told nw OaTri'T ''" '-'' *^ ^--^- '"^ep^l lou'ld di ?r r '; "'""■'-' '■' '" ■^°"-" ■"--'- 'hat ^1 ould distniguLsh ,t from ordinary days Dr Coot ,: : nn "; ^" "^ ■"^^'•"•^ --■'"'"■^ .'^-' -t'of :;■ make a fire out of a broken ski and cook ;l !' : 'IV.i : 340 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND a meal that would make our mouths water. He carried out his part of the programme to perfection. We had hardly ever eaten a meal with greater relish than we did the one on that morning of May 17. The principal dish was of the doctor's own invention. The recipe from which it was made is as follows: To one litre of warm pea-soup, add some pieces of pemmican. If the pem- mican is frozen hard, chop it into small pieces with an axe. This will cause it to melt more readily. Stir the ! 1: 1/^ ■* I'KARV AND HIS ( O.MI' ANIONS whole over a fire, using pemmican enough to make the mixture quite thick. It is a very palatable dish, and, if not eaten in too large quantities, is easily digested. On. May 18 and 19 we made good progress, covering a distance of about twenty-two miles each day. On May 20 we encountered a snow-storm from the southeast, and were obliged to make our camp much earlier than usual. As soon as we halted, we commenced making a snow hut. 2 carried We had n we did ipal dish pe from of warm :he pem- with an Stir the lake the 1, and, if :1. verincr a May 20 md were .lal. As hut. ■'■'IK MIDNIGHT SL'.' } s m Here we were snow-bound for two days. Had we known that two and a half months would pass before we should again be under a roof, we probably should have accepted this detention with much less dissatisfaction. We were not able to resume our journey until Sunday, May 22. When we had removed the snow with which our sledges were covered we found, to our great disap- pointment, that the only luxury among our stores — ten packages of fruit preserves — had disappeared. The ex- planation was easy. The dogs had gotten loose, visited the sledges, and eaten what they found. But the pre- serves did not agree with their stomachs, and the poor animals suffered severely for their pilfering. During the next two days we covered a distance of about forty-four miles, although we used neither ski nor snow-shoes. On the morning of May 24 we were east of the Humboldt Glacier, and about one hundred and thirty miles frf)m McCormick Bay. After finishing our meal Lieutenant Peary informed us that, according to tlie plan which had been laid out, the time had come for our little company to separate. Two of its members mast return to Redcliffe House (our winter quarters) and the otlier two continue the work of exploration. The object of the latter party would be to determine how far north the Greenland continent extends. It would require a long journey and involve great difficulties. Rapid travelling would be necessary, and the carrying of a sufficient quan- tity of jjrovisions to last for c|uite a period would be indis- l)ensable. If conditions are favorable a doo- can draw, on the inland ice, a load of about one hundred and twenty- five ;x)unds, and requires only about one pound of pemmi- can per day for food. It was therefore desirable that the Kad we efore we lid have :ion. Sunday, h which it disap- ?s — ten The ex- :, visited the pre- he poor ance of ski nor I east of :1 thirty ar meal he plan ur little : return e other t of the rth the a long ivellinp; ;-> t quan- e indis- raw, on twenty- pemmi- hat the ylCA'OSS THE /CM CAP 343 P^.ty proceeding north should have a small number of people and a relatively large num: :■ of dogs T^, would adm.t of the carrying of provis.ons for^a lo : -ientific in;.™::,:l ° '""' ' '^'°^^ ""■"'-■ "f Lieutenant Peary now inquired who would be willin,. to accompany h-'m farther north. We each and nJl teered. He selected me for his compal Id 1™':: delphl; "'■ '"""" '" "" ^■■^"«^'''-" ■•" t'l'il- lee «c made preparations, in ,!,e afternoon, to part o of the dogs, and provisions for twelve day.s, I.iX a eary and n.yself took the remaining sixteen" do. s •i"d the other sledges The htt„. .• , '" another wiO ■.•onef O ! , "' """ ''"'''""^ lopcs. Our entn-e load wei-died ai,„„t twelve hunclrrd pounds " '" 7'^^pani.4andn::':ftl;irrf5tt^:";:S K n>,clcllo of a lonely desert of snow. Fron, this point upon the fate of only t vo men. That night we covered a distance of not quite four 344 ACA'OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND miles, and we made (uir first caniiJ alone early in the morning. The next night one of the large sledges broke ; and as considerable time was occupied in repairing it, we did not make much progress We had now reached a place where the snow was loose and deep, and during the three following nights ue were able to proceed only a short distance. On May 28 we shot one of o dogs. The weight of our provisions had diminished so much that a smaller number of animals was needed to draw the load. By killing one of the dogs we could not only save the pro\-i- sions he would have eaten, but v.e could also use his flesh as food for the others. In time we acquired considerable facility in skinning and cutting ujj dogs, but it was the most unpleasant work we had on the inland ice. It made our hearts ache to kill the creatures that had been so faithful to us. At first there were but few of the dogs that had an a])i)etite for the llesh of their fallen comrade's; but later, when i)nvisions became scarce and they suf- fered from hunger, the surxivors all ate it readily. Three nights of marching bn)Ught us within sight of Pctermann I'jord. In the background we could see, through the clear air, to Hall Basin, a good deal south of latitude Si". After this there were so many dee|) cre- vasses in the ice that we were obliged to turn more toward the east than our course had thus far been di- rected. On the 3(1 of June ue had to kill another dog. This left us fourteen. I*or a few days we made ra|)id j)rogress. Tlien we again caught s-'^litof the mountains on the coast. Dur- ing a week of marching on the ice we had made our way into a trap from which it took us several days to escape. ■f ^i AC7WSS THE ICE CAP 345 0.1 the 9th and ,oth of June there was a snow-storm wh,eh compelled us to halt. We spent the time uLer ™ - c oth cover, an improvised sleeping-saloon that :^ no 'tv, """f' '" «"^ "^ ^"'^^ --' l-rf-t protection. U hen the storm was over we resumed our march, but vl r;;. """"« """ *'•" ••' '-'^ ^our when we I tin we T "" """""■ '^ '"■«'-■ ^'■'•■™'-»- We now sa« that we had conie too near t],e coasl and were .1 1 l ►' ' - h '■'■ ' and nearer we approached : the dark mo- I'aine until at jjj^j last the memo- rable moment arrived when we set foot on snow-free land after two months of continuous ski and snow-shoe running. It was nearly midnight when we reached the moraine. A cou- l^le of , snow-sparrows chirped us a greeting of welcome, and we heard the pleasant rippling of a fountain among the large stones that every- where covered the ground. We did not need coaxing to throw our- selves upun the ground and drink freely of the refreshing stream. Life had never seemed more beautiful than it did at this Moment. Peary at on. : started on a tour of discovery, and soon found something that quickened the hunting blood in our veins. This was a fresh track of musk oxen. We cer- tainly did not forget to take a rifle and some cartridges with us when, on the next morning, July 3. we started on a tour with provisions sufficient to last four davs. \\\ also carried thermometers, barometers, and photograj)hic and cooking ap|)aratus. Slinging our bundles upon our backs we were off. I'eary led the way, I followed, with our seven dogs. ( )ur sledges and the rest of our higgage we left behind among the stones. w A SI'KCIMIN i>\- CKI INLAND Kl.ORA earer we o a c li e d !ark: mo- iintil at e memo- moment :1 when ree land nous ski it when A con- ned us a e lieard ountain it every- 1. We ow our- d drink stream, at til is d soon in our Ve cer- Iridires ted on . \\\ ;raj)hic •n our I. with it^gau^e ACROSS THE ICE CAP Uj md down we went to the coast, over hills and dales all dai. lakes the hvdong day before we stopped to St. Everywhere we found numberless small k ose and stal skm kamiks a tune of continual suffering ^ Dunng the march we collected specimens of several m ne.aLs and also obtained a numbe; of red yelw a k wh,te flowers that enlivened the otherwise 1^^^^ Several tunes we found tracks of musk oxen/ ut o ^ or the anima s were in si.rhf t„ fi • Ihe nex day brought gin,! surprises and „rov«l a alter tsum ng „ur j„un,ey, we came t<, a r„ck about w me. We ad reached the east coast, but n-e on K^d a g .mpse of what „,. desired ,o see iu broad expanse llr two hours we presse.l on, but then there was a, ;bru» enduig of our niarehiuLr f,„. ,i,^ j,„ ,,. ' •^'•/"•'"Pt a... but Httle n,ore than-; ha,f:i,:tL;f,a :;:<;;: o so„,e>h,„g ,ha, auracted our attention and c^^ 3 ::::,r:;::::,™;r:r;;rT'-'-.^--^ to secure. When .he dogs were attended to. , waited la.^d 348 ACJ^OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND islened with great anxiety. Soon I heard reports of the rifle, by which thre ee sharp ,•„ . ' 'y ^^-^:citement was macie still n.ore n.tense. At length the tall form of Peary came nuo view on the slope above me. He nodded, gc.ticu- a ed, and laughed. By this I knew what had occurred \\ e were to have a supply of fresh n.eat! In a few jumps I cleared the Inll. The dogs kept me company, and double-qu.ck tn.e was made to the place where the ani- mals lay. I here were two cows and two calves. Three of them Peary had killed. The smallest of the group a yi elevation of about 3j.Soo feet. The rock, to which Pear^- gave the name of iNavyChff, ended touard the north in a steep wall that continued unbn.ken to the sea. At its h.ot was a mic-hty bay, widening touard the east and surrounded by hi^"its and earned shn,mg mountain staffs and ice-axes, but none of them had e.tljer snow-shoes or ski. As the cold of the pre^edrng „,ght had not been severe enough to form ! mzen crust upon the surface of the deep and moist snow ^^y were obhged to wade in a substance resemblin,: powdered sugar, n,to which they sank to the knees an2 some nnes to the hips. The fact that they had walked about five mdes ,n this terrible slush was abundant evi- dence of their zeal and perseverance At a distance of about three hundred and twenty-five fee we commenced ••.shooting" at each other with the we^known .nap-shot kodaks. These little instruments w,th their short cracks gave a kind of warlike appearance to our meeting - „ji„ ^, sieck infantry volley, indeed. As the parties approached each other a glad hurrah sounded through the thin mountain air. Then came the most hearty shaking of hands and an enthusiastic greetin.. of he men who had come with the steamer A"//, to take us back to civilized society. Never to be forgotten was 23 ° 1 I ' IM I , f 'p^^ 1 1 if- IT' IH WtKmmvt ilJi- 354 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND this meeting with fellow-men after seventy-two days of loneliness on an almost boundless field of snow. Neither can we ever forget the intense interest and deep enjoy- ment with which we listened to a recital of the great events which had occurred in the inhabited world during the year that had passed since we left our homes. Slowly we made our way over the snow, but conversa- tion did not flag. At length we reached the ship. Our great journey was at an end. Since leaving the house we had spent more than ninety days on the inland ice of Greenland, and had travelled about thirteen hundred miles. We had found the exact northern extent of the mighty ice cap of this great region, and, with a probability bordering on certaintyrhad defined the limits of the Greenland continent to the north. Our observations showed that the land rapidly grows narrow a little beyond latitude 78°, and very clearly 'indicated the existence of several ice-free islands to the north of the mainland. We also obtained a great deal of information regarding the meteorology of the region and the height of the inland ice. With our five faithful dogs we went upon the deck of the^ vessel. Here the fHendly sailors joyfully gave us their i^ands and warmly congratulated us upon the suc- cess Oi our exploring tour and our safe return. I hardly need say that one of the first things we did after reaching the vessel was to take a thorough bath and put on clean clothes. Then an accommodating sailor freed us from a large quantity of long matted hair. This gave us a rather decent appearance, and we gathered around the table for dinner, where we spent abundant time and did full justice to the meal. o days of Neither :ep enjoy- the great Id durino; con versa- lip. Our an ninety travelled the exact It region, :1 defined th. Our s narrow :ated the h of the ormation e height deck of gave us the suc- I hardly 'each in a: )n clean -IS from ve us a Lind the and did ACHOSS THE ICE CAP Two days later we had all of our things on board, and _t e KUe steamed down the bay to our winter quarters I here we were cordially welcomed by the other members^ of the expedition, -the doctor, Gibson, VerhoefT and Peary s man Mat, all of whom met us at the she" Be h.nd tl,em stood a number of our native friends, who xll ago had g,ven up all hope of our ever returning from t e Sreut mountams, " Sormoksuak." Their faces wereTeam >ng w,th ,oy, and the men listened in breathless e.c e- -en when a little later, I ga^e them a description rf our -eefng w.th musk oxen on the eastern cist. IZy «ere the questions that I had to answer; and with their .al desn-e for exact information, they were not satisfied unt,l I had gn-en them upon paper a careful drawino- of our route over the inland ice and of the coasts beyond" Before we saHed for home a sad n,i.fortune overtook us^ Th,swas the loss of our mineralogist and meteoro- logical observer, Mr. Verhoeff, who perished while on an excursion which he undertook alone. He had intended to be away for two days. As he did not return at the end of that time we began to feel anxious in regard to him and on tlie evening of the tnird day commenced a dili^fent search. For seven days and nights we continued 'our efforts; bu with the exception of .some footprints on the .now, not the slightest trace of our missing companion could be found, and we were forced to the belief that fm-ther work m this direction would be without avail Ihe general opinion was that our unfortunate friend had alien mtoone of the many deep creva,sses which make rave hng extremely perilous in the region which he at- tempted to explore. On the 24th of August the Kile slowly steamed out of !B' f-fi J? I f, , .' Ill 356 AC/WSS NORTHERN GREENLAND McCornnVk Bay and away from our small winter quarters, wbc.: 'AC had spent many happy hours. It was with nui. -1-r] feelings of joy and sorrow that among hundreds of .0 '. s we at last lost sight of our little house. Four weeks Uiter, after having sojourned for fourteen months amcou desert ice fields, we found ourselves once more ui a civilized land. ^i ■ I i t ffi f' k' t , PEARY AND ASTRUP HOISTINC FLAGS ON NAVY CI.IFK quarters, ,vas with iundreds e. Four months more in CHAPTER XX THE SECOND PEARY EXPEDIilON Scarcely nine months had passed after our return before the energetic leader of our party was again on his way north at the head of another Arctic expedition. This expedition left New York on the sealer Falcon July 2, 1893. It was much more fully equipped than the previous expedition had been. Among the novelties were eight Mexican mules, which were said to be of a remark- ably strong and hardy breed, and which were taken for the purpose of transporting provisions from our winter quarters up to the border of the inland ice. We also took along a pigeon-house containing a large number of carrier pigeons. It was Peary's intention to use these biids, while travelling in the interior of Greenland, to carry messages to the winter quarters of the exped'fon, but they did not prove to be well adapted to this kind of service. In addition to the usual number and kind of boats, we were provided with a launch fitted with a petroleum engine that we expected would be of great service in short excursions for hunting and in making surveys near our winter quarters. This, too, proved a disappointment, as the boat was too light, and the engine did not give sufficient power. Peary had hoped, after the long winter set m, to use this engine in the house in connection with a dynamo which we had taken along to furnish us with electric lights. MRX i-lj > y 358 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND " ■ Ji ' ■•■« I • m^ ^•'1 1! El' 'IPI Ml •». YOL'NG hSKl.'IO (JIKLS AND NATIVE HUT AT (lODIIAVN \\ hen Ave lert America our party numbered fourteen members. This number was later increased to fifteen, as Mrs. Peary, who accompanied her husband in this as well as m his previous expedition to the Arctic rei^ions, in the autumn ;,rave birth to a daui^diter, who lived and was well and strong when the voyage to the civilized world was made. Mrs. Cross, an elderly woman, also went with us to serve as cook. ,ind, when needed, in the capacity of nurse. On the return voyage in the Falcon the following autumn, she was taken ill, and she lived but a short time after the ship arrived at Philadelphia. The other membe-.s of the expedition were as follows: Mr. Ivntrikiii, engineer; Dr. \'incent, physician ; Mr. Baldwin, meteorologist; Mr. Clari<, zoologist ; Mr. Svvain, secretary and stenographer; Messrs. Lee, Davidson, Carr, and myself. Then, wiihout being really a member of the m rtecn Ml, as i well the wcl Id was us 'ith city of low ing t time lows : iMr. uvain, CaiT, )f the mm iv> ;.( Ml 360 ACJ^OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND expedition, Mr. Stokes, an artist, went with us ior tlie pur- pose of painting Arctic scenes. J.astly, there was Matt Peary's colored servant, who had accompanied us on our previous voyage. On our way northward the Falcon stopped at several of the English mission stations on the east coast of Lab- rador in order to purchase dogs from the Eskimos We obtained about twenty, and then set our course directly for Greenland. On July 26 we sighted the lofty snow- covered mountains, and that night we stopped at the Danish colony, Holstensborg. Two days later we reached Godhavn and then proceeded to Upernavik. On July 31 we passed Melville Bry, and on August 3 the Falcon anchored in Bowdoin Ba)-, about twenty^miles east of our first winter quarters. We proceeded at once to construct a dwelling. On account of having twice as many people, we were obliged to build on a larger scale than we had done before. The house was made thirty-three feet long anrl fourteen feet wide and was divided into several small rooms. On August 20 the Falcon sailed for NewfwundK .ui. In the following dnys the house was finished and Peary r-hris- tened it Anniversary Lodirc. Meanwhile I was engaged in mo-ing some five uiou- sand pounds of provisions from the coast to the iniar 1 ice. i'i *hi- work I had the assistance of tw :.ty nar(\ s. Wc hcici planned to have the hauling don.- ly mules, but of the eight wb.ich we had when we left Philadelphia five had died and the three that sur -red proved entirely un- fit ed for service in the wild region to which we had taken ihcni. Piiring the months <.^ September an' ictober a good r the pur- ras Matt, IS on our it several t of Lab- los. We directly ty snow- 1 at the reached .iigust 3 ty miles ig. On obliged 2. The ten feet nd. In y '"hris- C lilOU- \vl ice. ^. Ue but of lia five cly un- 1 taken a good m m si < hi 111 W 1' \i ''] i ' ; ,i i^ii ,1 •>■ ' 1 '1 'i i 1^ . -,r t 362 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND deal of time was spciit in hunting, in order that we might secure a supply of meat for use in the coming winter. We also erected a depot, in which to store provisions, on the inland ice. Our hunters were very successful. Before the end of October they had secured seventy reindeer and twenty walrus. The meat of the animals last named was used for feeding our dogs during the winter. The autumn was unusually mild as far as temperature was concerned, but it was rainy and disagreeable. Bowdoin Bay did not freeze over till the early part of November. This was a full month later than it froze in 1891. On October 26 the sun left us, to be absent from our sight for about four months, and the monotonous winter life begaii. Five days Irter a catastrophe occurred that came very near carrying the expedition into utter ruin. A mighty iceberg, loosened from the mountain near our dwelling, swept down the bay with terrific force, and caused a flood that inundated the shore and house and carried with it the tliirty-two barrels of petroleum upon which we were depending for fuel and light during the winter. Fortunately only four of the barrels were totally lost. rhe others were recovered with great difficulty after quite a proportion of their contents had been lost by leakage. From this time we were obliged to be very economical in the use of coal oil, and alf hope of having electric lights had to be abandoned. With the opening of winter we began to receive visits from c - friends, the Eskimos, who helped us faithfully and untiringly with whatever work we happened to have on hand. The months of November and Hccember were largely spent in preparing clothes and equipments for the ve might y winter. sions, on 2 end of 1 twenty vas used jmn was 2d, but it 3t freeze IS a fuJ] rom our s winter red that er ruin, lear our ce, and iise and in upon ing the 2 totally ifficulty lost by be very having T visits ithfully lO have er were for the TJI£: SECOND PEARY EXPEDITION 363 journey in the coming spring. Christmas and New Year were celebrated in an appropriate manner. February brought the severest cold, minus 37° Celsius. On the 14th of this month daylight appeared again. During the winter more than half of our dogs had died ; but as the Eskimos had a large number, we had no difficulty in purchasing thirty from them. On March 6 the whole equipment was brought up to the border of the inland ice, and everything was in rcadi ness for the long and wearisome journey. At this time I was attacked by an illness, probably pro- duced by eating pemmican, which made it unadvisable for me to attempt to take further part in the work of the expedition. I was compelled, very reluctantly, however, to give up my long cherished plan, though at Peary's request I remained a few days longer at the depot. On March 14 I returned to the house, accompanied by Lee, who had frozen one of his feet so seriously that he could not proceed with the others. About two weeks after our return Dr. Vincent also reached the house with Davidson, who had frozen one of his heels very badly during the terrible equinoctial storm that raged in those regions March 22 and 23. During this storm the temperature was mmus 45° Celsius, a remarkable phenomenon in con- nection with such a violent wind as then prevailed. After the storm was over it was found that several of the dogs had been frozen to death and all of the others were more or less injured. This was the k,st news I heard from the exijcdition till May i. as I was absent on a sledge trip around Melville Hay, which I undertook with a friendly native hunter and eight clogs. On my return to winter quarters I found that Peary M^r immama I ■ 364 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND and his companions had been compelled to give up the journey and had come back from the inland ice. The violent storms and the extremely low temperature, minus 45° Celsius, had greatly diminished the number of dogs. Mr. Entrikin had both of his feet frozen, and all the otlfer members of the party were in a condition which entirely unfitted them to continue the trip. There is very little to be said about the remainder of ''*«%„-' SEA-UIRDS the time that we spent in Greenland, VVc were all earnestly longing for the Falcon to come and take us home. One beautiful evening toward the close of July two na- tives brought us word that a ship had arrived. The news was received with great joy and hearty cheers. The return voyage in the Falcon was quickly and safely made, and was without any incident worthy of notice ' This is all that it seems necessary to say concernino- 'e up the :e. The re, minus of dogs, the other entirely THE SECOND PE..RY EXPEDITION 365 the expedition. Lieutenant Peary received a quantity of provisions and coal from the Falcon, and remained at winter quarters, intending to spend another year in that desert region. Lee and Matt, the colored servant, also remained with him. ainder of 'ere all ake us wo na- e news I safely :e. erning ^^^ff! n. m III 'I ' i '' • I niiif. :l CHAPTER XXI NATIVES AT SMITH SOUND Late in the afternoon of July 23, 1891, the /O'/e was slowly nearing land on the south side of Whale Sound. From the deck we discovered what appeared to be human dwellings. A boat was quickly lowered, and we pulled for the shore. The land was considerably elevated, but we succeeded, though with some difficulty, in effecting a landing. We then found a collection of tents and eardi- huts situated in a sheltered position at the foot of a mountain. There were about a dozen people at this little settle- ment. The men promptly came to the shore to meet us, but the women and the children cautiously kept in the background. Two of us involuntarily held out our hands to greet them in the manner of civilized people, but our action made a singular impression upon those with whom we desired to become acquainted. Instead of shaking hands they stared at us with surprised looks upon thci!- faces, apparently without the slightest idea of what we meant. Soon, however, they seemed to understand that we were peaceable people, and that we had no intention of injuring them. Then all was changed, and the scene which at first had been quite dull became very lively and interesting. One of our sailors who, during the landing, happened to be smoking a short pipe attracted a great deal of Kite was J Sound, e human e pulled ated, but fecting a d earth- ot of a e settle- meet us, t in the 11" hands but our li whom shaking )n their :hat we nd that itention I scene ely and ppened ieal of NATIVES AT SMITH SOUND 35^ attention, and the clouds of smoke that he puffed out at mtervas made a strong impression upon the natives, who evidently thought he was endowed with mystica Ind supernatural gifts. Their astonishment was 'great yt creased when w.h a quick movement, he lighted a m'ath and thus produced still larger clouds of smoke from his remarkable "lamp." It was evident that the people b ! ore us had never come in contact with civilized men and that most of them had never seen a ship. The h appeared to them a wonderful object The natives were not the only ones who were inter- ted and surprised. Their appearance made as strong an m.pression upon our minds as we had made upon HeH- own. Uncouth, dirty, and with features anything but regular they seemed to belong to an inferior' race while their long, shaggy black hair, which hung over thei; skin-clothed shoulders and, in some cases, even over thel Imlt f''"' ^'" '"" ' ""^^'^""^^ ^'^''^' -d an almost terrifying appearance. Later on I saw that some of the natives were not so negligent in regard to their hair as were those with whom we here eame in contact. Some of the women, especially the younger ones, often had their hair fastened in a sort of topknot by a thin seal-skin strap. Sometimes, too a man would be seen having a similar strap arotmd his head, m order to keep his eyes free from his long greasy locks of hair. These locks, which closely resembl Z manes of horses, are knotted into solid masses, and make nice and warm domiciles for numerous parasites. The Eskimo forehead is low, the face broad, and the features ugly. The eyes are almond-shaped and small, but their power of vision is really wonderful. The nose I, I, i 368 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND <\- Ui is small and broad, the mouth large with thick lips, which with the fair sex have no resemblance to the ideal " cherry lips " of which so much is said and written by civilized people. Probably this is the reason the men do not kiss their wives, but instead, if they wish to show especial ten- derness, press their flat noses still flatter against the faces of the others. As a rule this aress is accompanied by an audible sniff. Within the protruding lips shine rows of strong teeth which are firmly set in heavy muscular jaws, and which are used, not only for eating, but also for pulling loads and in the various kinds of their daily work. The women also understand, as well as their sisters living farther south, how to use their mouths. Some- times, too, they use them for very practical purposes. As a single illustration, I will mention the fact that, after it has been stretched and dried, they chew, inch by inch, each skin that the men secure in hunting. In this way they make the skins so pliable that they can readily be made into clothes. From the description I have given it will readily be seen that, if judged by his face, an Eskimo would not take a prize at a beauty show in competition with Europeans. The bodies come much nearer our ideal, and the hands and feet are of only medium size and are well formed, though the appearance of the men's hands is often in- jured by numerous cuts and scars. In regard to the color of the skin of these people it is difficult to form a correct opinion. This, because of the dirt with which it is thickly and almost constantly coated. When sufficiently clean to show its natural tint it appears to be a light brown shaded with yellow or gray. Though rn NATURES AT SMITH SOUND ^(^ Cleanness of the hsknnos at Smith Sound should not be made too much a matter of reproach. !t is one of the natural and almost inevitable consequences of teh J conditions under which they live. During nine or ten months of the year all the water uy meJting snow or ice in stone vessels whirh ^.uires a ,ar.er^;i;-- --r t::^^ P vide Consequently a bath is an unknown Jnd, unde ex ing circumstances an almost impossible luxury, ^tilk If they were anxious to be clean they misht do something in this direction by means of a wet bfd- ,^n ::t in tZ ^'™% f "' ' "^'"^ - --^-^<' -- nt" est m this respect dunng our sojourn with them The women in whom a desire to please seemed as strong as i ■s m their sister, of civilized lands, certainly made some attempts to improve their appearance. Possibly one reason why these people care so little about cleaniness is the fact that it does not appear to be essential to health. The air seems to be free from bac eria, and the severe and long-continued cold evfden ly tends to prevent the diseases which filth is certain to gen erate in warm climates. "^ trib'es' "t:: "' .^'"' ^°""' =•" ''^"'^^^^ f-™ »" other ',,?••, " ''f "■' ""■' '™ ''""^^'^'' •-'"d thirty-four bnths exceede [V 1"^ , 1^ l, , 1 ' y, 1 I'" J If, ; V. I< I ■ f If iff •>•' I ''I h t • ■ I- If r^ K^ HAPTER XXII HUNTING In order to obtain an intimate knowledge of the Eski- mos it is necessary to observe them at their daily occu- pations. First of all, you must go hunting with them Autumn has come, and in every day that passes the sun draws nearer and nearer to the southern horizon. Ere long comes a day when it sends its last golden greetino- to the desert landscape and disappears from view. In a lonely and protected fjord you will see a red-cheeked Esknno, who by jumping over tiie blocks of ice near the land has succeeded in setting foot on the newly frozen autumn ice. His face is beaming with joy. Life is offer- ing him many attractions. Summer, with its constant smiles day and night, had begun to be somewhat monoto- nous, and he greets the winter as a dear and welcome guest. Now that new ice has formed on the bay he can begin the exciting hunt for seals. On the shore in front of the low hut stands his young, wife, smiling at the thought of soon having some fresh seal meat after livincr during the summer upon tough narwhal flesh and the auks, which furnish most of the food supplies during that season. Cautiously the native tries the strength of the ice with his seal-spear, and moves farther and farther out upon its glassy surface. Smaller and smaller he seems to become, until at length he disappears behind an immense iceberg! the Eski- laily occu- nth them. :s the sun 2on. Ere greeting ^iew. In ;l-cheeked near the 'ly frozen e is offer- constant : monoto- welcome Y lie can in front g at the ter living and the ring that ice with Uj)on its become, iceberg. ffUNTING ' This is too much for his three faiHif,,! j bear. Standing on the shZ th ^^" '" ''"'""^ ears erect, and^with ever: in^'icS, of" T'^'^'' ^"^ their master on his lonely w. k Th '"'' '"'""'*' -% at the straps .tt^ltt thirirr-tL": IZy WATCHING FOR SKAL ones and the.r planuive howls fill the air. They rea'ize used to ? '"■ '""''" '"'-K*-'' '»* cheerfully thev used to draw h„n on the sledge over the ice ! His Lp,T ent neglect seems more than thev can endure Th owls become stil, louder and more dilalt 'his'S or;rci::rir/o'::p '• '''- '"- "^ -«" Meanwhile the hunter continues his walk upon the ice He moves slowly, and has an air of constant w'a.;, Jl::;.- I II • i IJH, •U\ 'i t 372 ^CJ?OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND In his right hand he carries a seal-spear and the line belonging to it. In his left hand he has a piece of bear- skin, and fastened with a strap on his back is a well-worn hunting-knife with a handle made from the tooth of a walrus. Suddenly he stops and bends over the ice. He has dis- covered an opening about five inches in diameter This IS a breathing-hole of a seal. He now cautiously places the small piece of skin on the ice near the hole, and quietly sits down to await the appearance of the seal But as a seal often has several of these breathing-holes* It may be a long time before he will come to the one at which the hunter is located. Patiently the hunter sits there, hour after hour, like a cat watching a rat-hole, until the nose of the seal appears r the small opening This is a critical moment. The opening is small, and the spear must be guided with a true aim and sure hand or the game will be missed, and the long and weary wait wi 1 bring no return. If the hunter fails, and there is a lack o food at the house, he must either wait again or, If he happens to know of other breathing-holes, go as quickly as possible to the one which he thinks the fright- ened seal will be the most likely to visit. If he hits the seal he finds that the opening, which was made only for its nose, is much too small to allow the body of the animal to come through. He therefore at once s^ets to work to enlarge the spot. This work is done with the hunting-knife, which is used with wonderful dcx- tenty. If, when it is pulled upon the ice, the seal is not dead, It ,s killed with the knife, but with a bone needle the hunter soon sews up the wound, in order to prevent as tar as possible the loss of blood. HUNTING ^ 7 'J Then, with his heart filled with inv fi,„ .• to the shore to ?et th» ^ V ^' ^ "''*'™ '''^'"'■ns take th. game home H^ ^' u"' ■'['^'^^ "'* "'>-'' '» Pu.. the se\, a,ot:;ert7li::t ^ th"'"r "^' to e,o, .e first siea,e.ri.e ot the sea^r.^l^:: He is soon with his Hno-c tu ening barks as he r, ^\ ^^ S'"""^''" "''* deaf- S "drKs as he approaches the sho-e Ti, quickly loosened and evervth;„ , ^^"^ ^"^ trip. With a pracdseH r^^i^ " ""^^ ''^^^y '" ^he w4 handle r::ra las 7T^""^^ ''^-"- length is attached, and the trnttt:,?;:!:" ^ '" over the rough stones. When the dear 1 '1 "^^ strikes into a full gallon M " '''^•'"^'^ed it gallop. No rems are used in guiding SLEDGE FROM SMITH SOUND t'rol "wh*''T,- ?.''^ ''^ "'^■■P '^ "^^ded for their con- on the othe'rtide th 2' o th"e ^^ ,7'^ "'^' ''^^ ^ot but he ,s usually careful not to be too severe i he seal ,s .soon reached and placed upon the sled..e On the way home the hunter may make a'detour to sorne ■M' ■i "1 '' }\ll Ml 'i ■ . 1 .1 I ,;,. r», i ii 374 AC/eOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND tongue of land where he has a fox-trap which he wishes to examine and see if it is in order for the coming winter These traps are made of flat stones of about uniform size* and placed in a rectangular position. A large flat stone' IS so arranged that when a fox pulls at a piece of blubber that IS placed at the farther side of the inclosure it falls ESKIMO FOX-I'RAP and completely closes the opening by which he entered. How many foxes are caught in this way I cannot tell, but .t must be a large number. It requires about eight skins to make a coat for a man, and the garments are not very durable. ^ Formerly the Eskimos made traps in this form, but considerably larger, for bears. In ,894 I saw the ruins of an .mmense trap of this description on the now uninhab- ited Ellc^mere Land. But at present such means are not emplojed. A considerable ntuBber of bears are killed in these regions every year, but the work is done in a braver manner than by catching them in 'raps. The finest place for bear-hunting is south of Cape York, on the ice-bound Melville Bay. Out on these vast HUNTING 375 fields of ,ce, far from home, the Eskimo has fought many a hard battle with the large and powerful Arctic bear ^ To conduct such a battle successfully both courage and presence of mind are required. Consequently some of he nahves are much better adapted for this work than are others At the present time one of the most promi- nent hunters m this section is a man named Akpallia When we saw him in ,89, he called himself Nordinder' but two years later we found that, without applying to HEAR ATTACKING SKAl. the courts for permission, he had changed his name. I could not obtain from him any definite informati,,,, re- gardmg the rea,son for this proceeding. Possibly he had been bothered with letters intende.l for another person If > ^1 SI I }) "mmm ri: ri;. jT I ft,* if! V'4 ILL i. H'l 376 ^CJ/OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND of the same name. Well, however the matter may be expiamed, the man is an experienced bear-hunter He is shed a h,s hand. Soon after his return from a huntL trip I obtamed shelter for the night in his hut. It was rumored that for once the bears had the best of the fi<.ht and that they had torn one of his arms and also ki^ed' two of h.s dogs. After making many inquiries I suc- ceeded m obtaining from him an account of his latest trip This, m substance, I will repeat, as it will give the reader a pretty good impression as to the general method in which bear-hunting is conducted. During the month of March Akpallia suddenly felt an ardent desire to revisit Melville Bay, his old hunting, ground. He promptly repaired his sledge, patched L bird-skin shirt (he was a widower and therefore had to do this work himself), and gave his dogs a good meal. This done he took a long sleep, and in the morning, after leaving his children, a boy and two girls, in the care of a neighbor, he started on his e.xpedition. Four days later he arnved at Cape York, one hundred and twenty-five rniles distant from his home. Here the bear-hunters have their headquarters. There are usually several families located at this point, and most of the men are expert nunters. ^ Akpallia remained for a couple of days among the flesh-pots of the Cape York colony. Two of the local huntei-s agreed to accompany him on his intended trip One o these was only a half-grown lad, but he was taken' along because he was the owner of a genuine gun This he had obtained from the crew of an English whaling ship m exchange for a large quantity of ivory, and he wat ' may be He is has per- hunting- It was :he fight, so killed s I suc- is latest give the method ' felt an mnting- hed his d to do . This g, after ire of a /s later ity-five rs have amilies expert ig the i local d trip. taken This baling le was much elated at securing what he considered a great bar- gam Though at this time he had only powdef enoul or two loa s, and had no lead for balls; but was obliL o use small stones in their stead, and though by an un fortunate explosion the length of the barrel had been re" duced to about twenty inches, the gun was still regard d as rather a formidable weapon, and its young owne was as highly regarded by his comrades as though he had killed a dozen bears. ' " At length the three hunters left Cape York Tl had three sledges and fifteen dogs. For tw^ days Ue^ search was in vain, but on the morning of the thZT they found the fresh tracks of bears. ^^^ One who has never seen the Eskimo under similar cir cumstanees can form no adequate idea of the i^ se ex c tement n,to which he is thrown by such an event The dog .too show a wonderful degree of interest, holding "P the.r heads, erecting their ears, and eagerly gaz , g over the great white field of ice. Their matters tt^n stop and look around agan,, until the observer begins to senously question whether people who act in » an the tracks of o bear can be skilful hunters. But further Ob ervafons wdl convince him that, notwithstanding sth ch,W sh actions at certain times, they show the most w^n- derfu, presence of mind when in dangerous situations The tracks discovered by our friends were those of a male bear and her fvo cubs. For a time the Innters all followed the same tracks ; but when, after pror Ig f rsome distance, they came to the fresh track of aZ gle bear, leading m an entirely different direction, they ■f I |:0 r^ ' 378 ACHOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND R»« 5. \i II parted, Akpallia choosing to follow the track last discov- ered and to attempt to kill the bear without the aid of his companions. At length he caught sight of the bear of which he was in pursuit. It was lying at the foot of an iceberg, quietly sunning itself, but so far away that it appeared like an almost shapeless mass. The excitement of the hunter is now intense. In a hoarse and muffled voice he exclaims to his dogs, " Takkotakko ! takkotakko ! " (look ! look !). The dogs at once turn their heads inquiringly toward their master as if to ask if he has really discovered some- thing. They can only see the monotonous snow-drifts and the fields of ice, which stretch in every direction be- yond the utmost limit of their vision. Then he con- tinues : "Nannuk! nannuk ! nannuksua! " (a bear! a bear! a large bear!). Hardly are these words uttered when the dogs become so excited that he cannot restrain them. They leave the long circuitous course of the track and rush instinctively, and in the wildest haste, in the right direction. When they are only about a half mile distant from the bear, he rises and for a moment stands erect, with head and neck stretched out toward the approaching team. In this position he becomes visible to the dogs, who now pull the sledge over the ice with increasing fury. The bear appears to know by intuition the bloodthirsty character of the Eskimo and his swift-footed dogs, and with all possible speed he flees from the dangerous place. Akpallia jumps from the sledge to make it lighter for the dogs, and, hold- mg with his hands one of the guiding arms behind, his legs dance wildly under him as he follows the fren/.ied animals. t ^kl >t discov- lid of his h he was 5, quietly I like an hunter is exclaims ! look!). J toward ed some- ow-d rifts ction be- he con- bear! a uttered rest'-ain of the it haste, rom the ith head am. Tn low pull he bear •acter of possible a jumps d, hold- lind, his frenx;ied \ HUNTING 379 dojs'' The 71 '"','"' '' •^"'"°' S° ^ -P'dly - the shorter B.tAT'n^'^" '''="' '^'==°"'- ^--Pfbly Shorter. But Akpalha has to jump on the sledge Lain in order to sare his strength f„/fi, • " * He is a rather larce m !, /? the comu,g struggle. retard, tl,? aJ , ' ""'^ '"' '^"^'g''* considerably retards the speed of the dogs, but he knows that be->rl canr.t run a long distance and that the hunted animi W.1I soon be obliged to slacken his pace offh'eS' Th '"aT ^^'I"■" ^'°"' ^-^^ '-"'•-'^ feet ot the bear. Then AkpaUia bends over and cuts the rooe that keeps the dogs toe^ther Ti,„ 1 j ^ and the loosened^dolf "1 • J'he ^' -^tops nstantly r u^ • ^ °^ *"^ enemy with almn^f- ^^ZxZt ^^,T ^^ *^ ^-^ perceives r Meanw^nle Akpalha has seized his spear from the s edge and .s hasting to the battle-field. This hardy 1 of the ,cy desert knows nothing of fear. His two com- pan.ons long ago disappeared in the distance. Sinl- -nded he ,s to fight a ferocious beast of prey -a beast th t w,th one blow of its paw can easily' take his H -..gence coolness, strength, courage, endurance, ad ty wll all be required to give him a fair probability the conflict will end to his advantage ^ '^s soon as Akpallia reaches his prey he ..rasps his pear w,th both ha.,ds, and with all his strength eXo 3 suddenly and unexpectedly, deflects the course of the spear, and ,ts point strikes his broad shoulder-blade. In dots 1 e " r:""'- "^"^""^ *8"°""g *e barking S;, ia t r f ""'"'''■ '""^ '" '^g^ "P°" the hunter Akpalha takes a few steps in the snow in order to reach .^ i*- , i i» ,1 ttSii 111- 380 ^CVOi"^' NORTHERN GREENLAND his knife, which he threw clown when jjreparing to make an attack with the spear, but his foot slips, he falls, and the next instant a forepaw of the bear is resting heavily upon the upper part of his left arm. With almost super- human efforts he tries to get free, he screams in the face of the mighty brute in hope of scaring it away, he strikes against its breast with his fist. All in vain ! The claws of the bear have penetrated deeply into his flesh, and he cannot loosen their hold. It is only because the bear has other foes that are dis- tracting his attention tha*- he does not do the hunter more harm. No sooner do he dogs see the predicament in which their master is placed than they make a f^ro- cious but foolhardy attack upon his foe. The two oldest, a pair of handsome animals resembling wolves in appear- ance, that have been v/ith their master in many a hard- fought battle, attack the bear in front, one of them even biting the paw that holds the arm of his master in the snow. But the bear does not loosen its grip. With a quick blow of the other paw it puts one of the dogs out of the fight. The situation, which was dangerous before, has now become desperate. But it soon grows worse. Another bear appears from behind an iceberg near by, a second dog has fallen bleeding upon the snow, and Akpallia appears to be beyond all hope of deliverance. At this critical moment two sledges appear. They are coming at full speed around the iceberg, which had long kept the bear last noted from view. With these sledges are the comrades of the prostrate hunter. Seeing his condition, they give terrific yells, which he answers with loud calls for help. The bear now leaves his victim, joins the other beast, Knile with Ivory Blade and Wooden Handle Ivory Pin, two thirds natural : Bows •^S Spear or Lance Arrow-Head, one fnu.th act..al size DIFFERENT WEAPONS AND INJPI.KMKNTS m m '11 ! 1 !> 4™ 1 > ? i *, 1 '\ 1 1 i i BH 382 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND II |f| ^ i and AkpalHa is saved. The dogs from the newly arrived sledges are set at liberty, and intercept the bears in their flight. After a short but sharp fight, in which the dilapi- dated gun plays an important part, the huge beasts are slain. Then Akpallia's wounds, which fortunately have not caused much loss of blood, are bandaged with long strips of dirty and greasy seal-skin, the bears are skinned, and as much of the meat as can be carried is loaded upon the sledges. One of the wounded dogs had died upon the spot. The other was still alive, and was taken home on a sledge. In due time the hunters reached the colony at Cape York, where their adventure, with all of its details, was de- scribed to an interested and appreciative audience. Similar things often occur in Eskimo bear-hunts. The life of the hunter is like a game in which no one can refuse to take part. The stakes are high, even life itself; clothes and food suflRcient to last for only a short time are the prizes to be gained. The manner in which the natives hunt the walrus in these regions also seems to be worthy of description. Very early in the spring the families leave their winter huts along the coast near Ingleficld Gulf to go north almost to Cape Alexander, where they temporarily live in snow huts. Early on some morning when the weather is clear and favorable, the men set out for a walrus hunt. There are, perhaps, a dozen sledges. Each is drawn by five or six dogs and carrier two hunters. As a rule it requires a drive of two hours to reach a good hunting-place, which must be near the open sea. Sledges arc left quite a dis- tance back of the thin ice, where the hunt takes place. HUNTING Sli'l he affa,r. The hunters walk about a half mile, or farther necessary, to ,ce which moves with e^ery step the^ 'erous Ih' "°". " '° "" ^"^* ^"^ '° -°'d d- gerous places, and are obliged to continually test the strength of the ice with their spears. These implement ^ua ly have a pointed piece of narwhal tooth tied to on nd to prevent the.r slipping „„ the smooth surface of the ■ce, but a tew are fitted with pieces of iron which the r r:::,:^ -f ">' ^•'"- f-™ ---te men, by whom h a.e v,s,ted only at long intervals. This spear is aboul five feet m length. It is illustrated in the collection o weapons and implen.cnts, a drawing of which wiH be found on a preceding page. It is on the thin wavy ice cover just described that the IH." begms. Soon there seems to be a sinking J,^ pieces, and up through the opening thus former' a bearde. walrus cuietly and majesticjiy lifts its arge ead and grmnmg face. You hear its deep breathing at u, the twilight of the forenoon seen,s to resemb e a' low snonng, and you see its breath like a cloud of va^; wh,ch n, the very low temperature that prevails looks as wh,e and shining as the steam from the valve^ of an q".c.ly <1 sappears m the deep. The cold waves' close over the dark head, but even while it is descend ,g ^^ hear similar sounds from other places *" ^ It .usually while the walrus is engaged in breaking the thn, ,ce ,„ order to form a breathing-hole that the Ksk mo rushes to the attack, though sometin..s, in spite :f t K cokl, one IS found that has crept up on the ice where It was strong cTinugh to bear its wci-lit II I !<,, * 5 . ^1, hit '' 384 ACJiOSS NOR'rHERN GREENLAND As a rule the native uses only the spear when he attacks a walrus. This spear is made in such a way that it can be used as a harpoon if desired, and thus saves the trouble of carrying two kinds of instruments. As the skin of the walrus is exceedingly thick and tough, the hunter thrusts the spear into its body with his right hand instead of throwing it, and in his left hand holds a coiled line that is firmly fastened to it. The spear is made in a form that admits of its being pulled from the animal, while the harpoon could not be drawn out. As soon as the walrus is struck it disappears in the water, and the hunter must be alert and active to prevent his carrying away the spear and line. He cannot rely upon his mere physical strength in such a contest. With a strong blow he plants the pike of the spear in the ice, and winds the line around it twice. If the pike gives way or the ice breaks where it is driven in, the game will be lost, and with it also the spear-head and line. It some- times occurs that the feet or legs of the hunter become entangled in the line, and he is drawn into the water. Two hunters from this small tribe have recently perished in this way. But suppose the ice and spear hold, and all goes well. In this case the hunter feels greatly relieved when the line slackens. Soon the animal again comes to the sur- face. With his knife the hunter quickly makes two holes in the ice, draws the line down one of the holes and up through the other. Now the spear is free, and every time the animal comes to the surface it receives a sharp thrust. This is continued until the walrus dies from wounds and exhaustion. In summer the North Greenland walrus arc often seen when he way that hus saves snts. As ough, the his right d holds a spear is from the -It. rs in the T prevent inot rely t. With 1 the ice, ike gives >anie will It some- ■ become »e water, perished pes well, hen the the sur- ^vo holes and up ery time ) thrust. nds and ten seen as . .ill biff. |ff»U'?i '"." I IIIIIUL... 386 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND \ > }}" ' u f, 1' r: V f:r il n f •I ^ni hm in companies of considerable size. Then it is not safe to disturb them. To attack them in an open boat involves considerable danger, and to interfere with them in a kaiak would be equivalent to suicide. Of these facts we had a practical illustration in August, 1891, when Dr. Cook, (iibson, Verhoeft, and myself were taking a boat trip over Whale Sound. We saw several herds of walrus sunning themselves on floating ice. Upon making an attack wt> were, to our great surprise, immediately surrounded by something like a hundred of these monsters, which evi- dently were bent upon our destruction. Fortunately we were all well armed with rapid-firing magazine rifles, and Kkva, an Eskimo who was with us, had a harjjoon and a spear. But notwithstanding our excellent equipment for the battle, it was with great difficulty that we escaped from the enraged animals. It was a long and hard fight, some of the time at such close quarters that we used our oars and boat-hooks to drive off those of the herd that were so close as to threaten the instant destruction of our craft. How many of the animals we had killed during the fight we could not tell, as most of the dead ones were drawn under the water by their comrades, who used their long tusks for this purpose. With the harpoon lines which the native had brought we secured two bodies. During such a fight the aim of ihe walrus is to get his tusks over the edge of the boat, by which means it woukl easily be capsized. If he is successful there is little hojje for the occupants unless there is another boat close by. In cailier times many Norwegian walrus hunters lost their lives in this manner at Si)it/.bergen. In addition to the method of hunting for seals which has already been described, which takes place on the new lot safe to t involves in a kaiak we had a 3r. Cook, : trip over > sunn in t; ittack we Lmded by /hich evi- nately we rities, and on and a )ment for escaped ard fi<>:ht, used our lierd that :)n of our d durinix •nes were sed their ton lines ) bodies. ) get Ills it wouki ttle hope dosii b)-. ters k)st Is which the new "^*te- 388 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND ni. t: «-• ice in autumn and early winter, and which is called " mau- pok," or waiting hunt, there is another method of securino- these animals that is of sutficient importance to justify its description. This plan is followed in spring and summer, when the seals spend much of the time lying upon the surface of the sunlit ice. In April the ice, which com- menced to form six months before, has reached a thick- ness of about five feet. It is therefore only by great perseverance and the gradual enlargempnt of its breath- ing-holes, that the small fjord seal can make its w^ay through the thick ice in the spring. For this kind of a hunt the Eskimo likes to start early in the morning, so that he may have plenty of time for the work that is before him. To be sure, the sun at the end of April is up day and night, and at any hour in the twenty-four you may see seals upon the ice. But in the daytime the sun' .line is stronger, the air is warmer, and the seals are more sleepy, and consequently are more easily captured than they are at night. The native has not been long upon the ice, before with his keen vision, he detects some, dark spots far away on the white expanse. He chooses one of these, and soon his swift dogs bring him to within a half mile of his game. Here he halts lest the dogs should frighten the seals, caus- ing them to jDlunge into the water and escape. After leaving his team the hunter takes his harpoon and goes on foot toward his game. As he ap])roaches the seals he bends over more and more until at last he gets down upon the snow and creejis on his hands and knees. He wishes to have the seal believe it is not an enemy, but one of his own kind that is approaching. If one of the animals looks up the hunter f I ed " mau- secLirins: justify its summer, -ipon the ich com- I a thick- by great s breath- its way :art early time for 3 sun at .ny hour But in warmer, ire more ore with away on nd soon is game, als, caus- . After nd goes ore and :l creejjs the seal :l that is i hunter -ting co^fortab ; TlT:Z\vT '''' ''' ^-" SHOoriNG SKAI.S paws. Now Tncl t en n n"' ^""^ '^'''- *»« "'0 back. T ;• ,^"r' "'^ =""■'->'» '^- been .se'n.ck >^0"ncled one is lln L '"''''"'"' '" ""^ ""^^'■' "^"^ '''e ^oon drawn up on the ice and Ulled i.lj i'i'.'i •>] ' J1 r! i 390 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND m The hunter now calls his dogs, and they come to him at their highest speed. The method of killing seals with firearms hardly needs to be described. Of the larger animals of the sea that are hunted by the Eskimos only the narwhal remains to be mentioned. The hunt is now pursued in kaiaks, but until about 1S70 the natives had nothing of this description, and the hunt- ing was done on floating ice. The Eskimos of North Greenland, having used them for so short a time, do not make as fine kaiaks as their South Greenland brethren, or manage them with anything ike the same degree of skill. In fact, the kaiaks in use at Smith Sound at the time of our visit were both clumsy and dangerous. The hunters of narwhal keep their kaiaks near together, and as soon as one of the party has harpooned an animal the remainder hasten to his assistance. When the ani- mal has been killed they all join in towing it home. The irame is then divided according to certain established rules. The one who first attacks and wounds an animal, be it narwhal, bear, seal, walrus, or reindeer, is always regarded as its real slayer, and therefore receives the lion's share of the resulting honors and profits. The meat of the narwhal is quite tough, but the natives consider it both nourishing and pal.itable. In summer it can be obtained in large quantities. The sinews along the back are dried and used for thread. They are much stroncrer than are those which arc obtained from the rein- deer and which also serve the same purpose. Amoni;: the land animals which the natives of this region engage in hunting, the reindeer is by far the most important. In former years the hunt in this region did not amount to much. The reindeer were numerous ; but III I ..Li HUNTING : 39' as the bow and arrow formed the nr.Ur this purpose, it was diffic't to li 1^°;""' '" hunted, especially in sorin,, . °i "^ '"'''"' sport and with verj itferetH t T""'? """""^"^ ^°^ and skins. But vvhe„ 7u ™'"' °' *^'^ ^^'^ iJut when the natives obtained rifles, as •<*, #\ fe \'^* RF.INMKER we first V sited fl-.^ i^ iv , ^' ^'^9^ when how and arrow a IS f,,:,: rT ■'"' "''"' '"^ our departure in TC T '^ ^"' ''untnig; but before -.xd^ise:;i.;:::L"itt;22:;;::^^r7'-^"^-"- fvely near future they will be^ found n T"'"''"'"" cases of ethnographieafcoll cfonr T, V" ' ^'''^ ti- nearly all t^e reindee! "be dis t^v^ 7 '"L' natural hunters as the Eskimos the' ^r 'an?::;:: ;':ff ♦■in .'I LtUUIiJ f.i ^ '^' i\ r fl Hi< I »t i t fil^f 392 ACROSS NORTHERN- GREENLAND [.'J t ment of the chase are too great to be restrained by any considerations of future good. As long as there are reindeer to be had, the natives will kill them without any regard to their requirements for food or clothing. These people are children of tl c present, who later on will have to pay dearly for the use they are making of some of the destructive powers which they have obtained from their civilized visitors. How the reindeer is killed with firearms need not be explained, but it may be of interest to note that a skilful and patient hunter can approach near enough to shoot it with a bow and arrow or even to kill it by throwing a stone. Hares were formerly caught in large numbers in North Greenland by snaring, but now they are shot with rifles. It is a singular fact that the ptarmigan has never been hunted by the people of this tribe. As its meat is excel- lent food, the immunity which it enjoys is probably due to some ancient superstition. Of the sea-birds, the auk is the only one that plnys an important part in the domestic economy of the inhabit- ants of this region. They are caught with a net which is attached to a long pole. This hunt is largely engaged in by families who have pitched their tents near the mountains where the birds make their nests. As these are always along the steepest and most inaccessible parts of the coast, the occupation is both difficult and dangerous, and serious accidents some- times occur. A few years ago a man of middle age, and the father of a family, lost his life while catching auks at the south- western point of Saunders Island, called Akpan (Auk by any lere are lout any These ill have e of the m their not be I skilful shoot it Dwing a 1 North rifles, er been is excel- / due to )lnys an inhabit- kvhich is ho have le birds steepest )ation is :s some- ather of ; south - 1 (Auk A HUNTING 393 ber of auks wh.ch are found there. In company w,th ull length of the ,sla„cl. When l,e had reached a point belon, he had An„,gana lower him down the perpendic- ular wal of the cliff, in order that he might react le narrow iedge upon which the birds n.ake tifeir nests n th'^ "ork the auk hunters use tl^e sanre lines and straps CATCHING AUKS WITH A NET sHinZ 7 '■" 7''-,'"'"''-"S. And, what i.Jicates a ho« dangerous the precipice, to trust their whole wei'; lrAK\F:SS earn that the frec|nent use of the lash is iust n '" "'anaging a team of do-^s as i t ' , T " ■"'"'''■"■^ "l>i|. in clri^■ing horses "' "' ''""'' '•""' •^^'^^^ Its purpose rcmarkal ly well Vsw.]]'^ fl T^ of tlie- (l.,(rs Ins n ifffl I ^^'Mially the fleetest . M a imle Ic>n,,.er strap than any c.f the others *"clti that byriinninLr just aheatl of h.\ - may encoura^re them tnJ . • coni,)an,ons it the team seem '^^^'^'^'^ ---t.on.s. The leader of "" J'^^Pon.Mbility ol his position. lii^l > i f ii ' t i 398 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND The Eskimo dog is not at all lacking in intelligence. This fact is clearly indicated by the skilful manner in which it perpetrates its frequent thefts. These stealings are confined to eatables ; but as this term includes their own harness, their master's tent, trousers, kamiks (boots), and shn-ts, the straps on sledges, and many other things made of skin, they take a pretty wide range. Such thefts would naturally be somewhat trying to the patience, but the Eskimos regard them with comparative indifference. I have seen an Eskimo wake up and find the hair of his reindeer coat all over the outside of his tent and most of the garment eaten, but his anger against the dog that had done the mischief did not go any farther than to say, " Naav ajotupilalek sjo sjo — Sinapadujo — takko ! " or something like, " Well, did you ever see such a miserable fool!" Then he would, tie the "miserable fool" to the stone from which it had broken loose and say no more about the affair. In contrast with this I have seen two men belonging to a highly civilized race wake uj) and find their fur gloves torn and half eaten on the snow near their hut. One chose a well-known method of venting his wrath, and cursed until his companions couM almost smell suljJun- in the air. The other, who was too good to be profane, caught the dog that he considered the culprit and beat \ until the whip-handle was broken. In the treatment of animals the men of enlightened nations would often be j)ut to shame by comparison with the kind-hearted Eskimos. I once suggested to a native that he should punish his dogs for having stolen, from right before her face, the last piece of blubber that his wife had in the hut. I shall never forget his answer. It was to the effect that the If ..il THE NORTH GREENLAND DOG ^^•Hen no o^ oL'tlCi;" '^^ ''' ''-''- co„:, ,e,l, . t,!^^- 'T "^"f ^ -■•^""-'1 "' .^.-eces of luic lengtii. A member of the e\ni^r]it;..,. discovered ono . f fK ^i • , t-xpedition once -^ave the small piece thnf u.. '""^.'"^^ ^^'^^ J^e might ^^^_^^ . ha' -"-.',' the -specially an.ong ,h. ,„„,,, „,,, „ ,^.,t;?: ■^;""^- *,«»• ■ittempt to sret loos.. l.„t ■ , ,' " "'" ""«'<-''" ""d to -"tihen the :;,',: ■;: 'T''" '^•^'"""^■'>- '™''> 'IH. n,aste,-'s p,;„e . r, f --™l- appropriate «lly i.> a sin. ., l' '-; ""' ""' «'■"»•' t"'i"t-T"pt. another fee ' hf I'^'r? "^^ ^l'-- «""" <- - I'-it lie has not been allowed a f, ;ur oppor- i 1 fi 11 : ,k m' i ll 1 J ^ f '(< 400 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND tunity to obtain his share of the plunder. This beti th eirwrong-doins; and if the s! & » ays leepy owner will get up and attend to them at once, he may prevent any very serious damage. But if the dogs are allowed to continue their depredations they will not be satisfied with trifles. And they seem able to surmount nearly all obstacles. The stones of the meat stores they upset with their noses • they open boxes that have been well nailed by attackin■ kind of is many I come to joot-soles at reh'sli, ne of the and are of a dog regarded istressed. ent. At )out one •oof that :1 that in human ers; and had fin- night's in cert it r sing a But it iiiii ad Hi Il Hf'f '■! t) Hi 40: ACJUOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND was imperative that this be done by one of the older and more dignified members of the party. If one of the younger and less prominent ones attempted to start the performance, it was generally an utter failure. He emitted a few faint howls, but the others did not respond, and with a very foolish look ui)on his face he ceased his efforts to provide a musical entertainment. To hear a chorus of a half hundred dogs with well- trained voices makes a powerful impression even upon people who have no ear for music. But to persons ot musical ability and cultivated taste the performance seems so ridiculous that they can hardly refrain from laughing in the solemn face of the leader. The entertainment is certainly a fine as well as an original "opera comique." It is quite amusing to see the Eskimo feed his dogs. He cuts the meat in pieces as large as his fist, piles thcMii on a board, stands directly in front of the place where the animals are tied, and when they have all become quiet, with their eyes fixed ujDon the meat, he can begin the feeding. This is the only way in which he is able'to con- trol them so that the weaker as well as the stronger ones can get their share. Piece after piece of theliieat is thrown by the master and dexterously caught by the dogs until all is gone. If all the dogs in the team are okl acf|uaintances, and in the habit of being fed together, the feeding-time is likely to pass without disturbance; but if there are any strangers among t.em the whole meal may be a violent and continuous conflict. The I':skimo dog is naturally very much inclined to right. Good friends actually fight for jjleasure. They .s!)ortivcly snap a few tufts of hnir from each other's skin, !u)wl and bark for a while, and the wliole thing is over. Ider and Li of the start the ; emitted and with fforts to ith well- 2n upon I'sons ot :e seems aiicrhinc: ment is que." is doers. 2s them lere the e quiet, j^in the to con- ;er ones meat is he dot^s are old ler, tlio ; but if ,'al may ned to They s skin, is over. ^//^ AVJ^Z'^ Gl^EEA'LA.Vr DOG the L wir„o o rflVT ", "''' °' "^^'^ °''--'-- Then "oc only Hy, but the snow betwpon fU a 1 "•.1 soon be crimson with their blood ' "^'^'"^ Another characteristic of this ric,'. nf . • , ■ each team of dogs l,as its ow kin H " ""' strongest, but he is the mo! ft I 7'"^ "°' ^ "'^ -on. them, and not^LH t ml^ T" '''T tyrannical rule. When twn .f ,"'''' '° "PPosc his thrown together a ve!v "^'' '"' "' '^''"^ ^"S^ •-"<= be commenced by J ll^ n '^f ' '"" ™™*-*'y san,c tin,e tliere „i bl " ' '™ "^''""'^- ^' the other do<.s o t ,e '''""'-■'■"' ''"'"'^ '^'='^^<='=n the not till then, tb^:::ritS of tntt,r"''"f''«'v^"'' established. But the vanc,uish d 'i t X ! ',^ 'f'^ in spirt. His tnil fr^...., i • ^'^ ''^ ^•"^''y broken bacL- now h ,:'li , :^T"''"' '^--"y ouried on his was so erect i ^ow i , ""r"'"' ^"'^ "'" ^'^^'^ "'at --;"^:,^:;;:;b:';r:;:e:::^r r^T v-^ natives sav his ^n^...,- ^^ ' '^"'^ '^'^'^''^ ^iie •'^'i) nas sometimes been so severe as tn «l.,. . t'le extmction of the breed WU J \ T ^'''^'''^^^" ease the do<. Ins. W • " ''"''''^'^'^' '^>^ ^'^'^ ^I's- ti-symt!^ i^:::v'^^^^^^^^ --^^i;c:t,;:t;:::r^^^^ nnlv I'r, fi,^ cnsease, but as it occurs; ";?;:::!rrr^r^-:- ''-- !'-o". night':; 'iff.- I' if •'i: 'II . ni P'-obable that cold and' dark ness an' ♦^i ic M I I 1: .r 1 ? 404 ACfioss northei:n Greenland principal factors in its production. The foxes also in this region are said to be subject to this disease. It was only natural that the appearance of the disease, of which there were several cases among the dogs at Red- clifTe House, caused the members of the expedition a great deal of anxiety. Its close resemblance to hydro- phobia was a sufficient cause for alarm; but we were greatly relieved to find, and to have our observations con- firmed by the natives, that the bite of an affected animal was not dangerous to man. As the success of future polar expeditions may very largely depend upon the use of Eskimo dogs, it seems to be of great importance to prevent an outbreak of this dis- ease. I am convinced that this can be done by having electric lights in winter, furnishing the dogs a moderate degree of protection dufing storms and periods of severe cold, serving their meat warm instead of frozen, and sup- plying them with sufficient quantity of water to drink. In North Greenland the dogs often mate for life. If young are expectc^d in the cold season, a bed is prepared on one of the side benches in the hut, near the lamps, and here the mother remains with her pups until the winter is over, though to quench her thirst she is often obliged to go out in the cold and darkness to lick the snow. Hardly anywhere are pups more kindly treated or more dearly loved than they are in the hut of the poor Eskimo. The father of the household plays with them and names them, the mother sews nice white collars of bear-skin for all the dark-haired ones, while the children caress and pet them all day long. In the spring the pups may bo large enough for the owner to commence their training. Some fine day he Iso in this e disease, :s at Red- edition a to hydro- we were ions con- d animal nay very seems to this dis- y having iioderatc )f severe md sup- drink. Hfe. If prepared 2 lamps, ntil the is often lick the eated or he poor th them )llars of :hildren for the day he TIf£ NORm GREENLAND DOG furnishes each with a «moH u *°^ older animals, takes 2 1 ?'" "^' "''"' ^^^ °' '^^ , . ' '^''•'^"^^ one or two nt n 4-:^ r ;l"ve. It docs not require .ucirti: or t^L T t ^'"" familiar with the meanincr ..f fi , • ^ ^° become entca,,s,andwhen^:-l; r..:5er;'"^"r'''^^'-- IS completed. 't-achtd their education i^m- A r.RoUl' OK PlJKs Ml lM\ V M :! 1 i X i ■1 ■ ' f i i ; ij i ! ; 1 f , 1 1 '•; it ESKIMO HOY f !!<> \>' i,i- i f CHAPTER XXIV HOME I.IFK, IIAHITS AND CHARACTER To civilized people the domestic life of the Eskimos, or Innuits, by both of whicii terms the natives at Smith Sound are designated, seems very peculiar. The winters are spent in low, small huts. These are built of stones and moss, and are always near the ocean. The usual size of a hut is about thirteen feet in length and breadth. The roof is so low that a man of ordinar)- size cannot stand erect under it. Sometimes huts are built so close to each other that they are converted into one by simply cutting through the separating wall. The inside of a hut is reached through a long and nar- row entry, also built of stone, which is so low that one is obliged to creep when he goes in or out. /\ small square opening in the end wall leads up to the living-room. Di- rectly over the entry is a square window, closed with a skin, and c^'ten almost covered with snow. In its centre there is an ojjening a few inches in diameter, through \vhich the hot and almost suffocating air of the hut HOME LIFE, HABITS AND CHARACTER 407 escapes as a ray of steam, and which also serves as I peep-hole when the inmates hear noises outside Ihe family sleep in the back part of the hut on a platform, about twenty inches high, which is made of stones and covered with bear or reindeer skins. Benches of the same height are also built along the sides of the hut. Upon one of these stands a bowl-shaped lam]3 of s one. I)n-ectly over it is an oblong cooking-vessel, n.ade of he same material, which is hung by strings from the roof. The flame of the lamp is sustained by blubber and fine m\ A.\ LMvI.Mo UUUSli IN WIMLK peat and serves to both light and warm the small room If the hght goes out another is started by means of sparks from flint or ironstone. In the immediate neighborhood of their winter huts the natives buHd stone chambers, about half in and half above the ground. Here the house-mother keeps her Mtlij 1 ^^ ■ j. 1: ■V I '- '«■ i ' ' if I 1. 408 ACJ?OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND Stores of skins and other valuable materials, and the hunter places hi. winter furs. The stores of meat are a little farther from the hut and are covered with a pile of stones. ^ In the spring, when the days lengthen and the rays of the sun begin to spread a little warmth over the landscape the Eskmio leaves his close and dark winter abode, packs' tlie seal-skin tent of the family on his sledge, and goes to some place not far distant that is free from snow and appears to be a desirable location for a summer residence Here he pitches the tent, and the whole family enjoy the freer life of the new home. As a rule, before leaving their winter huts the Eslimos remove the roofs so that the interiors may be thoroucdily ventilated. They live in tents fron. the end of Aprit till September. Then they return to huts; but as they are fond of change, they sometimes select a different place from the one in which the last winter was passed I he mother of the household attends to the lamp both ;n the hut and the tent. She is careful to renew the blubber besKle it when the supply already there is melted and to so adjust the flame that there will be as little' smoke as possible. She also melts the snow that is used for various purposes, and does the cooking for the family. Ihat the domestic utensils are not kept in a condition that would be considered decent by civilized people is no surprising when we remen.ber that the Eskimos really have no sense of cleanliness. The large stone pot, tl e fla dishes the drinking-cups, and the boards upon wHich the food IS kept are covered with a thick layei of dn-t, grease, and dried blood, the odor of which will, until he has become accustomed to it, deprive a white man of , and the neat are a 1 a pile of he rays of andscape, >de, packs d goes to >novv and ■esidence. enjoy the Eskimos o roughly April till they are nt place mp both lew the melted, as little is used faniil)'. )ndition }ople is -skimos ine pot, •s upon lyer of II, until nan of mM£ Lim, HABITS AND CHARACIT.R ^^ hi.s wetite lict aftc.,- a long clay'» walk over the rough ■snow-fields, m a low temperature, when the muscles ^e weary, and the whole system cries out for food and water >e most damty son of civilisation will be glad to eat o/ the plam and poorly prepared food and drink from the greasy cups of the hospitable Eskimos The dishes which the Eskimo housewife offers her ST„»K „„rs OR ,O..OOS -TAKEN «T M,„McHT fam.ly ami her guests at the diiTerent seasons of the vcar are neither numerous nor con,plicated. Meat of walrus seal narwhal bear, reindeer, hares, and auks, with differ- ent kmds of blood, forms the foundation of all her cook- ing. Sp.ces, salt, or other condiments are entirely un- known. Considerable blubber is eaten, but the lar: • i. 410 ACIWSS NORTHERN GREENLAND m m r if M «i k,\ \ 1 part of it is used for furnishing light and heat As a rule, the meat is cooked, but it is sometimes eaten ^aw especially when it is frozen. When it has been kept lone' enough to reach a condition in which most civilized people woukl consider it spoiled, it is esteemed a great delicacy. The liver of several animals and certain en- trails of the seal are prized for food, as is also the material found in the stomach of the reindeer. The latter consists of vegetable matter, but it is so rarely obtained that it can almost be said that meat is the exclusive article of diet of the North Greenland Eskimos. Dog meat is sometimes eaten, but only under excep- tional circumstances. Nothing short of the greatest ne- cessity will induce a native to kill one of his dogs. Be- sides, the dogs are generally very lean and their'meat is not i)alatable. The people consi.lcr the flesh of pups a good article of food, and I think Ihey are capable jud-^es •n this matter. Once whe.i I was at the Caoe York colony and nearly starved, I was given some frozen raw meat of a pup that tasted very wc-11. It somewhat resem- bled the meat of a bear. This mig'U not be the general oi^'n.on of the cjuality of this kind of food, but it i^ stated merely as my personal impression. The natives at Smith Sound use nothing but water for dnnking purposes. When we first offereci them tea and CO fee many of them refused, but after a time they bec.an c. Ike thc^e drinks. They also soon learned to like hal-d- tack, which, considering the fact that they are, in the true sense of the word,"a breadless people." is not very surpris- 'n.i;^. Of spirits and tobacco they were entirely ignorant, and we were caivful not to enlighten them. It is'remark- able that they do not use, or even know of any kind of HOME LIFE, HABITS AND CtlAKAClEN 4,, Stimulant I„ this respect they are yet in .he original state of .nnocence which no other people in the ^orld appear ■^o have preserved. The meals are eaten in a very plain and easy nmnner. li. CAPIC YOKK. SMITH SOHN „ _ ksK 1 M. . SI.KI.S ,.N ■,„,, .rK The housewife places the pieces of boiled meat in a vessel fiom which the members of the family, all of whom a,v' very scantily clothed, take them with their hands when tlicy want them. In eating, a large piece of meat is taken to the mouth with the left hand and mi off close to the hps with a sharp knife that is held in the right hand As with civilized people, marriages among the natives of this region are contracted for life. As a'rule the rela- tion of husband and wife continues as long as they both E'|, r V 1 4 .1 1 iiil Hi p ll;| J "1-! 412 ^C/iOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND live, tlu,.,gh sopamtions sometimes occur. A few venrs .row™, ;^'' 'T 'f ^"* '^-^l^- -y'"S .hat he';., ."o old and went to hve witi, Kala, a n,iddle-aged wid- ower. „ excuse for this fault of the i„ manj- respe ts estunab e w„,„au, it can only be said that aUhou-d her husband was not so very old, he really did present a superannuated appearance. His walk was unsteady one eg was crooked from rheun.atism, his face was full o d.rty wrn,kles, his nose and cheeks had taken on a blMish "," f™'" ^''P<'«"-e to wind and weather, his eyes were edged with a red border, and his hair- his hair -well let us not attempt to carry the description any farther' And yet th,s Imie la.ne n,an is full of fun, and gives his "e.ghbors the pleasure of many a laugh. Hi.s friend da dattghter who keeps hou.se for him, see that he does' not suifer from want. . Polygan,y does not exist among these people nossiblv because the conditions arc tu.favo.blo, bu h ba'd nd ">.-.tt u. I he unmanned yo,„,g people are strictly chaste 1 he pos,t,on of the nurried won,an is as di.n, Ld a d respected as is that of the ,nan, though in an^ 1 Lta u d.sa,._.u. she is obliged to submit t., the w.^ The relations between parents an3' resjjects hough her present a iteady, one t-as full of n a bluish eyes were lir — well, y farther, gives his > friends, t he does . possibly ands and I want of V serious ^ chaste, fied and nportant II of her are as t of the looking, coarser th their sonie- nnionly ^WAfE LIFE, HABITS AND CHARACTER 4,3 ects. The children are rarely punished, and as they are thoroughly good-natured punishment is seldom needed The youngsters often appear very sweet and cunning as for instance, when playing in the open air a game ;;.' respondu,g to the " tag " of civilized lands, or when coas . INTERIOR 01. inn ■ns on the Imlc sleiRh.s which their kind faehers have "'acle ,„• Ihcn,. lixcept in the n>ilrriages iake place at a very early age. The n,an «' l>os t„ marry as soon as he thinks he can support a w.fe. nsnally when f,o„, si.vteen to twenty years old, and the K.rls are considered marrLafreable when thev reach he age of lonrteen years, l.ove seems to be th'e fomv clat,<,n for all ntarriages. Kven if it were preferred, mnr- ryn,K for n.oney or other worldly f-oods wonld not be I'o-sible. 1 he enijagemcnt lasts quite a lonf; lime, but l^- ^fsffl III I 11 Hi il. 414 ACROSS NOR Tim RN GREENLAND there are no ceremonies whatever connected with the weddincr. The number of children in a family is usually three or four. Sometimes, but not often, it reaches five or even six. When a visitini; l':skimo arrives from some distant colony he does not say "Good day" or "How do you do," and the men and women upon whom he is calling do not welcome him with words. A bashful smile is alfuiat he offers, and the same greeting is returned. Soon one of the older Eskimos, in a low voice, makes some remark or asks some question, and thus a conversation will be slowly started. When the visitor is leaving, he does not say "Good-by," but harnesses his dogs to the sledge and goes away without saying a word about it. In their whole behavior these people show a most absolute inde- pendence which will astonish any civilized person who comes in contact with them. Before starting on a long journey the natives drink as much water as possible. This is done as a precaution agamst thirst, which in a fatiguing journey in the ex- tremely dry Arctic aii , a fearful torture. During the winter night, which lasts nearly four months, there is never a hick of sociability. This tends to make the time pass more cjuickly for th'e people than It otherwise would do. 'i'lie younger families, especially, travel around a great deal, visiting their parents, aunts,' uncles, and other relatives and friends. In many cases they spend more time in this way than they do at' home. lu'en if for a short time they are at home, they have usually made a previous arrangement to entertain some guests. In December and January the darkness is so intense m with the is usually ics five or ie distant >v do you :alling do is all that •>oon one e remark 1 will be does not le sledge In their Lite inde- son who drink as ecaution the e.\- rly four lis tends )le than pecially, \ aunts, ly cases t home. ey have in some intense HOME LIFE, HABTTS AND CHARACTER 4,5 that travelling can be done only by moonlight. When the moon appears, once in four weeks, it remains con- stantly visible for about a week, and gives a splendid light for the travel-loving Innuits. There is haj^piness shining on the broad faces <,f the natives when in the month of February the sun, after he depressing darkness of the winter, begins to give to the clouds nearest the horizon a golden coloring And when the sun itself for the first time comes into ^iew the joy IS unbounded. (31d and young, men, women, and children, gather on the rocks behind the huts of the colony, where the view is unobstructed, and with joyful shouts greet the returning king of day. The Eskimos at Smith Sound have no definite method of computing time or of stating the exact date at which any given event occurred. If they want to ' dicate a cer- tain hour of the day, they state the position of the sun or the stars in the sky at this time. They have names tor our four seasons and terms to designate the to them ;-iiportant periods of the year, as "the days that we move nito tents," "the days when the sun leaves us," and various other times and events. It would naturally be expected that a pe(,ple situated like the Eskimos, compelled to fight a hard battle for v mere existence, and who arc in almost constant daiv-cr of tinding their food supplies exhausted, and with no certain means of replenishing them, would be very serious and unhappy. We would suppose that they would regard life as an evil which for some reason had been forced up(,n theni, and from which death would bring them a welcome relief Mut with regard to the I<:skimos such an opinion would be wholly incorrect. To one who lives with them f \^\ n. jI I ' n »} It 7 ,i.j 41 \ iff-!l 416 ACIWSS NORTHERN GREENLAND until he is well acquainted with their ways and under- stands their language, their joyful laughter, their amusing witticisms, their frequent jokes, and, in fact, their whole conduct, will indicate beyond the shadow of a doubt that these people are unusually well satisfied with their lot in life. Upon looking more closely at the matter, this satis- faction with what seem to be Nery hard conditions of existence will not be as difiHcult to explain as it at first glance appears. In the first j^lace they enjoy excellent health. As they advance in years they suffer somewhat from rheumatism, but they seldom have any other severe illness. Snow-blindness, a slight inflammation of the eyes caused by the bright reflection of the sun on the snow, frequently attacks the men in the sjjring, but it does not often prove serious in its results. Another and a very important reason for their contentment is found in the fact that this small I-:skimo society is founded ujwn the principle of equal rights and privileges for all of its mem- bers. Money is entirely unknown. Love to one s neigh- bor is a fundamental law. A society in which lilxM-ty, ecpiality, and fraternity are not, as in many civilized lands,' merely a distant and an almost hopeless ideal, but are the actual rule of life and conduct, can hardly fail to secure a large share of hai)])iness and contentment. If one of the hunters is more skilful or has better suc- cess than his companions, so that during the summer he obtains a larger c|uantity of me.it than will be needed l)y himself and his family in the winter he does not conceal the surplus, or attempt to withhold it from the others. On the contrary, with pleasure and i)ride he will distribute it amojig those whose eyes are not as keen or whose arms _i HOME LIFE, HABITS AND CHARACTER 4,, are not as strong as his own, or who were not as fortunate m hndmg good hunting-grounds. If the question were raised whether the expert hunters who secure an adequate quantity of provisions f-. the winter ni a comparatively brief time, will not be more .nclmed to spend a part of the summer in idleness than to con mue the hunt in the interest of others, the answer would be that as long as the ambition of these men con- tmues as groat as it is at present, there is no danger of then- relaxmg their eiTorts, even if their natural kindness of heart is not taken into the account. It is a rule among this people that any game which a hunter does not take home, but leaves at some convenient pomt, covered with stones for possible future use, can be taken by others, if needed, with perfect right, and without asking pe,™,ss,on of any one. It often happens that meat stored in this way by one man is used by others In fact, the tribe forms a single family, and each member' without exception, consecrates the work of his life to the common good. They have the joys of life, as well as the hardships and sufferings, in common. It is seldom that this tribe arc visited by a real famine; and though some authors have represented them as improvident, my obser- vation convinced me that they endeavor to enter the win- ter with a full stock of provisions, and that they usually succeed in obtaining a liberal supjjly. The members of this tribe manifest a strong ai^ection for each other. This, perhaps, is not remarkable when it IS remembered that the company is comparatively small and having for a long period been isolated from nil other tribes, the members are related to each other by blood as well as by the common ties of humanity. As an instance 27 M^ im VJ ff liiti 'M .H ^^^ f ! I 41S ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND of the general concern for the welfare of the individual I well remember how anxious the members of the colony appeared at a time when one of the younger hunters remain'-d away a day longer than was his usual custom. It is extremely seldom that Eskimos quarrel, and when a disagreement occurs it is a very tame affair. The par- ties do not talk loudly or call each other names, but sim- ply separate. They are a quiet and gentle people, and very much dislike anything in the way of disturbance or discord. Judging from the best information we could obtain, it seems probabi <;hat the natural period of life is about sixty years. The debility incident to old age is then fully developed, and in many cases is accompanied by an in- flammation of the lungs which soon proves fatal. The communistic form of their society renders stealino- from each other impos ible. And it must be said of them that they are really an honest people. When we first went among them they would often take articles from the members of the expedition ; but as they had no know- ledge of the principle of private ownership of property, they could not justly be blamed for doing so. When they learned that we disappro/ed of their course we could always rely upon their honesty. Still, it was plain to see that they were intelligent enough to perceive the injustice of our holding them to a strict account while we were taking possession of their land without their permis- sion and without compensation, and killing the reindeer which would have been useful to them for food. The Eskimos rarely told us an untruth. When they did so it usually appeared to be in order to fool the white people who thought themselves so wise, rather than from lividual I le colony : hunters :ustom. md when The par- but sim- ople, and rbance or obtain, it is about hen fully )y an in- stealing i of them we first les from lo know- property, When urse we as plain eive the kvhile we • permis- reindeer len they iie white an from HOME LIFE, HABITS AND CHARACTER 4,, either malice or habit. They seldom or never lie to each other, bu ,t .s very „ard for them to tell a truth that th know w,.l be disagreeable, and they employ all kinds of subterfuges to avoid such an unpleasant task Upon the whole, the morals of this interesting tribe Tc^:J I '" ^ remembered that while the people of Chnsfan nations are subjected to many and strong temptafons to violate the principles of religion, the Eskl mos hve under much simpler conditions, and ca^ far mor eas, y avo.d transgression. For many of the evils which stam cvihzed .society these people have neither motive nor opportunity; and while in various ways they earnestly endeavor to follow the right, there are other directions in which their virtues are negative rather than positive The good humor of the Eskimos is inexhaustible. V\ hen a arge company is gathered, as occurred several times at the house of the Peary expedition, their mirth is unbounded It would be utterly impossible to describe he crcus we had when a party of Eskimos came to the house, and for the first time in their lives saw a mule Iheir mirth was exuberant, but was far from childish and many and witty were their remarks about the long ears and the hairless tail of the animal before them. One of the leading wits of the tribe was little fat Ekva He would sit for hours in the centre of a little circle and keep the audience laughing at his talk and jokes. But he did not forget his family. He was always careful to put "ito a dirty seal-skin bag part of the hard-tack that was given him and carry it to his little two years' old child Annedor when he went home. In the Eskimo tribe a' «mith Sound there are no chiefs nil »!!«?! rr : $1 420 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND or persons who in any way bear rule over others. Each member is his own master, and one never interferes with the affairs of another. The older men who have been or who still are remarkably skilful hunters seem to receive a good deal of respect, and their words have considerable influence upon the other members of the colony, but this is merely a matter of deference, and not a recognition of authority. No greater degree of liberty can be found in any part of the world than is enjoyed by the happy people of this cold and desolate land. it if 5. Each 2res with : been or receive a siderable but this nition of ound in y people CHAPTER XXV INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS AND CUSTOMS From the description already given, the reader will readily admit that the natives at Smith Sound, like their brothers farther south, are really an intelligent people The weapons which they make and the manner in which they conduct Jieir hunting expeditions show that they are not wanting either in ingenuity or in skill. In re- cent years contact with the members of the Peary expedi- tion has done much to develop these qualities as well as to bring the merits of the tribe to the attention of civil- ized people. They greatly surprised us by the facility with which they learned to use firearms and the skill which they exhibited, after practising for only a few hours, in hand- ling our whale-boats. I think Kolotengva is one of the most gifted men im the tribe. He is certainly one of the ablest and most efficient of the younger members. He is about twenty- five years of age, with a powerful frame and muscles like steel. His eyes are small but bright, and he can cleaily discern distant objects that are invisible to ordinary people. His hair, which is long and black, is quite curly and forms a fine frame for his brave-looking face. In many ways } e reminds me of chiefs of whom I have read in Indian tales. No one in the whole tribe was prouder than Kolotengva, no one more independent, no one In ifj r > Iff-. Mi.. if ' ■' w, It i j,,» 4' » i'ii 422 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND cooler In danger, shrewder in hunting, or more faithful in friendship. Tungvingva, his wife, was a red-cheeked, smiling child with dark eyes and snow-white teeth. This couple had a pastime in x/hich no other members of the tribe ever engaged. This was drawing. Some- times they made sketches of the ships of the Kablunak (white men), sometimes men were represented, at others animals, huts, tents, or kaiaks. As ' had fortunately brought a larger quantity of these t:.. 3 than I needed, I kept them supplied with pencils an., paper. Many of their drawings were very interesting, and all, without a single exception, showed that they were keen observers. A picture drawn by Kolotengva in my sketch book represents a hunting scene. Two hunters, an Eskimo with a bow and arrow and a Kablunak with a rifle, are ap- proaching two reindeer from different directions. Their sledge is waiting at the foot of the mountain upon which the hunt is taking place. The Kablunak is shown in a somewhat intoxicated condition and as being lightly clad, but as a whole the picture is quite instructive. An- other picture, drawn from memory by Tungvingva, rep- resents the steam sealer Kile. It was one of her first attempts to draw with a pencil, and is quite creditable. Still another drawing by Tungvingva represents two white men. As they have their hair cut, instead of wear- ing it long like the natives, she has simply represented them as bald-headed, and has thereby caused the ears to stand out rather more prominently from the fine heads than their owners would desire. Kolotengva was a great admirer of the knowledge and inventions of the Kablunak, and was glad to adopt and recommend to the tribe any of our customs or methods INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 423 that could be made / practical use in the conditions under ,,'hich they lived. He was the first to provide him- self with pockets in his seal-skin coat. He found them a great convenience, and his example was soon followed by many of the other young men. Koloter - va had a comrade whom he liked better than he did mo ,«, of the others. This was Kudla. I do not kno- a better description of these two than "hurragut- ter." ' Wherever anything was going on they were inva- riably to be found. They were always full of fun, and were sure to do something very comical. In July, 1894, I was accidentally present when Kolo- tengva and Kudla returned from a reindeer hunt. While talking with them I noticed that the former's face and hands were so thickly covered with mosquito bites as to give him the appearance of having had the smallpox, while the latter was entirely free from such marks. When Kudla perceived that I was going to speak about it he forestalled me vrith the remark, made very seriously and with an assumption of superiority, that the mosquitoes had troubled little Kolotengva very badly while he was asleep at night, but as for himself the insects did not dare to attack him. " And why .? " continued Kolotengva immediately, " because even the mosquitoes refuse the miserable stuff that is flowing through your veins." This is only a specimen of the satirical fun and repartee of which these young fellows were masters. If possible a still more pronounced hurrah boy was Kaschu. He was about thirty years old and was as lively as a cricket. His tace, which was broad and round, looked ^ Hurragutter, literally translated would be "hurrah boys." It is equivalent to our terms " one of the boys," " a gay boy," or " a jolly fellow." i ■ U li'iii!iii: ni¥ 1 1 I'll 424 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND as if it had been hastily cut out of a piece of timber by a wood-carver. When he was perfectly happy he laughed so heartily as to stretch his mouth from ear to ear and shut both his eyes. If for any reason he considered himself in danger he invariably closed one eye. His physical endur- ance was almost unlimited, and it would be extremely dif- ficult to find a travelling companion more energetic and at the same time more genial. Kaschu pitched his tent near the winter quarters of the second Peary expedition, and remained there for a long time. Every morning, even after it had become very cold, he could be seen, without a stitch of clothing, vvalk- mg around and taking his weather observation for the day. When the white men had any amusements in pro- gress Kaschu never failed to be with us. When we were running on ski, on the hills back of the house, he accom- panied us, and in time he became quite a skilful ski runner, though his appearance was far from elegant. When running fast he iuade the most frightful faces^^and when at full speed he believed that he was in great peril and always closed one of his eyes. As I have commenced giving biographical sketches I will add a few more of some of the typical members of the tribe. Among the very old people there were the parents of Kaschu, Arodoksua and Migibsungua. As an indication that the old man knows something of the laws of health, 't may be stated that since he ceased hunting he takes exercise every forenoon by walking for a long distance on the ocean ice, pushing his empty sledge in front of him. Recently he has suffenjd considerably from rheumatism. His wife is quite well, and her tongue is active from earlv INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 425 in the morning until late at night. When strangers are present she is almost continually praising her m'ltchless son, Kaschu. Her other son, the half-witted Aningana, she seldom mentions, but she represents Kaschu as L wonderful boy. When she describes him as a fine-look mg fellow, one who is familar with his wooden head hi large mouth, and his half-closed eyes can hardly keep from laughing. Among the most worthy of the married couples of the tribe should be named Ingapaddu and Ituschaksui, the parents of Tungvingva. They have six children, the' largest number in one family within the memory of the oldest member of the tribe. Ituschaksui is a good mother, and^ looks carefully after the comfort and welfare of her family. I have seen her go out on the ice for more than a mile to tell two of her younger children, who were play- mg there, that it was growing cold and they should have some covering on their hands. Ituschaksui has two younger brothers, both of whom are married. Their names are Aseio and Panikpa. Like their sister, they are highly gifted, particularly Aseio,* whose pale, narrow face and large, thoughtful eyes are the outward signs of a clear intellect and quick perceptions. He is, however, not very strong, and for this reason his wife, Anavi, has often been obliged to perform the kinds of work that usually fall to the men. So she has turned into somewhat of an Amazon. She can drive a sledge- team witli suprising dexterity and ply the whip with as much strength and persistence as any ordinary man. Fanikf.a is of a rather retiring and philosophical nature. He prefers to have his tent or winter hut in a lonely place where people do not pass daily, and where he, with his 1 1 Pll *_' 1 i''i"' II? i yi i 1 HI ! %ii -'i i I ■'Si"' r .f 1 si ! K I ,( '!>- 1> J i I i I' ^i ■,' (IP 426 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND wife and their small children, can enjoy life in a peaceful and quiet manner. I have had many long conversations with Panikpa, and he always seized the opportunity to make inquiries in regard to foreign lands. His faith in the Kablunak is very great, and he has a strong desire to see their cities, railroads, horses, jd many other things of which he has learned something from pictures and verbal descriptions. It is very doubtful if his wish in this respect is ever gratified. But even now his horizon is more extended than is that of many a peasant in ivilized lands, and the nature of his inquiries indicates a very thoughtful mind. Another prominent member of this tribe is Kayegvitto, a smart, good-natured. fellow who is taller, and probably is also stronger, than any of his comrades. This superiority has made him very vain. He seems to have formed the opinion that he is really the leading man of the tribe and that he ought to be acknowledged as such. He evidently gained this idea by observing the conduct of our own people. He observed that there was one of our jxarty who was treated with great respect and was obeyed by the others. Doubtless this awakened a desire on his part to act as leader of his companions. His vanity was quite conspicuous, as there was no trace of it in any other member of the tribe. His comrades treat the matter as a sort of a joke, smile, and say something equivalent to " Kayegvitto — yes, poor fellow, he is a little off." On one occasion this vanity on the part of Kayegvitto proved of great benefit to our party. This was about the middle of winter, when the second Peary expedition was at the north. The supply of food for our large num- ber of dogs had become greatly reduced. We had heard peaceful jrsations unity to faith in iesire to hings of d verbal i respect is more d lands, 3Ughtful ^egvitto, ibably is Deriority ncd the "ibe and /idently iiir own rty who by the part to IS quite y other atter as ilent to ^'egvitto )()ut the ion was e num- d heard INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 427 that Kayegvitto had a considerable quantity of meat at the colony Nachsa, on the south side of Whale Sound It was decided that I should go there and try to obtain a supply. I set out and on the following day reached the colony while the moon was shining. I was received at the shore by all the male inhabitants, prominent among whom was Kayegvitto. No sooner did the latter see that It was a Kablunak who had come to pay them a visit than he shot into his hut like an arrow, but he soon re- turned, clad in an old and well-Morn coat that he had obtained the previous autumn by trade from one of the members of the expedition. This, he appeared to think gave him a sufficient degree of dignity to enable him to represent his "subjects" in proper manner. I at once walked up to him, took his hand, and shook It very hard. The ceremony of shaking hands is not customary among the Eskimos of this tribe, but they had learned its meaning, and in this case it appeared very flattering to Kayeg^•itto. I then explained to him my errand, telling him that Peary, the great master (nale- gaksuak) from the distant land, wanted meat for his hungry dogs, and that I had come to ask Kayegvitto, the great master of the Innuits. to supply him. I said that Kayeg- vitto had a good deal of meat, he was a great hunter, and that only he was nalegaksuak of the Innuits. The last sentence was highly pleasing to the person to whom it was addressed. Me repeated it several times, and then invited me to spend the night at his home, an invitation which, of course, was promptly accepted. On the following morning a conference was held to discuss the matter of giving me the supplies for which I had asked. After I had for a rot.plo of times called this .^'J ^ti: ij f 'I III r t i k II 14 ' »> iti ti 428 ACHOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND lieavy, coarsely built man the great master of the Innuits, Kayegvitto, with an air of superiority that was indescrib- ably ludicrous, ordered his companions to fill my sledge with meat. Once in a while he would assist in the work by graciously picking out for me the larger pieces of meat. The Eskimos who, for the occasion, had voluntarily con- descended to be the subjects of Kayegvitto, heartily en- joyed the whole affair, and were good-natured enough to continue the comedy to the end. When the meat was loaded Kayegvitto received a suitable present, which apparently he had not expected, and I left the great man standing in the moonlight, still dressed in his thin coat, although the temperature was something like minus 40° Celsius. In this tribe there is a little orpha; boy whose name is Kadluktu. He lived for a long time at our winter house, under Matt s berth, and was well fed with the remnants of our meals. He was a nice and bright little fellow, and we took quite an interest in him. Matt, especially, seemed to have an almost fatherly care for him. First he gave him a thorough washing over his whole body. Then he employed a couple of old women to free his clothes from dirt and vermin, an operation that was greatly needed. When these things had been done, he cut the boy's hair as close as that of a seal ; and as far as outward appearance could go, Kadluktu was civilized. The little fellow has no steady home. He lives some- times with one family and at others with another, but wherever he goes he is always treated kindly. Kaoni is the name of a queer fellow who has a large wife and four children. I suspect that he is a bit hen- pecked. At the colonies which Kaoni visits there is sledge INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 429 always fun for the inhabitants, but it is at his expense. He is extremely awkward in everything that he does, and in addition to this he has the unfortunate habit of stut- tering. So it is inevitable that he should be the princi- pal figure in the funny stories which his neighbors tell each other. The following will serve as a sample of these humorous narrations. It reprc .ents a conversation such as occurs when two hunters who live near him meet each other : — " Nukta caught a narwhal day before yesterday, and Angodlu and Mahotia each caught a seal yesterday." " Indeed ! Akkomodingva and I also killed two seals yesterday. Kaoni was to go with us, but the kaiak he had borrowed upset just as he pushed out from land, and then he stayed at home." [Long and subdued laughter from both hunters.] " What did Kaoni say when he came back again } " " Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-iak is no good." " Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-oni either, we added." [Again prolonged laughter from both parties.] On our last expedition we took with us an Edison phonograi)h, and often allowed the Eskimos to listen to it. Strange to say they did not seem to be very much impressed with this wonderful invention. They never for a moment appeared to connect this apparatus with anything supernatural. They laughed at it, and seemed to enjoy hearing its hidden voices, but evidently looked upon it much as they would have looked upon a toy with which they had been familiar for years. We expected that they would regard the voices as those of the spirits who hold a prominent place in their religious conceptions. Hut their keen intelligence seemed to immediately make ™ li ■"*•- It' 430 ACROSS NORTHERN GREENLAND li t- m '. J' !■ .- X'v i'-- m t ! ■I ■ ^ 1 ' l.-' T ;^lr ft' ■ 1 i : ' Hw , plain to them that the phonograph, Hke many other curi- osities which the Kablunak possessed, was a wonderfully complicated, but otherwise a quite natural, product of the work of human hands and minds. Most Eskimos can easily count up to twenty, but in practical affairs they seldom or never have any need for so large a number. When they refer to more than five ob- jects they usually say " many," or use some similar term without attempting to be exact. Sometimes, however, when in tlie long winter nights they sit in their low huts and cut from ivory small figures of men, or animals, or curiosities of various forms, they try to count them, and go as high as thirty or forty. They count on their fin- gers: one, atasuk; two, magluk ; three, pingarsut; four, sissami ; five, tedlumet. If they want to go higher they call six the first finger on the second hand, or igluane ata- suk (sometimes abbreviated to igluane) ; seven will be the second finger on the second hand, or igluane magluk, and so on until they reach ten. Then, as they have no more fingers, they begin to count over again on the fin- gers but give them the names of the toes. Therefore thirteen will be three toes on the first foot; seventeen will be two toes on the second foot, md twenty will be the last toe on the last foot. If the Eskimo wants to count a larger number than twenty, he starts on a new man. Twenty -one will then be one on the new man (Innuit aipachsjani atasuk). In this way the count can be carried up to forty. The Eskimos are quite ingenious and are possessed of a good deal of mechanical skill. These qualities are par- ticularly exhibited when they have 'occasion to repair guns or other weapons or implements, for which work INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 43, they have nothing suitable in the way of tools or mate- rials. One of their most difficult tasks is to put a gun in repair after the spring of the lock has been broken It may be a long time, months, perhaps, before the owner or any of his friends can devise a remedy; but one is pretty certain to be found, and on some fine day the gunner may again be seen in search of game, with his weapon in good working order. He may have been forced to give up the old lock, the spring now in use may be made of ivory instead of steel, and the discharge may be effected by pulling aside a piece of wood which has kept the ham- mer drawn back ; but in spite of all these things the gun is again a serviceable weapon, and the owner is able to do as much execution as he could before the accident which disabled it occurred. East of Cape York there are several large moteors These were carefully examined by Lieutenant Peary in the spring of 1894. It is said that when the Encdish polar expedition under Sir John Ross visited this re- ion in the early part of the present century, the natives were using pieces of iron, which they obtained here, for point- ing their spears and harpoons. It is not easy to under- stand how they were able to hammer the iron into a suitable form without heating it. This method of working the metal was not known to the Eskimos in this vicinity until they came in contact with the members of the Peary expedition. It is therefore probable that in earlier times the natives were able to use only a few flat splinters which, by the agency of natural causes, had become separated from the larger bodies. The Eskimos are careful to protect the feet of their dogs from injury by the hard and sharp ice that forms i?,f i"i I'i H t '»'' i?r H'Mi 432 ACJiOSS NORTHERN GREENLAND upon the surface of the snow in spring. For this purpose they make socks of seal-skin, which are tied to the legs of the dogs below the lowest joint, and which prove very efficient. These people know the difference between hard and soft woods, and readily distinguish between pine and fir and oak and ash. As they have never seen a livin<>- tree, this seems quite remarkable. If they could suddenly be brought where they could see the mighty oaks or the dark green pines, similar to the trees which have fur- nished the small pieces of timber of which their sledges are made, they would shout with joy. 1 he Eskimos have a good deal of musical taste, but in most cases it is so slightly developed that they are not able to catch our plainest and simplest airs. Still there ire some exceptions. • Ituschaksui was our most advanced pupil. We succeeded in teaching her to sing several of our common songs correctly. All the others to whom we tried to teach these airs would introduce many false notes. Still, their own songs, with which they were thoroughly familiar, they sang very nicely. This was especially true in chorus. Here no single voice made itself prominent among the others, and the general effect of the singing was quite pleasing. The religious ideas of the Eskimos at Smith Sound, though not very clearly defined, are nevertheless quite interesting. In this small tribe we find a shadow of the belief, or perhaps a groping after the ideas, that were held by our own ancestors thousands of years ago. In reality we are considering a people who are just beginning to emerge from the stone age. They are an original people who have remained in character and in conduct almost 'fi i ,j s purpose be legs of 'ove very lard and e and fir v'ing tree, denly be s or the lavc fur- r sledges e, but in are not till there idvanced everal of /horn we se notes, trough ly illv true ominent sni"mu Sound, ss quite V of the ere held 1 reality ninij to people almost n^TEU.jaENCE, JIEUGJOUS IDEAS, CUSIVMS 4.3 Tof'The nt7"; "" "''" "' "^^ '^''^' -^ -""f""-'" cles re to t ace the development and progress of mankind cer a : '^T> " '^'°'" "' '"''''' P^^'^ "^-e assumed ce.tam definite forms. The doctrines of each can be stated .„ a few brief articles of faith which a se for , ."he most positive terms. But it is altogethe d ffere undecided. Upon most points there is no general aeree -nt as to what constitutes the truth, but efch indi fdu ," as hts own ,deas. These take a very wide range but they are mostly in a shadowy form. ^ Probably this uncertainty is very largely due to the smal number of people in the tribe. L L-ge sociede peo,.le are strongly influenced by the opinions and belief of the masses around them. The fact that millions of to ms 01 belief a very strong presumption of truth. But "■here the public, so far as is known, embraces only a nnit h! 7. "f '^"P'^' "^ '"""^"^^ "P°" "- -dividual must be relatively small. And where, as in this case, no common statement of belief has been formulated, the pZ s^onal e ement attains a still greater degree of prominence. My opmion upon this point has been strengthened, per- haps I might say that its truth has been confirmed by themrdvl"""""" ''''"' ' '^^^ ""^ ^"* "^^ "='^'- After becoming well acquainted with him, and gaining hi confidence to such an extent that he was willing tt Udk with me upon a subject which is one of the last which uncivilized people will discuss with others, I asked 28 Wt! iff Ms ilil! ilt. ■-if" "M'' 11 1 1 , t li ;i 'Ci IIJ i'.. I 434 AC J^ OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND Kolotengva, '• Do the Innuits believe that there is a life after death ? " He repHed : " Yes. When an Innuit dies his soul (or rather ' shadow ') will wander to a land below us, where there is good hunting, much sunshine, and everything pleasant. But others think that the soul goes to a land high up in the air, and nobody is sure what is right. We Innuits are so few, and there are so many Kablunaks, and you know everything. Tell us how it is about this matter." It is not necessary to state in full my reply to this request. Suffice it to say that I went so far as to promise Kolotengva an eternal life much happier than his life on earth. No better consolation can be offered a man who is troubled by the thought of death. When a Christian feels the cares and sorrows of life bearing heavily upon him, and finds trial and disappoint- ment his constant companions, he turns in prayer to an al- mighty and compassionate God, and obtains the help and consolation which he so sorely needs. With the Eskimos mighty but invisible spirits take the place of God, and in some measure compensate tor their want of knowledge of a single all-powerful Ruler. They think that these spirits can be imprisoned by their angekoks or magicians. When this has been accomplished it is thought that conferences can be held with the spirits, and that they can be j^er- suaded to cure sickness, give success in hunting, and aid in all of the various affairs of the daily lives of their peti- tioners. Both men and women can become angekoks, though all are not equally well adapted for such a distinction. Clearness of intellect, dexterity, and a talent for acting are all required to enable a man to secure respect as a magi- INTELLIGENCE, RELIGIOiS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 435 cian The older angekoks teach the younger people who think themselves especially qualified for the position or who are attracted to the mystic occupation. The time required for learning extends over several years, and dur^ ing the course of instruction many mysterious ceremonies are performed. The principal spirit of which the Eskimos profess to have knowledge is Tornahuksua ("the giant shadow") Accordmg to the angekoks he lives exclusively upon the land, can do harm as well as good, and though of super- natural size, he has the human form. When on a quiet day m summer some sudden noise of falling rocks is heard m a colony, the inhabitants will say in a low and anxious voice, "Tornahuksua! Tornahuksua!" They think this mighty spirit is then wandering along the dark cliffs of the mountain-side. Another spirit of considerable importance is called Kokyoia. This is said to have long blacl. arms, and to live in the sea. There are also many other spirits and mystic beings, but they are all of an inferior order. There IS, as has been indicated, a great deal of superstition among the natives, but it is so vague, and varies so much with different individuals, that it is hardly possible to note any specific form which can be said to be characteristic of the tribe. It is difficult to say how manv angekoks are to be found among the Innuits at Smith Sound. In fact, there IS a great difference of opinion among the members of the tribe as to which individuals of their number arc entitled to this distinction. For myself, I do not think that there is a very strongly marked difference between the magicians and many of those who are not fully reco- \~v. I ■ n 'rsr ■,^m h >'^l If li M — f : II M 1 ' ft (, ' It^ !• 1.. 1 E t m ■« ^ 1 il iil l! !«(,i1 It i^ll 436 ACT? OSS NORTHERN GREENLAND nized as such. My impression is that all who can show a little feeling and mysticism in their songs make preten- sions of belonging to this class on every occasion that offers itself. It is, however, one thing for a person to pose as an angekok and quite another to so appear as to inspire others with reverence. There are hardly more than a half dozen in the tribe who are really venerated by their companions. Of these, four are men and two are elderly women. The youngest of the four male angekoks, and the one who is the most highly respected, is Kayapaddu. He is about thirty-five years of age, fat and smiling, and has only to put on the blue snow-spectacles with which Peary pre- sented him to very closely resemble a good old-fashioned minister. When. he gave his spiritualistic seances, the light from the train-oil lamp was turned so low that the occupants of the room could hardly see each other. Then Kayapaddu, holding a skin drum in one hand and a drum- stick made of bone in the other, would go forward on the floor and begin to sing and drum. At first his song was low and quiet, but gradually it would show more and more excitement, his body would sway so that his long hair would wave wildly around, and his face would take on an agonized expression. In a few hours he was covered with perspiration. He pressed his hands to his forehead, cried and moaned, then suddenl) burst out in a roaring, almost a demoniacal laughter, and at last succeeded in making appear for him some invisible spirits of the lower orders that he used as messengers to the higher powers. Now he frequently changed his voice. Sometimes it represented the voice of a spirit, at others it was perfectly natural. He became more and more noisy '¥'' ..*' M D can show a lake preten- :casion that I person to appear as hardly more enerated by .nd two are and the one Idu. He is nd has only 1 Peary pre- Id-tashioned eances, the ow that the ;her. Then ind a drum- ^ard on the >Tadually it body would iround, and In a few pressed his n suddenl) ighter, and ne invisible ssengers to d his voice, at others it more noisy INTELLIGENCE, I^ELIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS 437 and demonstrative, until at length many of his heare-s became so nervous and excited that they tre--- led with emotion and some of them began to moan with him If the object of this performance was to heal the sick or to prolong the life of one who appeared to be dyin^" Kayapaddu would sometimes continue the exercises for several hours. He would seldom give up until the pa- tient was either dead or improving. If death occurred at such a time it would be said, in favor of the anoekok that recovery was impossible, as some hostile spirit had obtained power over the soul, and had previously stolen It, or some similar excuse for his failure would be mad. it, on the olner hand, recovery ensued, respect for the magician app-.ared to be greatly increased. There is no doubt that the natives who are present at these performances believe that the spirits are really pres- ent, and that they negotiate witli the angekok. And for my part I dare not doubt that the angekok acts in good taith. It IS often said, and pe';haps correctly, that if a lie IS repeated times enouc^h, the one who tells it comes to believe chat it is true. There can hardly be a question that the angckoks are self-deceived. The belief which appea.s to extend to all races and a.l parts of the world in amulets, or objects ihat have the power to protect their wearer from evil spirits and giv- secunty when danger threatens, is common among .he Eskimos at Smith Sound. These amulets are often nar- row bracelets of black seal-skin without hair. For women necklaces of the same material are in common use Pieces of seal-skin clothes that once belonged to people who have died, small ivory figures of men or animals, and various other objects are also employed. The amulets are conse- ii jhv if ■ ^ ill iH mi\ Ml Ml :1! f \. m ■U ' I % W^^'i^ ' i -1 ; i . ■{■■ 4 i I I* I'M I'.i' ; 1'' ^•.^"n , flf« ■«|; ' »> ^ 1 l.iil «8 ^C/>055 NOHTHEMN GRBBKLAND crated by singing mystic songs over them. As a rule the oUer people decide, or at least suggest, what objects the ch, c ren or young people ought to select for the purpose VVhen an Eskimo dies the remaining members of the fami y observe niany formalities, in order that the soul of the deceased shall no: feel insulted. They are not to ment,or. his name, but must cry and mourn a certain ength of t,me after his death. Thu... who have touched he dead body or anything belonging to it n,ust for a long period observe certain rules in regard to their cloth- ing and diet. Before the body is taken out it is dres.sed in full travel- ling costume. Then it is drawn by straps through the ™try „f the house, taken for some distance from the dwellings and away from the shore, and is well covered with stones Often the corp.se is bent so that the knees touch the breast, and is then rolled in skins. This is done to save the labor of making as large a grave as otherwise would be needed. The house in which a death has occurred is immediately vacated. If it is ever used again it will be only after a long period of time has inter- vcned. All the property of the dead that his friends think coud be of service to him in his long wandering to the ;"Kl of souls IS placed near the grave. The natives be- lieve that It IS the ".souls V of these objects, and not the material things themselves, ,hat will be u.seful to the de- parted m his long last journey. And while the .soul i, going toward the distant sunlit hunting fields the bo,lv remains ,n eternal : ,eep. Only the chilling blasts of tlie wind penetrate among the stones and sweep through the faded fur coat in which all that was mortal of ,he ,„,„ IS cJothcd. \\\\ s a rule the objects the le purpose, bers of the the soul of are not to I a certain ve touched iiust for a their cloth- full travel- rough the from the II covered the knees This is grave as :h a death ever used has inter- ids think ig to the itives be- not the ) the dc- e soul is :he body ts of the High the the man i A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PRINCIPAL EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS FROM THE NINTH CENTURY TO THE PEARY EXPEDITION INCLUDING THOSE OF CABOT, FROBISHER, BERING, SIR JOHN FRANKLIN KANE, HAYES, HALL, NORDENSKJOLD NARES, SCHWATKA, DK LONG, GREELY, AND OTHERS By JOHN E. READ ASSISTANT EDITOR OK Tliu "COLLMRIAN CVtLOPBDIA" m ■^1 't/a- -ar- fp ■i'^ r' M •1 ; |-1 ; t i I Rhi M it :!| in", '!! ■1 Ft I I ! Mi -I '. f I ^^i^ l^i^ni^c^ i i 11 4 ■ ; EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS CHAPTER XXVI PIONEER VOYAGES Who first engaged in Arctic exploration, and from wliat pon,t and on wliat date tlie first expedition started is unknown. Pytlieas, a geographer wiro lived in the time of Alexander the Great, claimed to have entered the I olar Zone. He ■ ported the discovery of various re- gions, and represented that he had "explored Northern turope "ven to the worlds end." To some region that he v,s,ted the name of Thule was given; but whether this was Iceland, one of the Shetland Islands, or some other country, cannot be determined. Whatever may have previously been discovered, it is probabl.. that in the middle of the ninth century there were no hun,an settlements farther north than the Faroe Islands It rs certain that at this date the Scandinavians were a hardy and restless people, fearless and persevering and pos,sessed <,f an ,nK,uenchable spirit of adventure and t -n-s for discovery. There is reason to suppose that abouMhe year ,S6o a party of these sea rovers, while at- tempting to reach the Faroe .slands, were driven upon an island which presented such an inhospitable appearance that they named it Sn.nvlan.l. A few years later a party "hence they sailed, and were comn,anded by „,en C bot v" ; "", '''■"'"■'" """''■"• '" '496 John (-abot, a Venetian then living at liristol, and his sons w .-e authonzcd by a royal patent from Henry VI, t-nsland to sa,l under the English Ha,, "to .11 ,nrt countnes and s..s, of the east.-^.f the Cost and r,' no.th, and as officers of the king to take possession of w atevcr lands .hey might discover. The exploi^r e obhged to furn,sh their own ships and ec,uipment a^d was n t until the spring of .49; that 'th'e e.^p^ aitcd. On th,s tr,p John Cabot was accompanied by h.s second son, Sebastian, who became a noted e.vplore, Newfound and and Labrador were discovered som ei.d -' teen months before Colun.bus reached the n.ainland" f Amenca^ ,n H9.S John Cabot received anoth con m s,o„ from the king but for sonie unknown reason clt ^'" "''■' "^^ '•■•^''"''■"■""' ---1 Sebastian C t too comn,and of the two ships that had been pro- vKlcd. There ,s no doubt that an effort was made to find turn given they had t be deter- '^iled upon - discovery suits were ive a new md explo- g voyages ?reat care, the coun- by men and also ^96 John bis sons ' Vll of all parts, id of the ession of •ers were It, and it '^edition mied by explorer, ne ei^h- iland of er coni- ason he ibastian ?cn pro- to find PIONEER VOYAGES passage to ] 445 ia, but accounts of the expedi- a northwest tion are so hopelessly confused and conflicting that^ it is impossible to determine the course that was pursued or the highest degree of latitude that was reached. In the year 1500 Caspar Cortereal, of Portugal, a mem- ber of a noble family and connected with the court of King Emmanuel of that country, sailed from Lisbon and explored the coast of Labrador for several hundred miles. The following year he made another voyage, and probably reached Hudson Strait; but during a violent storm his ship disappeared, and no trace of it or of its crew was ever found. In 1524 France sent out an expedition, com- manded by Giovanni Verazzano, which followed the coast of the United States and of British America to a latitude of 50°. After his return Jacques Carti(M- sailed from iM-ance and reached the Bay of St. Lawrence, which, with the St. Lawrence River, he afterward more fully explored. During the reign of Henry VIII. two polar expeditions were made by the English, but they added little or nothing to the knowledge of northern regions that had previously been acquired. Then a company of merchants, said to have been men of " great wisdom and gravity," fitted out three ships for an expedition to search for a northeastern passage to India and China. Sir Hugh Willoughby, who, though he seems to have known very little about naval affairs, was considered " a most valiant gentleman," was chosen commander. Instructions for the voyage were carefully drawn by Sebastian Cabot. This expedition sailed in 1553. While off the North Cape a gale sepa- rated the ships. Willoughby came within sight of Nova Zembla, but progress northward being impossible on ac- count of the ice, he turned back to the moul of a river " .!;, II V'f f: I 1 WW I > ! i (If* ^ ft J' I 4 IP • m I |i ■ii) M' m^ ! 446 EARUEK ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS n, Lapland, where he went into winter quarters with the crev., of the two ships which had kept together. Here they all penshed with cold or hunger. The ships were afterward recovered and started for England w^h the bodtes of the departed, some seventy in number, but they dead. The third sh,p, commanded by Chancelor, reached the VVlme Sea. The crew landed at Archangel ant,on and sailed back to England. Frobisher contmued h,s voyage and passed into what is still known as Frob,sher Strait. Returning home, he carried, with various other things, specimens of minerals which were tested by various parties, by some of whom they were said to eontan, gold. Great excitement w-as occasioned by this report and the queen placed Frobisher in comn,and of another expedition. These ships brought back somehvo hundred tons of the ore, but it was found to be not onh- destitute of gold but absolutely worthless. A third and arger expedition was soon prepared and sent out under the same commander, but it met with xarious and oreat cbsasters and accon,plished nothing of marked inrportance 3sl»3 PIONEER VOYAGES 4^7 s with the er. Here ihips were with the , but they with the ", reached ailed into ">gel and een Enjr- I in hope strations 1 sent a 2 wished 'f South- so con- 1 of the leserted robisher known 'd, with 'h. were 3re said by this and of lie two it only rd and under gi'eat 'tance. -nar-ii^a^i/S^ — tr From Justin Winsor's " Xarralive and Critical History of .\moricn." F'.y permission of Houghton, MifHin & Co. In 1580 two ships departed from England in search of a northeast passage. They were commanded by Arthur Pet and Charles Jackman. They entered the Kara Sea, but soon found farther progress impossible and returned. Three years later Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who had written upon the subject of the northwest passage, secured from Queen Elizabeth permission to make a voyage to America and to take possession of all "heathen and barbarous countries" which he should discover. One fifth of the ■ J ; I' < ■ t. ' Ih ^'i f i t h 448 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS gold and silver secured was to become the property of the crown, and homage was to be paid to the sovereign. With these exceptions Sir Humphrey was to have abso- lute authority in the regions of which he should take pos- session. After two unsuccessful efforts, the first from trouble with the crews and the second from bad weather, he sailed with five ships. One soon returned. The others' reached Newfoundland, and formal possession was taken of the island. One ship was sent home with a number of the crew who were sick, and one of the others struck on the coast and was destroyed by the waves. Only sixteen of the crew escaped. The captain and about one hun- dred of his men went down with the ship. Fogs were heavy and food supplies were becoming scanty. The crews of the two remaining ships desired to go back to England. After exacting a promise that they would re- turn with him the next spring, Sir Humphrey consented to grant their request and the homeward voyage was com- menced. The ship on which Sir Humphrey sailed was greatly overloaded, and, encountering a hard storm, it went down with all on board. The remaining vessel succeeded in reaching England, though in a somewhat disabled con- dition. A company of English merchants, with the " desire of advancing G d's glory and the good of their native land," fitted out two vessels for a voyage to discover a passage to India. This expedition was placed in charge of John Davis, who sailed in 1585. After reaching the coast of Greenland and following it to a considerable distance, he turned to the west and discovered the strait to which his name has been given. He reached a point much farther north than any previous navigator, but storms and fogs s property of 2 sovereign, have abso- Id take pos- first from ad weather, The others was taken number of s struck on n]y sixteen : one hun- Fogs were mty. The go back to would re- consented t was com- sailed was rm, it went succeeded abled con- ' desire of tive land," a passage fe of John ; coast of stance, he which his ch farther and fogs PIONEER VOYAGES 449 were encountered and the ships returned to England. In 1586 and 1587 Davis revisited the places discovered on his first expedition, and reached a somewhat higher latitude, but great quantities of floating ice soon caused him to leave the dangerous locality. The next polar expedition of great importance was com- manded by William Barents, of Holland. He made three voyages, the first in 1594. During this voyage he reached the northern point of Nova Zembla, but could not proceed farther on account of the ice. That he was wonderfully persevering in the face of great difficulties is evidenced by the fact that in trying to get through the pack of ice he put his ship around eighty-one times. He returned home and the following year had command of another expedi- tion, but soon after he reached the Kara Sea a great storm arose and large quantities of ice drifted around the ships. Efforts to proceed were futile and the weather became severe. At this juncture a council was held, and it was resolved that they had done the best they could to carry out the instructions under which they had sailed, hut that It was now to be " seen that it does not please God that we should continue our voyage, and that it is necessary we should desist." They therefore resolved to return to Holland as quickly as possible. The government de- clmed to take further risks in the matter, but offered a reward to any one who should discover the passage. A few residents of Amsterdam equipped two vesse]s,''one of which was commanded by a seaman named Rijp, and the other by Barents, which sailed in 1596. Early in June they came to Bear Island and later in the same month they discovered Spitzbergen. Here the commanders were unable to agree as to the course to be pursued. They 29 iHI^ 45° EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS ffk'' " 1 li G t > ' i iiiif. 1 i ' : ^ f therefore separated, and each followed the direction which seemed to him most likely to lead to a successful issue. After sailJM^- ior some time and making no discoveries, Rijp retuui :[ \'. Holland. Barents reached the northeast corner of ., v i ^embla, entered a bay which was callec' Ice Haven, and was closed in by the ice. Here, with the sixteen me^ ., his crew, he was forced to spend the win- ter. With a quantity of drift wood which they found, and some planks from the ship, they built a house. Here they suffered almost beyond endurance. An entry in their journal states that the cold was so intense that " what fire soever wee made it would not warme us." Often the walls were covered with ice and clothing froze while it was be- ing dried by the fire. For eighty-one days they were with- out the sun. One of their number died. During the spring the weather became milder and plans were formed for an escape from their dreary abode. But it was not until June 14 that they were able to leave, and then they were obliged to go in two open boats, as the ship was fast in the ice. Barents, who had been ill fc, some time, died on the fifth or sixth day of the voyage. After enduring great privations twelve of the crew reached Lapland and were taken home by a Dutch vessel which stopped there on its return from a trading voyage. More than two hundred and seventy years later the house which Barents and his crew had occupied, and in which they had endured such terrible privations, was visited by a Norwegian trader named Carlsen, who found cooking utensils, tools, books, a flute, and numerous other articles, apparently just as they had been lett when those who had used them so long ago departed never to return. During the next few years various expeditions sailed mm. PIONEER VOYAGES 'IS' to the north, but no valuable results were secured. In the year 1607 Henry Hudson entered the list of Arctic explorers, and in the four voyages which he sailed he made discoveries of great importance. The first of these expeditions was sent out by the Muscovy Company, His orders were to "go direct to the North Pole." His ship was small and his crew consisted of only twelve men and a boy. He passed along the east coast of Greenland and examined the coast of Spitzbergeu, but after reaching a latitude of about Si"" his progress was checked by ice and fog. His Htock of provisions was scanty, and, the weather becoming intensely cold, he returned home. The follow- ing year he sailed again, in a little larger vessel, and hoped to find a northeast passage ; but heavy fogs and an enormous quantity of ice prevented him from reaching a higher latitude than y:;' . Upon this voyage he found the wate'-s teeming with whales and seals, some of which he hoped to capture, and with the proceeds defray the ex- penses of the expedition. In this he was as unsuccessful as he was in the main object of his trip, but from his discovery very extensive and profitable fisheries were afterward developed. The next year Hut.-,Mi engaged in the service of the Dutch East India Company. His report of this voyage indicates that he followeo his own inclinations more closely than he did the course which his employers expected him to pursue. For though he started northeastward, he soon, under the plea that the ice was impenetrable, sailed to the west. Continuing this course, he reached the bay upon the shore of which New York city now stands, and discovered the magnificent river which bears his name. In the spring of 16 10 Hudson sailed upon what proved to be his final voyage. fl'l m II.. Hi 452 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS A ship of fifty-five tons, called the Discovery, was fitted out by persons who believed that a northeast passage could be found, and who chose Hudson as its commander. He visited the Orkney and Faroe Islands, passed near Iceland, and reached what is now called Resolution Island. From this point he was unable to proceed to the north. Turning toward the south, he came to the great strait which has received his name. Proq-rcss was ex- ceedingly difficult on account of ice, but he pressed onward until he came to the great body of water that is now knowr. as Hudson Bay. This appeared to him to be a great open sea, and he believed it was a part of the Pacific Ocean. He sailed for a long dii-tance into this great bay, but the Vvcathcr became severe and it was necessary to go into winter quarters. What appeared to be a suitable place was found uj)on an island, the vessel was brought to the shore, and was soon fast in the ice, and preparations were made for spending a lop.g and dreary season at this inhospitable retreat. The crew were greatly dissatisfied. Their means of protection from the cold were wholly inadequate, their supplies of food were very scanty, and during the winter they endured great hardshij)s. Hudson, however, seems never to have lost cournge or wavered in his determination to do all that was within his j^ower ti- bring his \ ;yage to a successful issue. Hut in the s|)ring, when an attempt was made to continue the exploration, a portion of the crew mutinied. Hudson, his son. several sailors who were sick, and the carpenter, who refused to remain with the mutineers, were sent .idrift in an opeji boat and were never heard of again. A careful studv of what data could be obtained led to a belief that by sailing across the great ouen water that ji vas fitted : passage nmander. ;sed near .esolution :ed to tlie the great was ex- pressed er that is liiin to irt of the into this d it was reared to the vessel 1 the ice, loHLC and :rew were from the bod were red great have lost ) all that %uccessful made to mutinied. , and the •crs, were of again. ed led to ;ater that PIONEER VOYAGES 433 Hudson had discovered the shore of China could be reached. In 161 2 Captain Button was sent out by Prince Henry of Wales to find a northwest passage and proceed to the Asiatic coast Me reached the mouth of the Nel- son River, where at a later date the Hudson Bay Com- pany established its first station. Here he was obliged to stay until spring, when he continued the voyage until he reached a latitude of 65°. Then he turned southward, and after touching at Mansell Islands sailed to England' Although he had not been able to find it, he expres'sed a firm belief in the existence of the passage. About this time various other expeditions were sent out, but no dis- coveries of great imjjortance were made. In 1616 William Bafiin reached and explored the great body of water which has received his name and which geographers have pronounced " the most magnificent bay in the world." He passed Lancaster Sound, into which Parry sailed some two hundred years afterward, and dis- covered Smith Sound. His reports were not credited at the time ; but later explorers found that they were true, and that his lunar observations had been taken with a remarkable degree of skill. Several other expeduions were sent out ;.t brief inter- vals, but for a long period no point was reached as far north as Baffin had i)enetrated, and faith in the existence of a northwest passage gradually declined. Then, too, about this time the interest of explorers was turned to- ward America, which became the objective point of ni merous voyages for the discovery of new regions and the establishment of colonies. Toward the close of his career Peter the Great of Russia formed the plan of sending a party to explore the m •> 1 1 ♦ '-^ 454 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS northeastern portion of his dominions and find at what point, if any, the continents of Asia and America were separated by water. Empress Catherine was interested in the project, and after the death of the Czar carried out his wishes in this respect. Aw expedition under the com- mand of Captain Vitus Bering, a Dane wlio had become a trusted officer in the Russian navy, left St. Petersburg in 1725 and proceeded by land to Ochotzk, a distance of nearly four thousand five hundred miles. Here two ships were built, and in July, 1728, the party sailed toward the northeast. They made various observations alomr the coast of Kamtschatka, and proceeded to latitude 67° 18', when, finding no appearance of land and fearing the rigors of the raj^idly a]jproaching winter, they returned to the port from which they had sailed. Here the weary months of the winter were passed. The effort to reach the American continent was then repeated, but was in vain. The final voyage of tliis great navigatcM- was made in 1 741. With two sliips he left a harbor in Kamtschatka on the 4th of June, and on the i8th of July he discovered the continent of America. The ca{)tain of the other shii) had sighted the same coast, at a lower latitude, three days before. He remained in the vicinity for some dpy^, lost several men "vho went on shore, and then, with the remaii^'e'" of his crew, returned home. Heri'ig mad "^n effort to, ,"(>Leed to a higher latitude, but wns drive : i:tack by a violent storm. The scurvy broke out an^ong the crex. ,and it was decided to return to Kamtschatka, but OM the vvay they missed their course. Several of the crew hac' died, and so many of the survivors were sick tiiat it was al-ost impossible to manage the shi]:. logs and at what ica were rested in d out his :he corn- become itersbiirg stance of wo ships ^vard the long the - 67° 18', rin" the returned lie weary to reach t was in made in itschatka scovered ther ship iree days Ipy^, lost ,vitli the mad "'1 ven i.tack >ong the itk.i, bat the crew ^ that it cgs and PIONEER VOYAGES 455 gales were encountered and they were in almost constant fear o. bemg wrecked. In November they were driven upon a small island, which received the name of the com- mander of the expedition. There they made what prep-' arations they could and went into winter quarters. On the 8th of December Bering, who had been ill for some time, passed aw ,y. The discovery and naming of Mount ^. Elias, and the discovery of Bering Strait, which proved that Asia and America were not connected by land were among the fruits r \ this expedition, in which one of the most meritorious of the great Arctic explorers lost his life This was followed by several other Russian expeditions some_ by sea and others by land, by which considerable' additions to the previous knowledge of various sciences were made. I mM- ,' if t 1 - 1 i \ i,* i,i ..- i:* i '. IL m^ fl^ CHAPTER XXVII INTEREST RENEWED In 1743 interest in Arctic exploration was revived by an offer made by the British Government of a reward of /20,ooo for tlie discovery of the Northwest Passage by way of Hudson Strait. Various voyages were made, but their main object was not accomplished and the results were very meagre. In 1776 the government removed the restriction as to the route, and offered the reward for the discovery of " any nc^rthern passage " navigable for ships, and also added an offe • of /5,ooo to any one who would penetrate to within one degree of the North Pole. Among the navigators who attempted to solve the great Arctic problem were the famous Captain Cook, whose course was blocked by ice in latitude 70° 20', and Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who discovered the great river that is called by his name. William Scoresby, a noted whaler, while on a cruise off the east coast of Greenland, in 1.S06, succeeded in working his way through the ice into a great open sea and reaching a latitude of 81° 30', a higher point than had ])reviously been attained. From the officers and crews of whaling vessels which re^ rncd from the coast of Greenland in 18 16 and 181 7, thp i'M-itish naval authorities learned that the sea was then unusuu.;/ clear of ice. It was therefore ct)nsidered a favorable time for pushing the work of exploration ; and in 18 18 an expedition, under the com.mand of Captain INTEREST RENE WED 457 revived by I re\\'ard of 'assagc by made, but tlic results moved the reward for ^igable for y one who Jorth Pole. ; the great •ok, whose >', and Sir : river that ed whaler, d, in 1806, ice into a S a higher sels which and 1 817, -• sea was n side red a ition ; and f Captain John Ross and Lieutenant William Edward Parry, both of whom were subsequently knighted for their services in this field of investigation, was sent to discover the North- west Passage. Tlie two vessels with which they had been furnished sailed in April and arrived at the Danish setdement on the Whale Islands in June, Here they learned that the preceding winter had been unusually severe. After various delays, and encountering great dangers from the ice, they reached a rugged coast upon which they landed and which they explored for quite a distance. Proceeding on their voyage, they followed to a considerable extent the course which Baffin had pur- sued. Various sounds that he had described were passed ; but as appearances indicated that they were either bays or else were impassable on account of ice, no effort was made to explore them. On the 30th of August they reached one of these inlets which was bordered by majestic mountains and which, being free from ice, it was resolved to exjilore. This proved to be Lancaster Sound. Vox some thirty miles the course was unobstructed, and the officers and crews were hopeful and almost confident that full success was soon to crown their arduous and jierilous undertaking. After proceeding a little farther they found, much to their disappointment, the appearance of a mountain range directly across th-ir course. The weather was tiireatening, and Captain Ross hastily gave orders to return to the bay. When this was reached the western coast was followed for some distance, and then the expedition returned to England, arriviiig there saiely in October. This failure to discover the passage for which so many other na\igators had searched in vain strongly tended to Vv m !-*>• ;sl Pl ^ ., I*' 'I P u ft ti'JMi I I irt f 4S8 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS •lj i1 l1 r 1*1 I'ii confirm the opinion that Baffin had formed, and many others had accepted, that from Lancaster Sound there was no entrance to a sea lying to the west. From this view Lieutenant Parry dissented, claiming that this expe- dition, like others which had preceded it, "had been relinquished just at a time when there was the greatest chance of success." After a careful investigation of the causes which led Ross to return, the government directed Parry to make another voyage. In accordance with this commission he sailed from England, with two ships, in May, 1 8 19. I he ships were provisioned for two years, and were well supplied with whatever was supposed to be needed in such a voyage. The instructions under which he sailed required the conunander to make as thorough an explora- tion as possible of Lancaster Sound, and, in case that was found to be impenetrable, to enter other inlets, if open ones were found. A direct voyage to Lancaster Sound was attempted, but when latitude ']i° was reached vast masses of ice were encountered. For some ten days navigation was extremely difficult, and many times the ships narrowly escaped being wrecked. On the 25th of June an open way api)eared, and the voyage was con- tinued with but lit'.le difficulty till on the 30th of July the southern entrance to Lancaster Sound was reached. This was about four weeks earlier in the season than the expedition of the previous year had come to this point. On the following day the crew went on land and found a flagstaff that had been set the year before. The ships then passed up the sound, and officers and crews watched with great anxiety for evidence that should determine whether the mountains which Ross had INTEREST RENEWED 459 claimed to see, and to which he had given the name of Croker Range, really existed, or were, as Parry firmly be- lieved, only imaginary. The point at which the range had been located was passed without obstruction and was found to be a splendid bay. Continuing their voyage along the wide inlet, which, in honor of Sir John Barrow, one of the principal promoters of the expedition, was' named Barrow Strait, the party became confident that their course would lead them to an open sea. They were soon disappointed by coming to an island from which a body of ice extended to the northern shore. For some time the compass had been losing its sensitiveness, and at length it became entirely useless. By this it was known that they were near the magnetic pole; but the time in which Arctic exploration could be continued was so brief that it was not considered wise to delay in order to take exact observations. Varying their course to avoid the ice, and pressing forward with what speed they were able, they came, on the 2 2d of August, to a strait some eight leagues in ^vidth, that seemed to be free from ice, which was named Wellington Channel, but which, for want of time, was not explored. On September 4' the meridian of 110° west longitude was crossed, and Parry announced to his crews that they were then entitled to the reward of ^5,000 which had been offered to subjects of his Majesty who should first reach that meridian within the Arctic Circle. In honor of the event a point of land on Melville Island, near by, was named Bounty Cape. The weather was growing severe, the nights were dark, and, as the comj^ass was useless, progress was slow and difficult. Still, it was hoped that exploration could be continued for some weeks. But only four days after I IK . l!f I 460 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS j•■ i'lf J ■V J;; ! . ,1 >>n 1 i: ' 'i 1 J t i 462 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIOyS filled with torrents of water, which made them both diffi- cult and dangerous to cross. On the 2d of August the body of ice by which the shipsjiad for so long a time been imprisoned broke up and floated away. The voyage was resumed ; but on the 15th of the month, when the southwestern extremity of the island had been reached, an impassable barrier of ice was found. Careful observation, fron, a hi,.h point of land, led to the belief that there was no possibility of advancn^g n. that direction, and a search for a passac.e farther to the south was decided upon. This proved un- successful, ai A the expedition returned to EncJand In this voyage I'arry had reached a spot more than" thirty de- grees of ucst Ic.ngitude beyond the extreme point touched by any of Jiis predecessors. At the time the expedition commanded by Ross was sent out to discover a northwest passage, another, under Captain Buchan and Lieutenant, afterward Sir John Fi-anklm, was fitted out to discover the North Pole. Two ships were provided, and instructions were given to pro- ceed into the Spitzbergen seas, and, passing between bpitzbergen and Greenland, push directly for ^he Pole The weather ^^-as bad and the ships were soon separated' but early m June they met at an appointed place off Spitzbergen. Learning from the officers of whalincr ves- sels that the sea to the west was filled with ice, Cm,tain Buchan sailed to the north ; but before passing the north- western point of Spitzbergen the ships became fast in the ice, and for thirteen days they were carried to the south at the rate of about three miles per day. After gettincr f,-ee they made another attempt to proceed, but ekrly iifjuly they were again imprisoned in the ice. Here they were 0th diffi- hich the »roke up It on the emity of er of ice point of bihty of passage )ved un- nd. In lirty de- touched 3SS was ", under r John . Two to ]3ro- etween 2 Pole, •a rated, ice off ig ves- -ai)tain north- in the uth at ig free ti July r were INTEREST RENE WED . . 463 detained for three weeks FurM^^r «ff ^ . vvccKs. r urther ettorts to nass nnrfh ward appeanng to be useless, it was decided to gi e up Greenland. Il,ey were soon overtaken by a violent r: eL:; t: °r "' ?" ''^f- "--^^ '^-^^"^ '-j--^' -^ '^--- ecessary to proceed to Fair Haven for repairs. When these were made the ships started on their homeward vov age and reached the Thames o„ the ..d of October n order to increase the chances of success in the effort o learn tne real condition of the northern polar re< fe„ a party was sent out by the British Government, in .sL o pass overland and survey the northern coast o the con t,,ren from the mouth of the Coppermine River to Be!^; Mra, Th,s party consisted of five persons: Sir John F.ankhn, w ,0 was appointed comnrander; Dr RicLd son a naval surgeon ; George Back and Roberf S m.clsh,pn,en and John Hepburn, a seaman. They left Fret: ':":r' -'- v'™'°"^ ™-™=- --^^^ ^»" Facto.y. a station on Hudson Bay. August 30. Here they were delayed about ten days in m.aking necessa^ preparations for a continuance of t'^eir trio Fn.ln nvPt-c; n,i^ Ul , ^ 'Ji I LH Ul ip. ^ OllOWma: ..vers and lakes as much as possible, but in many placet finding then- course impeded by rocks or rapiTs tey eaced another st.ation of the Hudson Bay Co„ p ^y! called Cumberland House, on the ..d of October hav .ng traversed a distance of about seven hundred miles Notwithstanding the lateness of the season and 'the ...creasing intensity of the cold. Franklin felt that a par on Athabasca Lake, or perhaps even farther north, .here secuted. It was arranged that Franklin, with two of .e ^Tj snj IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. €o V^ #? ^ ^. ij.. 6?/ f/j 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■ 50 '""^^ 2.5 S ^ ^ U III 1.6 5fe / >> C/^I PhotogKiphic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WfBSTIR.N Y MSIO (716) 173-4503 ^ 4? iV V \ \ ^v ^ tr'/ [/u i-l i i i Pkr lifl "1 ' ^- ■ 464 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS party, should go on, and that the other two members should remain where they were until spring. Accord- ingly, Franklin, accompanied by Back and Hepburn, started on the i8th of January and arrived at Fort Chipe- wyan, a station at the northwestern shore of Athabasca Lake, near the end cf March. This point was about eight hundred and fifty miles from the one at which they had left the remainder of their party. The journey was tedious and dangerous. While walking, they were obliged to wear snow-shoes. These weighed two or three pounds each and made the wearer feel that he was dragging " a galling and stubborn weight at his feet." The cold\var intense ; but as the mercury froze in the bulbs of the ther- m.ometers, its degree could not be measured. The diffi- culties of the situation were increased by a scarcity of provisions, and terrible suffering was experienced before the destination of the i)arty was reached. At Fort Chipewyan Franklin and his companions re- mained until July, when they were joined by Hood and Dr. Richardson, who had been left at Cumberland House. Other stations had been communicated with, and nearly twenty Indians and Canadian boatmen had been engaged to assist in the expedition. A little after the middle of July the party started, in iiope of reaching tlie mouth of the Coppermine River before going into winter quarters. But the greatest exertions were unavailing; and on reach- ing a jjoint some five hundred and fifty miles from Fort Chipewyan they selected a spot on the bank of a frozen river, where they erected a hut to which they gave the name of Voxi Enterprise. Here the party killed a large number of reindeer and prepared for future use the meat that was not required for immediate consumption. Two o members ;. Accord- Hepburn, Fort Chipe- Athabasca was about which they ourney was ere obliged ree pounds raggmg a e cold war 3f the ther- The diffi- scarcity of ced before •anions re- Hood and nd House, uid nearly n engaged middle of mouth of r quarters. on rcach- from r\)rt )f a frozen gave the d a large the meat on. Two INTEREST RENEWED c 405 m and Dr. R.chardson, on land, in order to determine he distance to the Coppermine River. This proved to be about e,ghty miles. Both parties returned in saU It soon became apparent that a sufficient quantity of game could not be obtained to supply the con'pany with food durmg the long winter that was then setting i', and that had'r '° '":;' " '=°'"'""^ '° ^"^^ °f '^<^^''''-- sary, and hasten the delivery of provisions that had been sent up from Cumberland House. This iournev which ™s marked by c.trcme privations and attended b; g a dangers of vanous kinds, occupied, with the return trip nearly five months. During this tin,e Back had Jal^i more than eleven ht.ndred miles. The winter was exceed nglycold, and at one time the thermometer indicated 5 ' below zero. Even the trees were frozen through, and i , y.n,. o cut them nearly all the axes were br'^k n. December the food supplies got very low, and great an.i- ety was felt on this account; but about the middle of Ja„. nary a quant.ty of provisions sufficient for more than two months wa reccved from one of the other stations. With he open„,g of spring reindeer appeared, and danger from starvation w.as passed for a few months, at least As the weather grew milder, preparations for the on- ward journey were begun. Before the can.p was broken arrangements were made with an Indian chief, who Id been w, h them for son,e time, to bring a supply of pro- V .s.ons o the fort before Sopten.ber, in order th.a( if hey returned that way, ,hey would not be in want of food for 30 r ' » I,f J^- l|: • f^. ''r> \ ■■ ii^ ' ' 1 ( . i T r ' } » m. .. i I 466 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS the next winter. Early in June tlie first party, led by Dr. Richardson, started. On the 14th of the month Franklin and the remainder of the force left the fort, taking with them three canoes, which were drawn over the snow and ice by men and dogs. Travelling was difficult and provi- s' MIS were scanty. Several of the men became lame, and in order to lighten the load one of the canoes was left on the way. Franklin and some of his companions fell through the ice and narrowly escaped being drowned. On the ist of July the Coppermine River was reached and the canoes were launched upon its waters. Naviga- tion was difficult and perilous; but on the i8th of the month the mouth of the river was reached, and a great polar sea stretched out before them. On tl.e way they had secured some salmon, and als'^ 'lillcd several musk oxen, but even with these additions their stock of provi- sions was small. The distance travelled from Fort Enter- prise to this point was three hundred and thirty-four miles. For more than one third of this distance it had been ne- cessary to drag the canoes and baggage over the snow and ice. Yet after all the time they had spent, the sufferings they had endured, and the dangers they had encountered, they had only reached what, when the main purpose of the work was considered, was the real starting-point of the e\])edition. After a brief stop at the mouth of the river the party of twenty men, in two canoes and with j)rovisions for oiil)- fifteen days, started toward the east. Vox four days they kept near the coast. This had considerable vegetation, and the water was comparatively free from ice. They then came to a rugged point which they doubled. In a short time they were hemmed in by the ice, in which they * ii'f y, led by Dr. ith Franklin taking with ic snow and It and provi- le lame, and oes was left pan ions fell ig drowned. A'as reached rs. Naviffa- 1 8th of the and a great le way they ;veral musk :k of provi- Fort Enter- y-four miles. ;id been ne- le snow and e sufferings ncountered, purpose of point of the the party of ns for only r days they vegetation, ice. They jled. In a which they INl'EREST RENE WED , 467 were detamed for several d^vc q , , canons „.j;r;e 'z^^'irTT-^' '- was sent on shore, in hope tlm .„ El 'T^ ""'>' 1^^ found ; but the sDot w-,< T "'" ""■''«" '^°"'^' me spot was too barren to bi- InlnK;*,. 1 -■en by the hardy natives of the polar regions '' assn,K alon. the coast, they came, on the'toth of Au ^:"f:r::r ;:!- :;--r ^-'""-- I^ord Melvillo Tl ^^' ^ '''" ^''^^ "'-^med after «"'ich iy'L b 5 ::::.:,' "^^r '"''''' ''^■^ bad ecMKhtion, thei sto k oft ■ ' '"'"'' """"' '" hausted, but 1 ttle .^ncod :?'"'" ,"'" ,"''™^' ^■•^- approach of the terrL A t' '^' *''"'' "'^ '-"'''''I 3^.sta.ab,e to.er '^i::-:;— ui:::::^!,^ -ywas„a::::ni,-,,;,:;:'^";',:;::;^-oreof.he i^y 111:: '4X"::,;:: t" 7^'" " ■■"'"--■'^'^ '" --•" and c,in,iih' L ;j;:t;r tf" ''' '''''"'' ;"^one,„„.h.edandfiftynnJ;:;;H rp^^^^^ ere, ,n order th.at they „,i,ht be more e.asily ca^ Z " """"-" "■"'■ '"-'^' '■•<"" 'l>e larger ones which they it: ' 'it J 1 ^ ■•i1 .1 H^f 468 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS had used thus far. Other preparations for the overland trip were completed, and on the ist of September the party set out on what proved to be one of the most terrible journeys of which there is either record or tradi- tion. The party had proceeded only about twelve miles when they were overtaken by a heavy snow-storm and compelled to halt for two days. They covered themselves with their blankets, but could obtain neither fuel nor food. When the storm abated they renewed their journey, which was rendered still more difficult by the snow which had just fallen. The boatmen complained of the labor of carry- ing the canoes, and, after a time, either through accident or design, allowed one of ihem to be broken by a fall. As it was injured beyond repair, this canoe was used f-M- fuel. Intense suffering made these men utterly reckless. In spite of al! that the leaders could say, they abandoned the other canoe, and even threw away their fishing-lines. For three weeks the party made what progress they could through a most desolate region. They not only suffered from cold and weariness and weakness, but most of the time they were on the verge of starvation. Iu)r days at a time they had no food except a nauseous and almost indi- gestible species of lichen, and they were even reduced to the extremity of eating their old shoes. At length they reached the Coppermine River, but it was several days before they could construct a raft upon which they were able to cross. As some of the men were too weak and ill to proceed, the party was comi)elled to divide. Several of the boatmen perished from hunger and exposure, and Hood was nuirdercd by one of the Indians. Back was the first to reach the fort. Instead of find- e overland tembcr the the most •d or tradi- iiiiles wlien compelled ; with their )d. When which was h had just r of carry- h accident I by a fall. IS used f-M- ly reckless, abandoned shino-lines. they could ly suffered lost of the r days at a Imost indi- leduccd to Migth they veral da}-s they were eak and ill Several of osure, and id of find- INTEREST RENEWED ^g^ ing a supply of provisions, as had been promised, the buikhng was empty. Leaving a note stating that he had gone m search of the Indians who had b;en depended upon to furnish supplies, he continued his toilsome jour- ney. Prankhn and five companions reached the desolate ort on the i ith of October, and nearly three weeks later Ur Richardson and Hepburn arrived. Old skins, bones and lichens were used for food until the 7th of November' when some Indians, who had been sent by Back, brought a quantity of provisions. About a week later the journey was resumed. Fort Chipewyan was reached in safety and here the party remained until the following June The next month they reached York Factory, and the difficul- ties and dangers of their most remarkable journey were al an end. . The fact that Parry had failed to discover the North west Passage was not regarded as proof that it did not exist. Neither did it diminish confidence in the zeal or the competence of the commander himself. So when he expressed an opinion that by commencing explorations at a lower latitude the desired opening could be found, the government placed him in command of another expedi- tion. ^ In May, 1821, with two ships and a transport loaded with provisions and other necessities, Parry again set sail from England. The entrance to Hudson Strait was reached early in July. At this point the transport was unloaded and sent home. Strong currents were soon encountered, and the ships narrowly escaped destruction by enormous icebergs. In September Repulse Bay was reached, and found to be clear of ice. Leaving the bay I arry proceeded, in accordance with, his instructions, to pi I [in 'r.»-'' 470 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS explore the coast line. This work was continued, under many difficulties, until it became imperative to seek winter^ quarters. These were found on the shore of a small island, and the ships were soon fast in ice. Here Parry adopted the same means for keeping his men cheer- ful and contented that had been tried on his previous voyage, and with an equal degree of success. A party of Eskimos living near by made frequent trips to the vessels, and the officers also visited the snow huts of these peculiar people. It was not till the 8th of July that the expedition was able to proceed, and even then it was necessary to do a great amount of work in getting the ships out of the ice. A little more than a week later they approached an elevated region which they hoped would prove to be the northern shore of the strait ; but when its entrance was reached they were greatly disappointed to find an impass- able barrier of ice. After waiting nearly four weeks in hope that an opening would be made, it was decided to take observations on land. A party proceeded to the northern point of the peninsula near which their progress by water had been checked, and discoveied a strait in which there was a strong current and considerable loose ice. Returning to the ship, an effort was made to reach this strait, but it proved unsuccessful. In this neighbor- hood another winter was spent, and the ships were not again afloat until past the middle of August. Several of the crew had become ill, and Parry reluctantly sailed for England. Soon after reaching home Parry had a dangerous ill- ness ; but in 1824 he was ready to take up his work again, and was sent out, with the two ships used on the voyage 1 i vs :nued, under ve to seek shore of a ice. Here men cheer- lis previous A party of the vessels, ese peculiar )edition was ary to do a t of the ice. roach ed an e to be the itrance was an impass- four weeks ^as decided ded to the sir progress a strait in rable loose le to reach > neighbor- 3 were not Several of r sailed for !gerous ill- i'ork again, the voyage INTEREST RENEWED 471 just described, to explore Prince Regent's Inlet, in hope that it would lead to an open sea. The expedition left England in May, and, after encountering many dangers, arrived late in September at the point where they had been compelled to halt in 1&19. Near here a harbor, which was named Port Bowen, was found, and Parry made preparations to pass his fourth winter in the Arctic regions. It was a dreary season, and in some respects proved even more tedious than any of its predecessors. On the 1 8th of July the ships were again free and the voyage was resumed. In a short time large bodies of ice were encountered, and one of the ships was so badly in- jured that it had to be abandoned. The crew was taken on board the other ship, which at once returned to Eng- land. Three other expeditions were sent from England at about the time that Parry started for Prince Regent's Inlet. Of these, one was commanded by Captain Lyon, who was instructed to make a more thorough survey than had yet been attempted of the coast as far as Point Turn- again. Another was led by Franklin, with orders to pass down the Mackenzie River to the sea, and then proceed along the coast to Bering Strait. The other was com- manded by Captain Beechey, who was to pass around Cape Horn, proceed to Bering Strait, and continue his voyage to Kotzebue Sound, where he was to meet the expedition led by Franklin„ The results of this combined effort were very meagre. Captain Lyon was overtaken by storms and encountered vast drifts of ice, and when some eighty miles distant from Repulse Bay was obliged to give up the enterprise. Franklin and his party passed the winter at Great Bear Lake. In the spring they sailed m 472 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLOR 7 IONS i'li f ; .'. ! i' i f down the Mackenzie River to the point where it separates into different channels. The party then divided One detachment, under Dr. Richardson, passed to the east in order to explore the coast as far as the Coppermine Kiver. The other, led by Franklin, went to the west, in hope of reaching Icy Cape and meeting Captain Beechey 1 he former party accomplished its purpose with but little difficulty, and, returning, reached their winter quarters on the ist of September. They saw a large number of birds of various kinds, and at one point were greatly annoyed by mosquitoes. Franklin and his party had a much severer experience Unfriendly Eskimos made them much trouble, and they were delayed by fogs and storms. By the middle of August the cold had becon.e severe and the men were suffering greatly from weariness and exposure. It was therefore necessary that they at once return to the house at Great Bear Lake. The extreme point reached was named Return Reef. It was afterward learned that Cap- tain Beechey was then only one hundred and fifty miles away. The second winter was passed at the lake. It proved very severe. At one time the temperature was 58° below zero. With the approach of mild weather the party returned to England. During the summer the ship under Captain Beechey reached the appointed place and remained as long as the weather would permit ; but as they had already returned to England, no trace of Franklin and his companions could be found. Although he had been repeatedly baffled in his Arctic expeditions. Parry was not discouraged. Scoresby had suggested that by constructing boats in such a manner that they could also be used as sledges, it might be possi- INTEREST RENEWED 473 ble to reach the Pole by passing over the ice. Parry accepted this idea and presented it t. the attention of the government officers. It met their approval and was proriiptly put mto execution. Two boats were built; and with the Hecla. one of the ships which he had previously commanded, Parry set out on his fourth expedition In 1827 the ship was sailed to the north coast of Spitz- bergen, where it wa. left in a safe harbor. On the 2od of June the men took to the boats. Three days later they reached the ice, but it proved to be very rough and was intersected by numerous channels. Progress was extremely slow and toilsome. Rains were frequent and there were heavy falls of snow. Dense fogs caused many delays. At length, finding that they were being carried south by the drifting of the ice in the water, faster than they were proceeding north on its surface, it was decided to return to the ship. This was only one hundred and seventy -two miles distant, although they had actually travelled two hundred and ninety-two miles. The most northern .oi- . reached was 82° 45'., which, so far as was ■•\ was the highest latitude that had then -"•an. iin Ross, whose voyage in 18 18 had results and had brought upon himself not a little adverse criticism, proceeded to the polar re- gions in a small steamship that had been placed at his disposal for this purpose by his friend Sir Felix Booth. 1 his ship, named the Victory^ was commanded by James C^lark Ross, a nephew of Sir John. It was the first steamer ever used in Arctic exploration. Lancaster Sound was reached in August. The voyage was con- tinued to what is known as the Gulf of Boothia. Here certai- been In . been so b 1 ♦ !■: 474 EARLJER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS ' H ),ii I -Hi a sheltered position v/as found, which was named Felix Harbor, where winter quarters weie taken. Wiien spring opened, various land journeys were made. Not until September did the ship get afloat, and it had proceeded only about three miles when it again became entangled m the ice. Here it remained until the followinp- An- gust. On the 28th of the month the ship was again free. But the wind soon arose, the weather suddenly became cold, and when they had sailed only four miles they were once mo.-e firmly surrounded by ice. Here they remained till the spring, when, on account of the failing health of the men, the small quantity of provisions on hand, and the great uncertainty as to when a free passage through the ice could be found, it was resolved to abandon the ship. After a wearisome and dangerous journey the party reached the spot where the /^ioy had been wrecked in Parry's third voyage. Here they found a quantity of provisions that had been saved from the ship, and here they passed a most miserable winter. There was great suffering from cold and illness, and several of the men died. Early in the summer of 1833 the survivors re- sumed their journey. About the middle of August open water was reached, and the party took to their boats. Twelve days later two ships were sighted. On one of these their signals of distress were observed. This ship proved to be the Isabella, which Ross himself had once commanded. The ueary explorers were taken on board and given every possible means of comfort. On the i8th of October the rescued party, all of whom had long before been given up for dead, arrived at England. The principal result of this expedition was the reaching and determining of the exact location of the North Magnetic vs "lamed Felix /Vhen spring Not until d proceeded le entangled llovvino: An- s again free, -nly became :s they were ey remained ig health of and, and the through the the ship. y the party wrecked in quantity of ip, and here e was great of the men urvivors re- Uigust open their boats. On one of This ship If had once n on board )n the 1 8th 1 had long land. The aching and h Magnetic INTER L J7' RENE WED Pole. This was acco-iplished by James Ross, in April 1832. ^ ' As year after year passed and no tidings from Ross were received in England, great anxiety was felt for his safety. A fund was raised in order to fit out an expedi- tion to search for him, and, if he could be found, give 1 -m needed relief. The government aided the movement; and Back, who had accompanied Franklin to the north and had since been promoted captain, was placed in command. In February, 1833, he sailed from England With his party he reached Fort Chipewyan on the"" 29th of July, and about a fortnight later arrived at a station on Great Slave Lake. Here two parties were formed to explore the region in hope of finding a navigable river upon which the i.urney could be continued. On the approach of cold weather they returned to the lake, where a house, which chey named Fort Reliance, was' built, and where they passed the winter. The season proved to be terribly se> ere. On the 17th of January the thermometer registered 70° below zero Food was scanty and it was impossible to secure fish or game at that time. A large number of Indians flock^^ to the house ; and though a little food was distributed among them, many perished from hunger. On the 25th of April the party were greatly cheered by the arrival of a messenger with the news that Ross had reached England in safety. This left them free to make further explora- tions, which was, indeed, a secondary object of the expe- dition. On the 7th of June the house was closed, and the party proceeded to the Great Fish River, which has since been named after Back, of which they made a care- ful examination. After an absence of about four months I 1 476 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS if' '> they returned to Fort Reliance, where they passed another winter. In the following March the homeward trip was commenced, and in September the party arrived in England. In 1S36 the British Government equipped another ex- pedition to continue the exploration of some of the coast lines that had been partially surveyed. Back was placed in command of the ship Terror, on which he sailed in June. The party was doomed to disappointment. They hoped to winter in Repulse Bay ; but before reaching that point they encountered a violent storm, by which they were driven back for quite a distance, and ere long the ship was caught in a mass of ice. Much of the time they were driven by the wind, or carried by the current, with the great body of ice in which they were wedged as in an enormous vise, and they were often in imminent danger of destruction. The ship did not get free until nearly the middle of July. It had been seriously damaged, and an immediate return to England was the only course that could be adopted. The trip was made with all possible speed, but the ship was in a sinking condition when port was reached. Although the expedition had failed, it was not from want of skill or effort. This fact was fully recog- nized, and soon after reaching home Back was knighted. The survey which he was unable to make was completed the following year by Dease and Simpson, who were sent out by the Hudson Bay Company, and who made exten- sive explorations of the coast of Boothia and Victoria Land. CHAPTER XXVIII HEROIC ENDEAVORS The next expedition to the Arctic seas left Endand on the 26th of May, 1845. The government had fitted out two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, in the best possi- ble manner, and also provided a transport, with a canro of food supplies and general stores, to accompany them as far as Davis Strait. The Erebus was commanded by Sir John iM-anklin, who was chief oilRcer of the expedition and the Terror, by Captain Richard Crozier. The com- bined crews numbered one hundred and thirty-eight men The object of this expedition, as defined by the^ o-overn- ment officers, was " the accomplishment of a northwest passage by sea from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean " and very nn-nute instructions were given as to the course which was to be pursued. The ships and transport arrived safely at Davis Strait. Here the latter was un- loaded and at once returned to England. The two ships then wciU on their way. On the 26th of July, 184^, they n-ere seen by a whaling vessel named the Priucc of naies. I hey were then near the middle of IMn Hay waiting for an opening in the ice, which had blocked their way. Prom that time they were seen by white men no more. It was expected that about two years would pass after the ice fields were reached before word could be received from the explorers. When this period had elapsed and \M \\ I t - ir If > . i' I! ■ ^ 478 EARJJER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS nothing was heard from the party, their friends in Eng- land began to fear that some disaster had befallen the expedition. As weeks and months went by, leaving the silenee unbroken, the feeling of a])])rehension deejjened. In 1848 the British Government sent out three expedi- tions in search of the missing explorers. Of these, one was to attempt to reach, the Polar Sea by way of Berincr Strait, one was to pass down the Mackenzie River to the sea and then follow the coast to the Coppermine River, while the other was directed to pass through Lan- caster Sound and 13arrow Strait. Two ships were fitted out for the expedition first named. They were the Herald and the Plover, under CajHain Henry Kellett and Commander Thomas i:. L. Moore. Tiie second was led by Dr., now Sir John Richardson, who was accompanied by Dr. John Rae, who had already won fame as an explorer in the service of the Hudson Bay Com|)any. The thi'rd was under Sir James Clark Ross and Cajjtain \i. J. Bird, with two large ships named the Enterprise :\.w(\ i\^Ki Investi- gator. Inill directions were given to each of these parties; and as all points that l-'ranklin was at all likely to reach were to be visited, it was hoped and believed that this united effort would speedily be crowned with success. The expeditions made some valuable additions to the know- ledge of the regions which they visited, but as far as their principal object was concerned they were utter failures. Ix^ 1849 the British Government offered a reward of /20,ooo to private persons, of any nationality, who should discover and rescue the missing explorers. This, together with a deep interest in the fate of I'ranklin, led to the formation of numerous j^arties to prosecute the search. Lady I'ranklin also provided means for sending men and rf IIKNKV (;kinnkli, vessels to aid i„ ,he w,„k. In ,s,o there were at least welve sh.ps, besides l^oat and sledge parties, engaged in the CMiteipnse. Among the expeditions was one from the United States^ h.s was mainly fitted out by Henry (;rinnell, p New York merchant, but it was under government con- '•<> • It was commanded by Lieutenant De Haven, who had seen service in an exploring expedition in the Ant- arctic reg,o,.s. Two ships, the ^^/va^^ce and the A^csrue, were furnished. They left New York on the 24th of May, 1850. Hie plan proposed was to proceed to Mel- ville Island, pass the winter wherever they were caught 'n the ,ce, and then follow whatever course should seem most likely to lead to success. ni« I '' % ill .V \tl t "T! i I H-! 480 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS The ships of several of these expeditions came near each other in Bafifin Bay. At this point they were long delayed and were often in extreme peril from enormous masses of floating ice. Some of the best ships spent five weeks in sailing northward only thirty miles. When the course became more open the ships parted company, going in different directions in order to make the search as thorough as possible. On the 23d of August, 1850, the first trace of the missing party was found. This was at C ;)e Riley, where the crew of a boat from the British ship Assistance landed. Several articles were found which had evidently belonged to Europeans, but they could not be identified with the Franklin ])arty. IMiis was followed by a trip to Beechey Island, about three miles distant. Here was discovered the spot where Franklin spent the winter of 1845-46. The graves of three men w^ho had died during that season were also found. These were marked by oak boards ' pon which the names and ages of the deceased had been inscribed. Careful search was made by paities from three of the vessels which were near the island, but nothing could be found to indicate in what direction Franklin intended to proceed when he left the camp. It was ascertained, however, that during the winter his ships had been fast in the ice a little south of Beechey Island. About the middle of September the vessels engaged in the search were ice-bound, and the work was necessarily suspended. When spring opened sledging expeditions were formed to prosecute the search on land. Twelve |)arties were organized. One of these, under Lieutenant McClintock, travelled seven hundred and sixty miles. The others covered lesser distances. Great suffering was came near were long enormous s spent five When the company, the search ace of the Jley, where Assistance d evidently e identified )y a trip to Here was I winter of lied during ced by oak e deceased by parties island, but t direction ; camp. It ^T his ships ;y Island, engaged in necessarily expeditions 1. Twelve Lieutenant ixty miles. Fferinir was HEROIC ENDEAVORS ^gi experienced from cold and fatigue, and one of the men died from exhaustion. One of the parties reached the spot where Parry had encamped in 1820, and another dis- covered a wide strait of open water, which was named Victoria Channel, but no trace of Franklin or his men was found. Although the numerous expeditions which had been sent out were uttei failures as far as the accomplishment of their mam jjurpose was concerned, some very impor- tant results in other lines were secured. The most notice- able of these was the discovery by Captain, afterward Sir Robert McClure, commander of the British ship In- vestigator^ of the Northwest Passage. This great event occurred on the 26th of October, 1850. Yea; after year expeditions followed the ones which have been named Several ships were lost. Heroic efforts were made by officers and men, and terrible sufferings ^vere endured but the mystery regarding the fate of Frcnklin was not disj)elled. hy 1853 Mr. Grinnell, aided by several individuals and organisations, fitted out his second expedition to the Arctic regions. The ship, which was named the Ad- vance^ was commanded by Dr. I-:]isha Kent Kane, who had accompanied Lieutenant De Haven in the first Grin- nell expedition. With eighteen men he sailed from New York on the 30th of May, intending to pass as far north as possible in liaffin Hay. and thence proceed, with sledcres and boats, on land and water in such direction as should give the greatest hoj,e of success. After reaching Mel- ville Hay there uas great difficulty and danger on ac- count of f,.gs and ice. At Littleton Island a quantity of l)rovisions were stored, to be used, in case of necessity 31 U\ i^ rr; » .. M .'' 'I, a 482 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPIO RATIONS on the return trip. Although the region was dreary and desolate in the extreme, abundant evidences were found that it had once been the scat of an Eskimo settlement. As winter approached, the ship was brought to a sheltered place, which was named Van Rensselaer Harbor, where it became fast in the ice on the loth of September. Sledging parties were sent out for the double purpose of establishing depots for provisions and for making explora- tions. This work could not be continued after the 20th of November, as the sun then passed below the horizon to remain for one hundred and twenty days. The winter was extremely severe. The temperature was often 40°, and at one time dropped to 75°, below zero. Most of the dogs, of which a large number had been procured tor sledging purposes, died from brain disease caused by the depressing influences of intense cold and continuous dark- ness. Many of the men suffen^d severely from scurvy, and the others were greatly debilitated by their close con- finement and the hardshijxs which they had endured. On the return of the sun, sledging j^arties were formed and the work of expl(>ration was resumed. These jour- neys proved extremely difficult. Two of the men died as the result of exposure and privations, and Kane had an illness that for several days seemed likely to j^rove fatal. A latitude of 82" 27' was reached, and a coast line was mapped which extended nine hundred and sixty miles. To complete this work involved not less than tw.) thou- sand miles of walking and sledge travel. Among the dis- coveries which were made were a mamiificent colunm of greenstone, four hundred and eighty feet high, rising on a pedestal which itself towered two hundred and eighty feet above the ground, which was called Tennyson's 'l\ ■I a rrEROIC ENDEAVORS wmMm- 4«3 DK. E. K. KANK Mo.n.nKMU; and an cMiormous wall of ice, three hundred eet m hcght, which was nan.ed tlie Great Glacier of Huniboldt The party carried its explorations to Cape Constitution, in latitude 82° .7'. A lofty peak on the opposite coast of Grinnell Lard was named Mount \\\. ward Parry. At this time the summer was well advanced, but there were no indications that the ship would ^ret clear of the ite. 1 he stock of provisions was small, and the health of tlie party had become greatly impaired. A careful con- 484 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS ■t 'VS ,l{ 1 w \n sideration of the subject showed that it would be ex- tremely hazardous to attempt to pass another winter in the ship. Therefore Dr. Kane resolved to make an at- tempt to communicate with some English ships, belonging to a searching expedition, which were lying off Beechcy Island. With five of the strongest men he started in an open boat, but a terrible storm was encountered, and in spite of their most earnest efforts to force a passage, the ice presented a barrier which they could not ' break through. They returned to the ship, intending to hoist signals that would bring to their aid other explorers, if there were any in that region. On consulting with his men. Dr. Kane found that some of them believed it would be possible to escape overland to the nearest Danish colony. He then gave each and all the choice of making such an attempt or of remaining with him in the ship. Nine of the men preferred to go. The remainder, more wisely as it proved, decided to stay with their commander. After enduring the most terrible sufferings, those who had left found their way back to the vessel. About seventy-five miles distant from the ship was an Eskimo village. The inhabitants were friendly to the weather-bound explorers. Eor a time communication was kept up, and some food supplies were obtained ; but with the coming of continued darkness, and a great scarcity of meat at the settlement, this source of relief was cut off. By March all the men were suffering from scurvy, and more than half of the number were seriously ill. The supply of fuel was exhausted, and lamps were used for both light and heat. Everything in the ship was turned black with soot. Two of the men became desperate and HEROIC ENDEAVORS attempted to desert. One of tl,ese was successful, but he seems to have repented, as |-,e afterward returned with some food that he had obtained from the Eskimos Before spring had fairly eome, preparations were com- menced for abandoning the ship. The three boats were repan-ed, sledges were put in order, and a supply of cloth- ing and beddmg was got in readiness for use. On the i/th of May, after the reading of prayers and the Scrip- tures, th: flags were hoisted and hauled down. Then the seventeen survivors of the party, four of whom were too 111 to vyalk alone, started to cross the ice and water which for thn-teen hundred miles, lay between them and the north of Greenland. For nearly a week the party was able to proceed only a little more than a mile per day. Early in June one of the men met w,th an accident which, a few days later, resulted in h.s death. Various Eskimo settlements were visited and at some of them the supply of provisions was replen' ■shed. On many occasions it was necessary to halt for rest. Various accidents occurred, and diil.culty and dan- ger were the constant companions of the weak and weary pary. At length, to their great relief, open water wal reached, and on the ,9th of June they took to their boats, one of wh,ch was soon swamjjed. It was a fearful voyage Hunger, cold, weariness, and e..pos.n-e to storn,s brought terrible suffenngs. After being in the open air of an Arctic climate for eighty-four d.ays, the party reached Up- ernavik, tl,o seat of a Danish colony on an island off the coast of Greenland. Here they remained until the 6th of September, when they embarked on a ship bound for the -Shetland Islands. Hut at Godhavi, an American e.xpedi- that had come c ' I tl to searcli for tliem was seen and r lii n'lfj^ mi' III I'll ^ s 486 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLOIiAIIONS they were tran:,r"en-ed to the ships which had been sent for their relief. In October they were safely landed at New York. Many important surveys had been made and much valuable information concerning the Arctic regions had been gained, but not the sligh .ost trace of Franklin had been found. The long absence of Dr. Kane caused a great deal of anxiety in the United States, and in February, 1855, the Secretary of the Navy was authorized by Congress to send an expedition for his relief. Two ships, the Release and the Arctic, were equipped and Lieutenant Hartstenc was placed in command. Baffin Bay was reached in due time, and a careful search was made at the numerous points where it seemed possible that Kane might be detained. All efforts to find the missing men proving fruitless, the ships were turned toward the south and proceeded to Upernavik and thence to Godhavn, on Disco Island, where, as already related, the explorers were found. Upon his return home, and the publication of his report of the voyage. Dr. Kane received many honors, not only from his countrymen but also from societies and individ- uals in foreign lands. As soon as possible he prepared a complete narrative of his Arctic explorations, which was published in book form and made him famous as an author. His health, which had never been firm, had suf- fered from his terrible exposures, and, before his book was complet'jd, rapidly failed. In hope of obtaining relief he sailed to England ; but his strength declined, and after a brief visit he started for home by way of IIa\-ana, but died in that city, in February, 1857, at the early age of thirty- seven years. The numerous maritime expeditions that were sent out HEROIC ENDEAVORS 487 e sent out to discover Franklin were supplemented by diligent and extended search on land. Dr. Rae, who had not only seen a great deal of service, but had won popular recognt. tion as an expert in this field, spent several years in this arduous work. In ,854 he met a band of Eskimos who told h,m about a party of some forty men who had starved to death at a place far west of where they then were Four wuuers had passed since this sad event occurred' 1 he men were drawing sledges and a boat over the ice' 1 heir language could not be understood; but from signs' which they made the Eskimos believed that their ships had been wrecked, that their provisions were scanty, and t.iat they were going toward the south in hope ot finding game o,. which they could subsist. Later in the same year several graves were found, and also the bodies of about thn-ty person.s which had not been buried. These were on the mainland. On an island, not far away, fi;e other bodies were found. Some of the bodies were in ten s some on the open ground, a.d others under a boat hat had been placed so as to form a shelter from storms. Dr. Rae purchased of the Eskimos a large number of arti- ces hathad belonged to the party and that completely clentified the n,en who had so miserably perished as mem bers of the Lranklin expedition. He at once proceeded to England, and, with his men, received the reward of .^.0,000 which had been offered to those who first should give definite information regarding the fate of the Frank- lin party. The report ot Dr. Rae caused a very general feeling in tngland that no member of the Franklin expedition could be hvmg, and the British Government d-clined to risk more lives or expend more money for a further search i^rii H,* I i f'f !ifi i' J' 488 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS Lady Franklin, however, with the assistance of a few friends, fitted out a vessel, called the Fox, of which the experienced explorer Captain McClintock was placed in command. The officers and men numbered twenty-five The ship sailed from Scotland in July, 1857, was caught in ice in Melville Bay on the i8th of August, and drifted until late in April, 1858. Beechey Islandwas reached on the nth of August, and a marble tablet, that had been sent out by Lady Franklin, was erected at the graves of the men who had died at that place. The second winter was passed in a haven at the eastern entrance of Bellot Strait. Early in the spring journeys were made to establish depots of provisions. Natives were met with who said that many years before a ship had been broken up by the ice, that the crew had escaped, had gone toward the Great Fish River, and all had died of starvation. On the 2d of April, 1859, the spring journey com- menced. From a party of natives news was obtained of a second ship that had drifted on shore, and several relics were purchased. The explorers divided into two parties, one led by Lieutenant Hobson, the other by Captain McClintock. On the 6th of May Hobson found written records of the Franklin expedition. The first entry was dated the 28th of May, 1847, and stated that the party had passed up Wellington Channel antl returned by the west side of CornwalHs Island, thus having completed the discovery of the Northwest Passage, of which they had been in search They were then in winter quarters and all were well. The .second entry, dated the 25th of April, 1848, states that Sir John Franklin died on the nth of June, 1847, that eight other officers and fifteen men had HEROIC ENDEAVORS 489 DR. ISAAC I. IIAVKS died, that having been fast in ice since the 12th of Sc^ tember, 1846, the ships Ereb^cs and Terror were deserted on the 22d of April, 1848, and that on the 26th of April the survivors would commence a journey in hope of reachmg Back s Great Fish River. Lieutenant Hobson proceeded in tlie direction indi- cated, and found human skeletons, a boat nearly buried in the snow, watches, books, and numerous other articles Captam McCIintock also reached the boat. In connec- tion with what had already been found, these discoveries confirmed the statements of ^Ir. Rae, and , ^oved beyond doubt that after leaving the spot where the records were tound the party attempted to reach the Great Fish River M \l n^ mr^ sgfrfw"»" fl f 1 lie :^ id i P ^:! 1 ^ i 1 hi ! i ^ . ! , <> ! g; 1 ' 1 ' j *N I '14 '■ !i; 490 EAJiUER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS hat niany of them died on t]ie wa)-, that some started to return to the sliip and lost their lives, and that the remainder reached the river, but while waiting for the ice to break they all perished of exposure and starvation Such was the terrible fate of the first discoverers of the Northwest Passage, uhich had been sought for hundreds or years. I)r Isaac I. Hayes, who went out as surgeon with the second Gnnnell expedition, under Dr. Kane, was exceed- ingly anxious to prosecute further search in the Arctic regions, and endeavored to secure the organization of another party, and obtain a suitable equipment for that purpose. But the public had come to believe that no results could be obtained that would be of sufficient value to justify the risks of life and property that another expedition would involve. Yet his zeal was so great, and he so forcibly presented his views in lectures which he delivered in the large cities of the United States, that considerable interest was aroused and a sufficient sum of money was secured to purchase and lit out a vessel for his use. h^ this ship, the name of which was patriotically changed from the Sprw^ ///// to the Untied State,. Hayes sailed fro.n Boston on the 7th of July, ,S6o.' The part)', all told, numbered fifteen persons. The' definite objects of the expedition were to extc/ul, and if possible complete, the survey ..f the northern coast of Greenland and (n-innell Land, and continue explorations in the direction of the North j'ole. The y\rctic Circle was reached near the close of July, and the entrance to Smith Sound on the 27th of August; but winds were contrary and the ship was driven back three times before i HEROIC ENDEAVORS ^q, it was possible to proceed to any great distance in the stra.t A hnrbor, which was named Port Foulke, was found abont twenty miles south of where Kane wintered ni Rensselaer Harbor. ber of dogs, Hayes started on a sledge journey, intending t< coss the sound to Grinnell Land. Twenty-five daj.s o ardous tod did not take them half the distance, but it "tter y disabled several of the men. Unwilling to aban- don the project while there was a possibility rf success Hayes sent all but three of his men back to the ship' ihe returnmg party took with them the boat that had been taken m hope that it could be launched on an open sea. J With his three companions, two sledges and fourteen dogs, the resolute leader of the expedition pressed on, and two w.e.s after .he parties separated h'e reached th n ess f -V'" •■"'""" '" '^™^' ™^ commenced, na ted u^r :""' "' "^ "™ '^^'-^ ""-'y xhmd, and Hayes, with a single companion, con.inued s journey. On the „S.h of M.ay they reached Mo,: . .y. Here heir progress was checked by rotten ice 1 fissures winch could not be crossed wi.hou. a boat O^ s vations were taken which showeej)tember, ng vessel. Joe and was soon mjianions, mowledge an was to leir confi- lioring all party, if 493 !!,; i «.ch there were, „„ul S P'''' r ^' 1 i 1 11 fir' r ll ^11 494 J'lARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS great honors. He then made a vigorous effort to secure an expedition for the purpose of discovering the North Pole. A great deal of interest was excited. Congress made an apj^ropriation for the purpose, and a steamer named the Polaris was fitted out Hall vxas appointed commander of the expedition. A scientific corps, to take observations in accordance with instructions from the National Academy of Sciences, was selected. A full complement of ofTicers was chosen, and a crew of fourteen men was secured. Joe and Hannah, the Innuits who had previously accomijanied Hall and had rendered him in- valuable services, were also members of this exi)edition. On the afternoon of the :^i\ of July, 1S71, the Polaris sailed from New London, Connecticut, on her final voy- age. Smith Sound was reached without special adven- ture. Passing through Kennedy Channel, the \essel entered what Kane had supposed was an o])en sea, but which proved t<. be only a small body of water. This received the name of Polaris liay. I'arlher on a strait was discovered which, in honor of the Secretary of the Navy who had used his injluence in aid of (he expedi- tion, was named Robeson Channel. In this strait a latitude of .S2'' 16' was reached on the 30th of August. This was the highest latitude yet reached. It was fifty miles beyond the farthest jjoint touched by Dr. Hayes, and nearly two hundred miles beyond where Dr. Kane had gone. Here progress was checked by ice, and for a while the ship was carried back by the drift. Hall and some of his men were anxious to make further efforts to proceed, but some of the subordinates were oj)posed to this course; and the commander, as it subsecpientlv a|)- peared, unwisely heeded their i)rotests. On Septeml)er 3 HEtlOIC ENDBAVOKS the ship wa.s put hu„ wi.uer quarters in Pohri, R. '" a cove to which Hnli „, .1 TOIans Bay, m Harbor. ' «"™ *^ "^™'= "« 'fhank God ''^e aaioini,, rei^iorr^s^t X'rro':: rtf t-,ii„, i„ „, ,:' ;:;-„er cots hit:;"'^ -^ ^etun.ec,i„afe.y,reaehi„,.,eship:::;t'i;^^^^^^^ bcr IlK.y had attained the highest latitude yet readl and discovered a channel which they expected ,t when the northward journey shouldVe ' l- ^ s ' a te. reaching the ship Hall Ls taken ill, o ''the ';;' of Novenil>cr he nassccl iu'n,r ti , " pci.>.>iLci away. 1 hus cnrprl fh/. \\( i one of t,„ „„,,,, ,,,„^, .„,„^^ >;^,^^^^^ ^^ ;:'::L' pioL: It was rumored that ffill hnrl K^ • "-y'"'^"^'^- fi, I • . "'^" "^cen poisoned hut i I- ".«h .nvest,gation !,y the governuK-nt proved th he i '::: hi: gLtr ' •^'' '^"" •^" '-^'"^■■•■•-" "-^-^ -- p'- Captain Buddington, who succeeded to the comnnnd im,>ort-,n,C. J was carried away fron, the ice it Ind fourteen persons on board. Information given by 1 l>ar y rescued from .he ice led the governm'^nt to fi*^ i Uth of I'V « "' r """""^ rfi-->PPeared. On the ■4th of July, ,«73, the r/^,,ss, under Captain Greer 32 - , w: 11 In ( 498 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORJTIONS sailed from New York on this errand of mercy. She was accompanied by the ytimata, a smaller vessel, which car- ried^ supplies for the Tigress and which was also designed to aid in the search. About the middle of August the Tigress reached Littleton Island, near which the Po/aris was last seen by the party that drifted away on the ice. Here some Eskimos were found who said that the day after the separation occurred Captain Buddington had abandoned the ship. With some lumber from the vessel the men had built a house on the shore. Here they had spent the winter. Two boats were made, and in these the company sailed southward in the spring. Dur- ing a gale the vessel broke loose from the ice in which it had been entangled, and, after drifting for a while, had gone down in the sea. Many articles that had been left at the winter camp were secured by Captain Greer. The 7?^;//«/^ proceeded to Newfoundland and commu- nicated the facts to the Navy Department at Washing- ton. Instructions to continue the search were returned and another voyage was commenced, but news was soon received from a British vessel that the crew of the Polaris had been found. After the departure of the J'uniaia Captain Greer continued the search, but finding no trace of the missing party sailed to New York, where he learned that Captain Buddington and his men had been rescued by a British whaling vessel about three weeks before the relief voyage of the Tigress was commenced. As this ship was not homeward bound, .ne men were transferred to other vessels, and by way of Scotland at length reached New York. W^ith the exception of their noble leader, Captain Hall, every member of the Polaris expedition reached home in safety. Many of them had been adrift vmU'. "cy. She was el, which ear- also designed August the 1 the Polaris y on the ice. that the day Idington had •m the vessel Here they lade, and in pring. Dur- e in which it a while, had ad been left jreer. and commu- at Washinp;- sre returned vs was soon ■ the Polaris the Juniata ing no trace e he learned leen rescued s before the d. As this transferred gth reached Dble leader, expedition been adrift HEROIC ENDEAVORS on floating ice for one hundred and ninety days and all had been exposed to ie greatest danger'and had en dured the most terrible hardshin^, Tu ■ and rescue may well be chssed w>K .T P"^^"-™''™ modern times. ""* ""^ ™''-="^'« of p.". Petermann, an eminent German geocrrapher sent out a sma vessel in iSfiu f„ o^Oorapner, sent Arctic seas r,! f ,. '^'"'"'"'^ exploration in the The crn.m?eC"elfv™^" orf :^d-r r™"^" encountered and only n™' r ^ f:" r^eT <.....«.;t:dTh'i::^r—t;T:^'^^ Koidewey was appointed command st;ral noteT '"" ent,sts accompanied the expedition. 'Theobfec tv"" was to penetrate to the very centre of th A^' "i^s" Arctic Cncle was not crossed until the ,th of lulv n he .oth of July, owing to a misinterpretln ' tna^s" the ships became separated. Captain He^emannrft fiansa, sailed away from instead of «7 ' ,!,„ /" . -^ ' 'nstead of proceedms toward the Germama, as Captain Koidewey intended 0„ H ■4th of September the Hansa was frozen fnTh ^ that she would be crushed appealed "o'r t .^^^ t"^" was built upon the ice TiJ ^ "' " ''°"'*'^ '9th of the month fi...-« ,.... - . -. 'P' ^" ^'^^ there was a terrific gale, the pressure 500 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS of the ice upon the vessel was increased, and a serious leak was started. During the night of the 21st of Octo- ber the ship went down. A fearful winter was passed in the little house. Violent storms were frequent and tli'^ cold was severe. The great ice field upon which the men were located was drifted about at the mercy of wind and wave. On the 7th of May a place was reached from which there appeared to be an open stretch of water to the shore. The boats, which had been saved from the ship, were launched, and after ahnost insuperable obsta- cles had been overco'"">o the party reached land. Several islands were visited, but it was not until the 14th of June, 1870, that the weary party reached a human habitation. On that date they arrived at Friedrichsthal, a station of the Moravian missionaries on the southwestern coast of Greenland, and early in Sei^tember the entire party reached home. They had drifted more than eleven hun- dred miles on the ice, and had been preserved through a more remarkable series of perils and misfortunes than almost any other company of Arctic explorers who returned to their native land. After losing sight of the Hansa, the Germania followed the coast of Greenland as far north as latitude 75° 30', but near the middle of August was obliged to turn to the south. Winter was passed off Sabine Island. In the spring various excursions were made which resulted in valuable scientific and geographical discoveries. Before the work which they hoped to accomplish was completed, a leak in the engine boiler made it necessary for the party to return home. Th^'s voyage was completed in Septem- ber, 1870. In 1872 an Austro-Hungarian expedition was sent to m\ id a serious I St of Octo- as passed in ent and tli'^ ich the men of wind and cached from of water to ed from the jrable obsta- id. Several 4th of June, I habitation, a station of ern coast of mtire party eleven hun- 1 through a rtunes than jlorers who UM followed ude 75° 30', turn to the id. In the resulted in ics. Before ; completed, or the party in Septem- was sent to HEROIC ENDEAVORS Plf who 'tr . '^ T ^°'""""'«' ^y Lieutenant Haje,, who had not only distinguished himself^ in the German e.xped.t.on under Captain Koldewey, but who Captain Weyprecht, who had accompanied Payer in his previous voyages, was chief officer of the ship The ne?::: "If^r. «««' ™' '■" *e best possiile ma ! ne. and Captain Carlsen, an experienced Arctic voyager was employed as pilot. ^ ° Fif?een'd ""i f ''",'''• '*'-^' "" ^^^^e was commenced. F fteen days later the coast of Nova Zembla was seer At about th,s t,me ice became troublesome, but the north' em coast of Nova Zembla was rounded in safety He t progress was checked and the ship was soon fast in th .ce. The dreary Arctic winter now set in. The sun was absent one hundred and nine days. As there w as n^ that the ship would be broken by the ice, a hut was bS m which to take refuge in case such an accident occur^d Much of the time the floe in which the vessel was enc led was adrift and tow-ard the end of October, ,87, it reacted LTlrS ''^" r'^°^ ^"'^'-^ lying' ;« a mt' land that had never been explored. Some brief excur- Mons were made, but the beginning of the Arctic nTIt soon made their continuance impossible ^ rhe party w-ere now in a higher latitude than w-here PPearTtt- ■^""''"^ "''"'"• ^^ "^ -" ^'cl n appear a this point for one hundred and twenty-five days Snow fell to the depth of twelve feet and the co d was very severe. In March several expeditions we e m de by sledge parties. During one of these the temperature ■nen died from lung disease aggravated by scurvy f f '1 " f * . sfr I't f ji ; 502 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATJONS ^ff ' Many of the dogs died and others became so weak as to be of h'ttle use in the sledge teams. But in spite of all these obstacles considerable was accomplished in the way of exploration. One of the sledge parties reached a lati- tude of 82° 5'. In honor of their sovereign the leaders of the expedition named the country Franz Josef Land. There were no indications that the voyage could ever be resumed, and the diminished stock of provisions, to- gether with the failing health of the men, made it neces- sary to desert the ship. On the 20th of May, 1874, the flags were nailed to the mast and the men took to the sledges, upon which the boats and some provisions had been loaded. The deep snow made walking extremely difficult, and the wind drove back the ice to such an extent that at the close of two months of most arduous toil they were less than eight miles from the ship. On the 14th of August they came to open water, and four days later Nova Zembla was reached. A few days after- ward they were taken off by a Russian vessel which landed them at Norway on the 3d of September. Al- though the explorers did not accomplish all that they desired to do, the scientific and geographical results of their expedition were of great value. From 1S5S to 1878 several expeditions to the Arctic seas were sent out from Sweden. The expense was borne in part by the government, but several individuals and societies were large contributors. The earlier expe- ditions were principally for scientific purposes. They resulted in the securing of a vast amount of information concerning the zoology, botany, and geology of the re- gions visited. Two of this series of expeditions should have special mention in this narrative. They are the ones which sailed in 1872 and in 1878. 5 weak as to spite of all 1 in the way ached a lati- le leaders of f Land, i could ever ovisions, to- de it neces- ly, 1874, the took to the )visions had ^ extremely to such an ost arduous ; ship. On 2r, and four r days after- issel which :mber. Al- 1 that they 1 results of the Arctic :pense was individuals arlier expe- ies. They nformation of the re- Dns should ly are the HEROIC ENDEAVORS 503 For the expedition of 1872 two steamers and a trans- port were furnished. Naval officers had command of the ships, but the expedition was under the general direction of Professor Nordenskjold, w-ho had made several voyages to the North. The steamer Onkel Adam and the tra^s! port Gladan took out moss, coal, oil, fifty reindeer, and he par^ of a dwelling-house ready to be put together iMvas designed that these vessels should return In the tall; while the other steamer, named the Polhem^ was to remam at the North during the winter The vessels which should have returned before winter Spitzbergen. 7 his pr.ved a great disaster, as the main- tenance of the crews seriously reduced the quantity of provisions which had been designed for the party on board the exploring vessel. As illustrating the perils of the Arctic regions, it may be stated that a number of fishing vessels, with fifty-eight men on board, were also frozen in at this time off the northern coast. Eighteen men took open boats and succeeded in reaching Ice Fjord, where a quantity of provisions had been stored and, uith the remaining men on board, sailed for home In November a relief expedition was sent from Norway for tne fishermen who had left the ships, but, owing to Wh f •"' ""'^^'"'^^ "^^^^^^' '' -- -succesLl. Another ship was sent out in December, but was unable to reach Spitzbergen. In January, ^873, a third vesse was despatched, but the effort to find the missing men was a failure. It was afterward learned that the house was reached and a quantity of food was found; but as S04 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS i !l* 'fi-i= fiC 19* \m indicated by a diary which they kept for some time, the men did not take regular exercise, and they neglected to freshen their meat. As a consequence of these indiscre- tions they all fell victims to disease, and the last of the party died before the summer opened. The scientists connected with the Swedish expedition made many important observations; and though all their reindeer escaped soon after they were landed, several sledge journeys were undertaken with dogs. But while it accomplished much in some directions, the expedition wholly failed in its principal object of making a journey on ice to the Pole. The principal object of the expedition of 187S was the discovery of the Northeast Passage. It involved an expense of ^20,000, of which sum three fifths was fur- nished by Mr. Oscar Dickson, of Gothenburg, and the remainder by the Swedish Government. A screw steamer named the Vega, which had been built expressly for use in the ice regions, was equipjied in the best possible man- ner, and Professor Nordenskjold, who had accompanied not less than eight Arctic expeditions, was placed in charge. The whole force, including officers, scientists, and crew, numbered only thirty men. l^he steamer sailed on the 21st of July. She was accompanied by the Lena, a small steamer which was designed for use on the river of that name. Progress was slow on account of adverse winds, but Kara Sea was reached on the ist of August, and five days later the vessels entered Dickson Harbor, near the mouth of the Yenisei River. On the loth of August the voyage was resumed. The course was unobstructed for only two days. Then large masses of ice were encountered, and HEROIC ENDEAVORS I time, the 2glected to le indiscre- last of the expedition h all their -d, several But while expedition \ a journey 1878 was ivolved an s was fur- l, and the !w steamer >ly for use sible man- :ompanied placed in scientists, She was rhich was Progress a Sea was later the ith of the >yage was only two ered, and 505 A. K. NORDKNSKJor.D heavy fogs made progress both slow and dangerous. The difficulties and dangers of the situation weR> greatly in- creased by the fact that the Taimyr Peninsula lies farther to the west than had been supposed, and several small islands were discovered in what, according to the then existing charts, should have been the dia'ct course on which to sail. On the 19th of August the northern extremity of Si- beria was reached. Here flags were raised and a salut. Nvas hred. The only party to observe these demonstra- tions was a large white bear, and he plainly manifested his disapproval of the proceedings. The next dav th. f Ij" ' lHiJ,:i ( i « r. i 506 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS ships proceeded along the east coast of the peninsula. A week later they separated. The Lena sailed up the river to its destination, Yakutsk, which it reached on the 2 1 St of September. The progress of the Vega was retarded by ice, but North Cape was reached on the 12th of September. Here it was detained for nearly a week. Several excur- sions were made on the adjoining land, which led to some very interesting discoveries. Among these were ruins of the habitations of a people, probably allied to the Eski- mos, who inhabited this region some hundreds of years ago. Fogs and ice caused constant trouble, but on the 27th of September the east side of Kolintschin Bay was reached and the vessel was anchored. It was fully ex- ]3ected that the voyage would be resumed on the next day, but the night was cold and the numerous floes were frozen together so firmly that they could not be pene- trated. It was hoped that the ice would soon break up, but winds from the north continued to pack heavy masses along the coast, and new ice was rapidly formed by the increasing cold. Before the close of November it was evident that the Vega was frozen in for the winter. The ship was now near the northern i)art of Bering Strait, and only one hundred and fifteen miles from the Pacific Ocean. Had this point been reached one day sooner the voyage could undoubtedly haxe been contin- ued without special difficulty, and an imprisonment in the ice for nearly ten months wcnild have been avoided. Nei- ther would the delay have occurred in an ordinary season. But cold weather came unusually early, and navigation closed more than two weeks before the date up to which whaling ships had, in different years, been able to get JfEJiOK ENDEAVORS ^„ into open water. During the winter rneteorolcical and rn^nefc observations were regularly taken which hav^ proved of great seientific interest and value. The shin was occasionally visited by Eskimos, of whom there were severe, but there was no day upon which the rays of the sun were not seen above the horizon On the ,8th of July, ,879, after being frozen in for two hundred and ninety-four days, the ^^^got free from t e .ce and p.oceeded to Bering Strait, 't,™ days late t I the search three hundred and twenty-six years before and which many others had vainly attempted to fincl ' w"s !s P o I V , T "°"" '^"^ "^"^ '-^-hed at which. New vtrT'l """'"'-'^J*!''' -P— it. "the Old and the .Z i ''""' '^ '''''^' ^''"^'■" Aft"-''- "--siting the slo.es of Bermg Strait the F^.a sailed for Yokohama which port it reached on the ad of September we^rlt "I .' "^''"f""" "' ™''°"^ "'"°'- -^Peditions, we must find room for an outline of an important one sent out by the British Government in 18; . Tl e „ b jects o this expedition were to reach the Pole if pos!ibI • o explore any regions which might be visited, but which had not previously been seen or described ; and to obtain ." ormation that would be useful in forming plans fo fuithcr operations in this direction. Two ships, the AA-ri and the Vhco^.^j, were fully qtnppecl for the purpose and were liberilly supph d «.th provisions and other necessities. Captain Nare, was appointed commander. The ships sailed on the .gth of May. Several islands off the Greenland coast were i , ^ • I* !!* I M - f * f f 8 1 fill I' .1 « j L ;M "H 1 pi l4 508 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS Visited, and a number of dogs and two drivers were ob- tained. Smith Sound was reached on the 29th of July, and for more than a month the ships had extreme diffi- culty in passing through the ice which almost constantly blocked their way. The Discovery went into winter quarters at the shore of Lady Franklin Inlet, in latitude 81° 44'. The Alert pressed on, through a channel of open water which ap- peared between the ice and the shore, passed the point which the Polaris party had named Cape Union, and entered what appeared to be an open Polar Sea. On the I St of September a position was gained nearer the Pole than any ship had previously reached, and the white flag ^yas hoisted in celebration of the event. All the indica- tions were favorable for further progress ; but the channel soon ended, the wind changed, and the ship was carried near the shore. A comparatively safe place was reached, and on the 3d of September the ship was frozen in. The latitude was 82° 27'. In this until then wholly unknown region the party were obliged to spend the winter. During the autumn depots of provisions were estab- lished for the use of sledging paru.s in the spring. Winter brought the darkness and dreariness which are among the chief characteristics of the Arctic regions at this season of the year. In March the cold was intense. On the 3d of that month the thermometers registered 'j'^ below zero, but the following day brought some compen- sation in the fact that for a short time the sun was visible above the hills. But the cold, terrible as it was, proved less trying than did the sudden and violent changes in temperature, which sometimes amounted to sixty degrees within a few hours. As they were farther north than HEROIC ENDEA ^'ORS ' 509 bears, birds, or seals are found, fresh meat could not be obtained. One of the results of this deprivation was the prevalence of the scurvy, from attacks of which several members of the party died. As early in the spring as it was practicable, sledging parties were sent out from each of the ships. One oi these, led by Commander Markham and Lieutenant Parr, moved due north, with instructions to go as far as pos- sible in that direction and in hope of reaching the Pole ; another, under Lieutenant Aldrich, was to pass to the west, making explorations along the American coast; and a third, led by Lieutenant Beaumont, of the Discovery, was to move eastward along the northern coast of Green- land. These expeditions led to many interesting dis- coveries, some of which were of great value to scie!itists. One of these was the finding of the remains of a great evergreen forest in latitude 82^ 44', a discovery which proves that vast climatic changes have occurred in this now desolate and barren region. Commander Markham and Lieutenant Parr reached a latitude of 83° 20' 26", a point farther north than any pre- vious explorer had reached. The enormous amount of labor mvolved in this undertaking may be estimated from the fact that although this spot was only seventy-three miles, in a straight course, from the ship, the party travelled two hundred and seventy-six miles going, and two hundred and forty-five miles on the return trip. The journey was largely over ranges of ice hills, many of them twenty feet in height, through ravines filled with snow, over or around vast i^iles of broken ice, or on floes where it was necessary to use picks or axes to make a jxith over which the sledge could be drawn. Add to all this the id li I i i f 510 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS suffering and the depression of the vital forces caused by the severe cold of the inhospitable region, and it hardly seems possible that the human frame could endure the terrible hardships to which these resolute explorers were subjected. Lieutenant Aldrich .md his party explored two hun- dred and twenty miles of coast line of which no chart had previously been made. Lieutenant Beaumont, with his company, made a survey of the northern coast of Green- land for a distance of some seventy miles. They all endured severe suffering. Several of the men were taken ill, and their already overburdened companions had to draw them on sledges for long distances, and one of the Beaumont party died on the way. When his men returned to the Alert, Captain Nares decided that it was not advisable to continue the work of exploration. It was evident that at the point which lie had reached the ice firmly and permanently closed navi- gation. Further attempts of sledging parties to reach the Pole, from the place then occupied, would certainb' result in failure, would involve a vast amount of suffering, and probably would cause the loss of many lives. The men were already weakened by exposure, toil, and disease. It was therefore determined that the expedition should not remain there another winter. It was not till the 31st of July that a passage through the ice appeared. Upon that day the Alert commenced her homeward voyage. The ship was often ii. great dan- ger from vast masses of floating ice, but it reached Lady Franklin Inlet in safety on the nth of August, The Discovery was at once put in readiness, but on account of the ice the ships did not leave the port until the 20th of HEROIC ENDEAVORS ^^ the month. They reached Melville Bay on the i8th of September, and the Arctic Circle was crossed on the 4th of October, just fifteen months from the day the ships sailed over it when they were outward bound. Ice, and storms, and adverse winds were encountered, and there were some vexatious delays ; but on the 2d of November 1876, the vessels sailed into the harbor of Portsmouth. Although numerous and earnest efforts had been made to find records of the Sir John Frankhn expedition, they had, with the single exception of the paper discovered by Lieutenant McClintock, been utter failures. That such documents would be of great value, both from an histori- cal and a scientific point of view, was evident. That they were in existence, seemed probable from the fact that various parties of Eskimos, from whom articles which had unquestionably belonged to the unfortunate party had been obtained, told of books and papers which many years before white men had placed in cairns in their country. These rumors were repeated, not only by ex- plorers, but by the masters of whaling ships which had visited that region. Among the parties who became greatly interested in these reports was Lieutenant Fred- erick Schvvatka, of the United States Army. Mainly through his efforts, an expedition, the expenses of which were met by private subscription, was organized. A ship named the Eothen was obtained and fitted for service in the ice, a crew of twenty-three men was secured, and Schvvatka, who had been granted leave of absence from the army, was placed in command of the exploring party While the main purpose of the expedition was to find the records of the Franklin party, there was also the impor- tant secondary object of obtaining valuable information. geographical ■I k>' hi Pf ii S»2 lARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS On the 19th of June, 1878, the ship sailed from New York, and on the 7th of August reached Rowe's Wel- come Strait, an arm of Hudson Bay. They were here visited by friendly natives. Winter was spent on the mainland, near Depot Island, in latitude 63° 51'. The reports of the natives in regard to the prospect of finding the records in search of which the party had come were not encouraging. One of the visitors said that, long be- fore that time, his father had found, in a cairn on King William Land, a box containing a written paper ; but as the latter appeared to be of no use to himself or his people, it had been thrown 'ay. But he also told of another cairn which had not been opened, and of a spoon, which had been given to Captain Porter, which had un- doubtedly been used by the Europeans who had perished in that region. Mr. Gilder, who was second officer of the expedition, found Captain Porter, who was on a whaling ship not far distant ; but the information obtained from him was most disheartening. Notwithstanding the discouragements that had been met, it was determined to prosecute the search. Mr. Gilder visited an Eskimo settlement more than seventy miles away, to obtain some dogs. Upon his return a great sledge journey was commenced. The Schwatka party was accompanied by thirteen Innuits, including women and children. The winter camp was left on April I, 1879. The teams consisted of forty-two dogs, and the sledges were loaded with food supplies sufficient to last for five or six weeks. They proceeded toward the north- west, through a region that had not been explored. For some time travel was very slow and difficult. On the 15th of May a party of natives was found, and informa- HEROIC ENDEAVORS ,. 513 t>o„ corroborating many of the points learned by previous explorers was obtained. previous The journey was continued to Back's River. Montreal Island was searched for traces of the missing men bul without success. Rich,.rdson Point was crosfed, al a party of nafves were met from whom considerable addi tonal ,nformat,on was obtained. On the 4th of June Schwatka and Gilder examined a cairn which had ^ n bu,lt by Captam Hall over the remains of two men of he Frankhn party. At a spot where a party of Europeans had encamped they found many articles and also an op" grave. A medal that had been placed on a stone at th's grave md.cated that Lieutenant Irving, of the Tclrt had been buned there. The skull a„d^vhat 2";^^, could be obtaned were taken in charge, and in due time were forwarded to Irvings relatives in Scotland O he ierrs."' ''--"" ---•—- By the 3d of July the northern part of King William Land was reached, and four days later the party toned toward the south. Travelling was exceedingly di^f Several ca,rns were found and various places :here wh " men had camped. At Erebus Bay remains of aloa a d numerous small articles were discovered. Parts o sev eral skeletons were also found and interred. Eariy n Z autumn many reindeer were met with and an abJn a o meat for .mmed.ate use was obtained, but by the mid! die o October these animals had entirely disappeared .Off rci: ^";:'; --i.™^ ---^^ - ^^^ i^ecember. Food supplies were scanty anH when an occasional reindeer was obtained the .le!h 1 poor, and ,t was frozen as well as raw when eaten. n: I ' i .V f'( 5U EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS Wolves were exceedingly troublesome, and some of the party had narrow escapes from destruction by these fero- cious beasts. Heavy snow-storms were frequent, and often prevented progress a week or more at a time. The cold was terribly severe, the mean temperature for January being 53° below zero. During the winter there were sixteen days when the thermometer indicated a temperature of 68° below zero, and on one day it marked 71° below. The men endured fearful suffering, and many of the dogs perished. By almost superhuman exertions Depot Island was reached on the 4th of March. But here a terrible disappointment awaited the almost exhausted party. The captain of the Eothen had not delivered the provisions which he had agreed to bring to that point. The only ship in the region was at Marble Island. This was reached after a wearisome march which occupied seventeen days. Such, in brief, is the history of the longest and most remarkable sledge journey hitherto made. The distance travelled was three thousand two hundred and fifty-one miles, and most of the journey was in not only a desolate, but in an entirely unexplored region. The company were out during an entire winter, and one which, according to the testimony of the natives, was of unusual severity. The hardship of the journey was greatly increased by the fact that during most of the long period which it occupied the entire food supplies for men and dogs were obtained from the scanty resources of the country which they traversed. The principal results of the expedition were the interment of the bones of the crews of the Erebus and the Terror, the acquirement of much valuable geographical information, and the establishment beyond i \ I ill some of the r these fero- iquent, and at a time, perature for vinter there indicated a y it marked g, and many in exertions I. But here t exhausted leHvered the that point, jland. This :h occupied 3t and most "he distance ind fifty-one y a desolate, mpany were 1, according ual severity, ncreased by od which it d dogs were luntry which s expedition rews of the uch valuable lent beyond HEROIC ENDEA VORS 5 1 5 party had been irretnevably lost. The return voyage was completed on the .,d of September, ,880. xL energy and sk.ll of Lieutenant Schwatka in the conduct o he enterprise received full recognition at home and M lit ' I tit ( ii i t.K ^{ } CHAPTER XXIX GREAT DISASTERS In the year 1879 Lieutenant G. W. De Long, of the United States Navy, was placed in command of an 'Expe- dition which had for its principal object the disco /of the North Pole. This officer had served as a subon nate on the Juniata, in its voyage in search of Captain Hall, and was greatly interested in the subject of Arctic explo- ration. At his earnest solicitation Mr. James Gordon Bennett, of the " New York Herald," purchased and fitted out a ship, which was named the Jeannette, and which, for the purpose of exploring the Arctic regions, was placed under the control of the United States Gov- ernment. Lieutenant Chipp was appointed executive officer; Lieutenant John W. Danenhower, master; and George W. Melville, engineer, — all belonging to the navy. Unfortunately, the Bering Strait route was se- lected. On the 8th of July, 1879, the Jeannette sailed from San Francisco with thirty-two persons on board, '^rogress was slow, as the winds were unfavorable and the ship was heavily loaded. At St. Michael's, Alaska, forty dogs were obtained, and some Indians were employed to go with the expedition as drivers and hunters. According to gov- ernment instructions, search was made for Professor Nor- denskjbld, who was known to have started on a voyage of exploration with a view to obtaining information and also \\\ \ \ ( s ( ' PI ' \* 1 isnii t ng, of the f an '^xpe- scn 7 of ibon iiate tain Hall, :tic explo- s Gordon lased and mette, and c regions, tates Gov- executive ister ; and ig to the :e was se- from San ^rogress e ship was dogs were o with the \g to gov- essor Nor- voyage of n and also GREAT DISASIERS 5,7 to render assistance if necessary. On the last di of August it was learned that the Vega, N.r.lenskjold's'ship, had passed the winter in the bay which the Jeannetie had reached, and had since spiled to the south. An attempt was made to proceed to Wrangell Land, but in less than a week progress was stopped by ice. On the 8th of September there was a desperate effort to force a way to He Id Island, but only a little headway was made. A few days later a party with dogs and a sled proceeded to the island, in hope of finding a harbor, and also of securing some drift wood for fuel, but it was unsuc- cessful. The ship had been heeled over some five de- grees, and in this position was firmly held in the ice. It drifted, with the floe, in various directions, sometimes out to sea and at others within sight of land. During the first half of November large cracks appeared in the floe and huge masses of ice were thrown near the ship, which was in imminent danger of being crushed. On the 24th of the month the ship got afloat, and in a few days it was sent adrift in a gale, but was soon frozen in again. Toward the close of the year Lieutenant Danenhower was disabled by an affection of one of his eyes, and for a long period was obliged to remain in a darkened room. LUCUT. G. W. DE LONG, U. S. N. \ $ m % 5i8 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS f'\ I ^ The ship was in constant peril from the ice, and on the 19th of January the fore-foot was broken, and it com- menced to leak badly. The deck pumps were piu into immediate use, and as soon as was possible the steam pump was started. Attempts to fill the cracks somewhat diminished, but did not nearly stop, the inflow of water. Early in June De Long had strong hopes that the voyage could soon be resumed, but the ship did not get free of the ice, and of course continued to drift. Fogs and storms were frequent, and there was constant danger. It was not till the ist of September that a shift occurred which brought the ship on an even keel. It was still fast in the ice. and efforts to release it resulted in in- creasing the already dangerous leak. It soon became evi- dent that the ship would not get clear until after another win at least. It had drifted over an immense area, •e :mes in straight lines but often in circles, — and it sp ,u destined to continue this erratic course indefi- nitely. On the 1 6th of May, 1881, land was seen, the first for fourteen months. This was an island, and the ship drifted past it on the following day. It was named, in honor of the ship, Jeannette Island. On the 24th of the month an- other island was sighted. This was visited early in June by Engineer Melville and several other members of the party. It was named Henrietta Island, and was formally taken possession of in the name of the United States. On the 1 2th of June the floe split in pieces and the ship was set free, but floating masses of ice pressed uj-ion it and its bows were raised in the air. De Long gave orders to remove the chronometers, rifles, and other indis- pensable articles to the ice and })repare to leave the ship. « GREAT DISASTERS 519 At about eleven o'clock that night the boats were lowered and the men formed a camp on one of the portions of the broken floe. At four o'clock on the mornino- of fune 13, 1 88 1, the masses of ice which had held it fast sepa- rated, and the ^ hip went down. Several of the ship's company were ill, and the surgeon advised a brief period of rest. On the 17th of June, at 6 p. M., the retreat toward the south commenced. The company travelled at night, in order to escape the blinding glare of the sun upon the snow. They had three boats, nine sleds, a large quantity of pemmican, and a fair supply of ammunition. The men were harnessed to the sleds. On account of the large quantity of material, it was ne- cessary to go over the same ground several times. The snow was deep and the toil was exhausting. After a week of this wearying labor, observations by the officer showed that not only had no progress been made, but that the drift to the northwest had been twenty-seven miles farther than their advance to the south. Toward the close of the month the conditions improved, and some progress was made in the direction in which they desired to go. On the nth of July Bennett Island was discovered. On the 28th of the month a landing was effected, a flag was unfurled, and the party took possession in behalf of the United States. Here they camped for several days. On the 6th of August the party took to the boats. Of these the larger cutrer was commanded by De Long, the smaller cutter by Lieutenant Chip|), and the whale-boat by Engineer Melville, On the nth of September the men landed on an island off the Asiatic coast, and a hunting jjarty was sen^ out. The next morning ,they ft ri 520 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS left the camp and proceeded on their course toward the southwest. For several hours the boats kept near to- gether ; but a gale came up in the afternoon, and early in \h From Melville's " In the Lena Delta." l!y the permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co, the evening they were separated, never to be brought near each other again. The whale-boat was brought into one of die mouths of the Lena River. The men were almost exhausted, but by the help of a native pilot they worked up the river to a village, where they waited for the ice to form so thcv could proceed with sleds. A Russian exile went to Hulun to notify the authorities. Lieutenant Danenhower made a GREA T DISASTERS ^ ^ r search with a dog team for the other boats, but no trace of them was found. On the 29th of October word was received that a party of natives had met two sailors of the De Long boat and were taking them to Bulun. The sailors had sent a note to the eifect that De Long and the remainder of his party were in a starving condition. With one native and a team of dogs Engineer Melville went at once to learn the location of De Long and give him relief. Lieutenant Danenhower took charge of the remainder of the party and went to Bulun. He then followed Mewille to aid in the search for the missing men. At Yakutsk a dispatch from the Secretary of the Navy was received. This di- rected that the invalid and frozen members of the party be removed to a warmer locality. Danenhower and his party went to Irkoutsk. From this point the lieutenant telegraphed for permission to renew the search, but on account of the condition of his health the request was not granted. He therefore returnc^d home, reaching New York, with three of his men, on the ist of June "^ With the exception of an Indian, who had died of the smallpox in Russia, the remainder of the whale-boat crew and the two men whom De Long had sent forward for relief were all m the United States early in 1882. One of the mem- bers, however, had become insane and was placed in a government institution for that unfortunate class. The history of the De Long party and their terrible fate was fully learned from the journal in which the leader made frequent entries up to almost the hour of his death, and from the testimony of the two men who were saved. On the fifth day after the separation, their boat was driven upon the ground. Most of its contents were I HI ^■'' it H P ^^^BHn ]| ^^^^^^^^■l ^H 1 ^« i ■iiii . j H" ll k 522 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS taken on shore, and preparations were made to walk to what was supposed to be the nearest settlement, about ninety-five miles away. 7he journey was commenced September 19. The walking was extremely hard, the loads were heavy, and the men were feeble from their exposure and sufferings in the boat. An occasional rein- deer was killed, which eked out their scanty supplies of provisions. On the 3d of October there was nothing to eat, and the last dog was killed for food. A tew days later, one of the men, who had been badly frost-bitten and very ill for some time, died. As the party had nothing with which to dig a grave, the body was buried in the river. On the 9th the two men who finally reached home were sent in advance, to obtain relief if possible. On the loth the De Long party had nothing to eat but deer-skin scraps. On the 1 7th one of the men died, and at midnight of the 21st another was found dead. Part of divine service was read on Sunday the 23d. Upon some days no entry was made. Upon others the death of one or more members of the part)- was recorded. The last entry was dated Sunday, October 30. It states that two men had died during the night and that another was dying. This left De Long, the surgeon, and one sailor, all of whom must have died soon after the record last named was made. The two seamen sent on by De Long endured the most terrible sufferings before they were rescued by some friendly natives. Life was sustained by eating their boot soles, burned bones, and pieces of their seal-skin clothes, in addition to a bird and an occasional fish. The natives took them to Bulun. A telegram was sent to Engineer Melville, who reached there on the 3d of November. w GREAT DISASTERS 523 After learning the direction in which De Long had pro- ceeded, he started for the Lena Delta. He obtained rec- ords from native hunters which enabled him to find the log-books and other articles which had been left on the shore. A long search, entailing great suffering, proved unavailing. As it was certain that the missing party had perished, and that nothing more could be done until a more favorable season opened and further supplies were obtained, Melville proceeded to Yakutsk. Early in spring the search was resumed, and on the 23d of March, 1882, the last camp of the party was found and the bodies of ten of the men who had died at that point. One of the men, as De Long's journal stated, had died in a boat, and the body had probably been swept into the river near which the camp was formed. A tomb was erected on a bluff, and the bodies, in a box which had been made for the purpose, were placed therein. A cross, twenty-two feet high, was erected. Upon this cross was the following inscription : " In Memory of 1 2 of The Officers And Men of The Arctic Steamer Jeannettc, who Died of Starvation In The Lena Delta, October, 188 1." This was followed by the names of the men who met this terrible fate. Afterward caskets were sent to Siberia, and the bodies were brought to the United States. After the separation of the boats in the gale of the 12th of September, Lieutenant Chipp and his party were never seen. There can be no doubt that the frail craft, with all on board, was engulfed in the sea. As whaling vessels returning from the North Pacific in 1879 brought no news of the Jeannette, and two ships of the whaling fleet which had been near where the explor- ing vessel was to go did not come back, the government 524 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS w: sent out the steamer Corwin to look after the seal fish- eries in Alaskan waters and also to search for the missing vessels. The Corwin sailed from San Francisco in May, 1880, and returned the following October. No trace of the vessels was found. In 1881 the government sent out three ships on the same errand. One of these was the Corwin, which sailed from San Francisco on the 4th of May and again returned in October. Evidence was ob- tained that the two whaling ships had been wrecked and their crews had perished. On the 1 6th of June the Rodgers sailed from San Francisco for Bering Strait. While in St. Lawrence Bay, late in November, the ship was burned. The offi- cers and crew were relieved by a whaling vessel. The steamer Alliance was sent to search between Greenland and Iceland, and along the coast of Norway and Sj^itzber- gen. She left Hampton Roads on the i6th of June and reached New York, on the return trip, on the nth of November. Although none oi these expeditions found traces of the yea7inette, a great amount of geographical and scientific knowled"e was obtained. In carrying out its part in an international plan for tak- ing observations in the Arctic regions, the United States established, in 1S81, two stations. One of these was located at Ooglaamic, near Point Barrow, in Alaska. The expedition was in charge of Lieutenant Ray, of the army, who sailed from San Francisco on the 18th of July, and reached his destination early in September. This party was recalled by an act of Congress, and reached San Francisco on the 2d of October, 1883. The other expedition had a terrible experience. It was sent to establish a station near Lady Franklin Bay. Ill GREAT DISASTERS 525 The objects in view were the making of explorations, the collection of animal, vegetable, and mineral specimens, and the taking of meteorological, magnetic, and other observations in accordance with the plan adopted bv the International Conference, to which the establishment of this station and the one in Alaska was due. Lieutenant A. W. Greely, of the army, was placed in charge of the party, which consisted of twenty-three men. Two Eskimos joined it at Upernavik. Very minute di- rections as to the work to be done, and the course to be pursued, were given by the government. A ship was to be sent each year with supplies, and depots of provisions were to be established at specified points. If the ships did not reach the station, Greely was to commence a retreat not later than September i, 1883. On the 7th of July, 1881, the party sailed from St. John's, Newfoundland, in the Proteus, a steamer which had been chartered for the purpose. At various points stops were made to procure dogs, obtain additional sup- plies, establish depots of provisions, and complete prepa- rations for a long sojourn in a desolate land. Littleton Island was reached on the 2d of August. Two days later, when only eight miles from the place of destination, progress was checked by ice. During the next few days the ship was driven back forty-five miles. On the loth the wind changed, and the next day the ship crossed Lady Franklin Bay. It was decided to locate where the English vessel, the Discovery, of the 1875 expe- dition, had wintered. With great difiiculty a passage was forced through the ice which had formed in the harbor. At a point about one hundred yards from the shore the ship anchored, and the work of unloading was com- 4i s \i .}' k MM ■f! 1 ' i 1 1. ! « I' ■if I f.tr Hi I iii . ' [J II 11 ,!■: : 526 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS menced. A house was constructed, and the station was named Fort Conger. After a delay of several days, occa- sioned by ice at the entrance to the harbor, the steamer started on her return voyage, which was made in safety. Two of the party, who did not appear able to endure the hardships of the service, returned in the ship. In accordance with the arrangement made when Greely was sent out, a vessel was despatched with supplies in 1882. This was the Neptune, which sailed from St. John's on the 8th of July, with William M. Beebe, a pri- vate in the general service, in charge. On account of ice and storms the station was not reached. Provisions were stored at various points and the ship returned. In 1883 the government sent out two ships, the Pro- teus and the Yantic, with supplies for Greely and his party. This expedition was commanded by Lieutenant Garlington, of the army. The Proteus, in which Gar- lington sailed, was a strong vessel well fitted for service in the ice. The Yantic, with Commander Wildes in charge, was a much smaller, weaker, and slower craft. The expedition left St. John's on the 29th of June. Godhavn was reached in safety. The Yantic was obliged to stay a few days for necessary repairs, and was then to go to Waigat Strait for coal. As soon as the weather permitted, the Proteus resumed the voyage, but soon encountered ice, was compelled to head toward the south, and was repeatedly turned from a direct course. At length Cape Sabine was reached, and the ship was anchored in Payer Harbor. Here the party remained four and a half hours. Whether the instructions were too indefinite, were misunderstood, or the commander of the expedition did not realize the vast importance of Ic.iving GREAT DISASTERS 5*7 a full supply of provisions at this point, which Greely and his men were almost sure to visit two months later if the ship failed to reach Lady Franklin Bay, cannot be told, but the opportunity for leaving supplies was not improved. Two small depots of provisions which had been formed by preceding parties were visited, and one of them was re- paired. Various magnetic and other observations were taken, and the work of the expedition at this point was closed. As the ice-pack appeared to have broken, the voyage was resumed in the evening. After proceeding about twenty miles, ice was again encountered. On the morn- ing of the 23d of July the situation was so perilous that an effort was made to return to the south; but in the afternoon the ship was hemmed in, and before nightfall it was crushed by enormous masses of ice. Early in the evening a change in the tide caused a movement of the ice which relieved the pressure, and the ship at once went down. When it became evident that the ship would be wrecked, the boats and a quantity of provisions were taken out. After the Proteus went down the crew took three of the boats and the relief party the other two. A small quantity of provisions and a few other stores were landed near Cape Sabine. One party, under Lieutenant Colwell, who had accompanied the expedition as a volun- teer, and had taken charge of the meteorological work, but who was not in authority, sailed across Melville Bay in hope of finding the Yantic. After being in their boat thirty-eight days, exposed to cold, encountering ice and tremendous gales, and covering a distance of eight hun- dred miles, the weary party arrived at Disco, where, to 528 EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS 1^' U\ h.^ ,* i \ , their inexpressible relief, they found the ship. Garlington anvd his party, including the crew of the Proteus, had kept along the shore and reached Upernavik on the 24th of August, only two days after the Yantic had left that port for fear of being frozen in. Immediately upon the arrival of Lieutenant Colwell, the Yantic returned to Upernavik, took Garlington and his men on board, and sailed for St. John's, where it arrived on the 13th of September. The season was so far advanced that it would be worse than useless to make further attempts to relieve Greely that year, but the government soon commenced prepara- tions for sending an expedition at the earliest moment it would be possible to enter the Arctic Sea. Two ships, the Thetis and the Bear, were purchased ; and the Alert, which had been used by Captain Nares in the expedition of 1875, was donated for the purpose by the British Gov- ernment. A steamer, the Loch Garry, was chartered at St. John's to carry a supply of coal to Littleton Island. Commander W. S. Schley, of the navy, was placed in charge of this expedition. The ships were fully equipped, and ofificers weie chosen and crews selected with ereat care. Provisions were taken for two years. To induce owners of whaling vessels to interest themselves in the case, Congress offered a reward of $25,000 for the rescue of the Greely expedition or conclusive information regard- ing its fate. On the 24th of April, 1884, the i9^«r sailed from New York. On May i the Thetis left the same port, and the Alert followed on May 10. The advance ships, the Thetis and the Bear, had much trouble with ice in Mel- ville Bay, but succeeded in reaching Littleton Island — the Thetis on the 21st, and the Bear on the 2 2d of June. GREAT DISASTERS 529 Finding that Greely had not reached the island, the ships at once proceeded toward Cape Sabine. Late in the afternoon of the 2 2d they were stopped by ice. Several parties were sent ashore, one of which soon dis- covered records of the missing explorers. The latest of these was dated October 21, 1883, and stated that full rations for only forty days remained. There seemed to be hardly a possibility that any of the party could have survived. Lieutenant Colwell, with a few others, pushed forward in a cutter, followed as soon as possible by the ships, to the site of the Greely camp, as stated in the papers that had been found. This was about five miles west of Cape Sabine. Fortunately, the wind had driven the ice from the shore, thus giving a free course. About nine o'clock in the evening Colwell and his party reached the camp. Here Greely and six of his men were found. The others had perished. All the sur- vivors were feeble; and several, including Greely, were almost at the point of death. They were given restora- tives and a little food, and, when somewhat revived, were taken aboard the ships. The bodies of thirteen of the dead were recovered. Of these, one, an Eskimo, was buried at Disco. The other twelve were taken to the United States. Five bodies that had been buried at the camp had been swept into the sea. Besides the seventeen men who had died of starvation, one had been drowned while endeavoring to procure food, and one who was rescued had been so badly frost-bitten, and was so reduced by exposure and want of food, that he died on the homeward journey. Greely and his men abandoned Fort Conger August 9, 1883, were adrift on ice for thirty days, and were com- 34 II >r I Pi fif L . 'II ' .! i ji'^ ( '■ 53° EARLIER ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS pelled to abandon their boats before they reached the spot where the final camp was made, and where they remained from October 21, 1883, until June 22, 1884. During the winter gales were numerous, and great quan- tities of ice were driven through the channel, thus pre- venting its freezing over and thereby cutting off the party from the supplies of food which were stored on Littleton Island. The Thetis, Bear, and Loch Garry reached St. John's on July 17, 1884, and the Alert arrived on the following day. About a week later the three vessels which be- longed to the government sailed for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where they arrived on the ist of August Here the party was received by the Secretary of the Navy and other prominent officials, and a public recep- tion was given. On the 8th of August the ships reached New York. Officers of the army and navy were pres- ent, and the relief expedition was received with imposing ceremonies. While the station was maintained at Fort Conirer much was done in the way of exploration, and some valuable discoveries were made. A party under Lieutenant Lockwood reached latitude ^-^ 24', a point farther north than had been gained by civilized man, and which was not again attained until the intrepid Nansen made his splendid effort to reach the Pole. Such, in brief, is the history of many of the principal expeditions to the Arctic regions, from the time of the early sea rovers, who were animated by the spirit of adventure as well as by curiosity, down to the return of the survivors of the Greely party, which went out in the interests of science and diooovery. The daring deeds and GREAT DISASTERS described m the earlier part of this volume The history o£ these Arctic explorations is a record of m gnificent courage, unswerving devotion, and splendid a hievement. The world does well to honor the hero s who have done so much to extend its commerce nd 2 .t a knowledge of the character and condition of v s egions. which, but for their efforts, would hav remained unknown.