Farthest north; being the record of a voyage of exploration of the ship "Fram" 1893-96 and of a fifteen month's sleigh journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen

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Chapter I We Prepare For The Sledge Expedition

Who are to be the two members of the expedition ? Sverdrup and I have tested each other before at this sort of work, and we could manage very well; but we cannot both leave the Fram : that is perfectly clear without further argument. One of us must remain behind to take on himself the responsibility of bringing the others home in safety; but it is equally clear that one of us two must conduct the sledge expedition, as it is we who have the necessary experience. Sverdrup has a great desire to go ; but I cannot think otherwise than that there is more risk in leaving the Fram than in remaining on board her. Consequently if I were to let him go, I should be transferring to him the more dangerous task, while keeping the easier one to jnyself. If he perished, should I ever be able to forgive myself for letting him go, even if it was at his own desire ? He is nine years older than I am ; I should certainly feel it

II.— I to be a very uncomfortable responsibility. And as regards our comrades, which of us would it be most to their interest to keep on board ? I think they have confidence in both of us, and I think either of us would be able to take them home in • safe;ty, wh-ether with or without the Fram. But the ship is his especial charge, while on me rests the conduct o£ the wLple, and especially of the scientific investigations ; so that I ought to undertake the task in which important discoveries are to be made. Those wlio remain with the ship will be able, as aforesaid, to carry on the observations which are to be made on board. It is my duty therefore, to go, and his to remain behind: . He, too, thinks this reasonable.

I have chosen Johansen to be. my companion, and he is in all respects well qualified for that work. He is an accomplished snow-shoer, and few can equal his powers of endurance — a fine fellow, physically and mentally. I have not yet asked him, but think of doing so soon, in order that he may be prepared betimes. • Blessing, and Hansen also would, certainly be all eagerness to accompany me ; but Hansen must remain behind to take charge of the observations, and Blessing cannot desert his post as doctor. Several of the others, too, would do quite well, and would, I doubt not, be willinoenough.

This expedition to the north, then, is provisionally decided on. I shall see what the winter will brino- us. Light permitting, I should prefer to start in February.

HJALMAR JOHANSEN

{From a photograph taken ui December^

"Sunday, November i8th. It seems as if I could not properly realize the idea that I am really to set out, and that in three months' time. Sometimes I delude myself with charming dreams of my return home after toil and victory, and then all is clear and bright. Then these are succeeded by thoughts of the uncertainty and deceptiveness of the future and what may be lurking in it, and my dreams fade away like the northern lights, pale and colorless.

" Ugh ! These everlasting cold fits of doubt ! Before every decisive resolution the dice of death must be thrown. Is there too much to venture, and too little to gain 1 There is more to be gained, at all events, than there is here. Then is it not my duty .? Besides, there is only one to whom I am responsible, and she . . .1 I shall come back, I know it. I have strength enough for the task. ' Be thou true unto death, and thou shalt inherit the crown of life.'

" We are oddly constructed machines. At one moment all resolution, at the next all doubt. . . . To-day our intellect, our science, all our ' Leben und Treiben,' seem but a pitiful Philistinism, not worth a pipe of tobacco ; to-morrow we throw ourselves heart and soul into these very researches, consumed with a burning thirst, to absorb everything into ourselves, longing to spy out fresh paths, and fretting impatiently at our inability to solve the problem fully and completely. Then down we sink again in disgust at the worthlessness of it all.

"'As a grain of dust on the balance is the whole world; as a drop of morning dew that falls on the o-round.' If man has two souls, which then is the right one ?

" It is nothing new to suffer from the fact that our knowledge can be but fragmentary, that we can never fathom what lies behind. But suppose, now, that we could reckon it out, that the inmost secret of it all lay as clear and plain to us as a rule-of-three sum, should we be any the happier.? Possibly just the reverse. Is it not in the struggle to attain knowledge that happiness consists.? I am very ignorant, consequently the conditions of happiness are mine.

" Let me fill a soothing pipe and be happy.

" No, the pipe is not a success. Twist tobacco is not delicate enough for airy dreams. Let me get a cigar. Oh, if one had a real Havana!

" H'm ! as if dissatisfaction, longing, suffering, were not the very basis of life. Without privation there would be no struggle, and without struggle no life, that is as certain as that two and two make four. And now the struggle is to begin ; it is looming yonder in the north. Oh, to drink delight of battle in long, deep draughts ! Battle means life, and behind it victory beckons us on.

" I close my eyes. I hear a voice singing to me :

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"'In amongst the fragrant birch.

In amongst the flowers' perfume, Deep into the pine-wood's church.'

"Monday, November 19th. Confounded affectation all this Weltschmerz ; yoU have no right to be anything but a happy man. And if you feel out of spirits, it ought to cheer you up simply to go on deck and look at these seven puppies that come frisking and springing about you, and are ready to tear you to pieces in sheer enjoyment of life. Life is sunshine to them, though the sun has long since gone, and they live on deck beneath a tent, so that they cannot even see the stars. There is ' Kvik,' the mother of the family, among them, looking, so plump and contented as she wags her tail. Have you not as much reason to be happy as they ? Yet they too have their misfortunes. The afternoon of the day before yesterday, as I was sitting at work, I heard the mill going round and round, and Peter taking food to the puppies, which, as usual, had a bit of a fight over the meat-pan ; and it struck me that the axle of the mill whirling unguarded on the deck was an extremely dangerous affair for them. Ten minutes later I heard a dog howling, a more long-drawn, uncomfortable kind of howl than was usual when they were fighting, and at the same moment the mill slowed down. I rushed out. There I saw a puppy right in the axle, whirling round with it and howling piteously, so that it cut one to the soul. Bentzen was hanging on to the brake-rope, hauling at it with all his might and main ; but still the mill went round. My first idea was to seize an axe that was lying there to put the dog out of its misery, its cries were so heartrending ; but on second thoughts I hurried on to help Bentzen, and we got the mill stopped. At the same moment Mogstad also came up, and while we held the mill he managed to set the puppy free. Apparently there was still some life in it, and he set to work to rub it gently and coax it. The hair of its coat had somehow or other got frozen on to the smooth steel axle, and the poor beast had been swung round and bumped on the deck at every revolution of the wheel. At last it actually raised its head, and looked round in a dazed way. It had made a good many revolutions, so that it is no wonder if it found some difficulty in getting its bearings at first. Then it raised itself on its fore-paws, and I took it aft to the half-deck and stroked and patted it. Soon it got on all four legs again, and began shambling about, without knowing where it was going.

" ' It is a good thing it was caught by the hair,' said Bentzen, ' I thought it was hanging fast by its tongue, as the other one did.' Only think of being fixed by the tongue to a revolving axle — the mere notion makes one shudder! I took the poor thing down into the saloon and did all I could for it. It soon got all right ao-ain, and began playing with its companions as before. A strange life to rummage about on deck in the dark and cold; but whenever one goes up with a lantern they come tearing round, stare at the light, and begin bounding and dancing and gambolling with each other round it, like children round a Christmas-tree. This goes on day after day, and they have never seen anything else than this deck with a tarpaulin over it, not even the clear blue sky ; and we men have never seen anything else than this earth !

" The last step over the bridge of resolution has now been taken. In the forenoon I explained the whole matter to Johansen in pretty much the same terms as I have used above ; and then I expatiated on the difificulties that might occur, and laid strong emphasis on the dangers one must be prepared to encounter. It was a serious matter — a matter of life or death — this one must not conceal from one's self. He must think the thing well over before determining whether he would accompany me or not. If he was willing to come I should be glad to have him with me; but I would rather, I said, he should take a day or two to think it well over before he gave me his answer. He did not need any time for reflection, he said ; he was quite willing to go. Sverdrup had long ago mentioned the possibility of such an expedition, and he had thought it well over, and made up his mind that if my choice should fall on him he would take it as a great favor to be permitted to accompany me. ' I don't know whether you'll be satisfied with this answer, or whether you would like me still to think it over ; but I should certainly never change my mind.' ' No, if you have already thought it seriously over — thought what risks you expose yourself to — the chance, for instance, that neither of us may ever see the face of man again — and if you have reflected that even if we get through safe and. sound you must necessarily face a great deal of hardship on an expedition like this — if you have made up your mind to all this I don't insist on your reflecting any longer about it.' ' Yes, that I have.' ' Well, then, that is settled. To-morrow we shall begin our preparations for the trip. Hansen must see about appointing another meteorological assistant.'

" Tuesday, November 20th. This evening I delivered an address to the whole ship's company, in which I announced the determination that had been arrived at, and explained to them the projected expedition. First of all, I briefly went through the whole theory of our undertaking, and its history from the beginning, laying stress on the idea on which my plans had been built up — namely, that a vessel which got frozen in north of Siberia must drift across the Polar Sea and out into the Atlantic, and must pass somewhere or other north of Franz Josef Land and between it and the Pole. The object of the expedition was to accomplish this drift across the unknown sea, and to pursue investigations there. I pointed out to them that these investigations would be of equal importance whether the expedition actually passed across the Pole itself or at some distance from it. Judging from our experiences hitherto, we could not en-

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tertain any doubt that the expedition would solve the problem it had set before it ; everything had up to the present gone according to our anticipations, and it was to be hoped and expected that this would continue to be the case for the remainder of the voyage. We had, therefore, every prospect of accomplishing the principal part of our task ; but then the question arose whether more could not be accomplished, and thereupon I proceeded to explain, in much the same terms as I have used above, how this might be effected by an expedition northward.

" I had the impression that every one was deeply interested in the projected expedition, and that they all thought it most desirable that it should be attempted. The greatest objection, I think, they would have urged against it, had they been asked, would have been that they themselves could not take part in it. I impressed on them, however, that while it was unquestionably a fine thing to push on as far as possible towards the north, it was no whit less honorable an undertaking to bring the Fram safe and sound right through the Polar Sea, and out on the other side ; or if not the Fram, at all events themselves without any loss of life. This done, we might say, without fear of contradiction, that it was well done. I think they all saw the force of this, and were satisfied. So now the die is cast, and I must believe that this expedition will really take place."

So we set about our preparations for it in downright earnest. I have already mentioned that at the end of the summer I had begun to make a kayak for a single man, the frame of which was of bamboo carefully lashed together. It was rather slow work, and took several weeks, but it turned out both light and strong. When completed the frame-work weighed i6 pounds. It was afterwards covered with sail-cloth by Sverdrup and Blessing, when the whole boat weighed 30 pounds. After finishing this I had intrusted Mogstad with the task of building a similar one. Johansen and I now set to work to make a cover for it. These kayaks were 3.70 metres (12 feet) long, about 0.7 metre (28 inches) wide in the middle, and one was 30 centims. (12 inches) and the other 38 centims. (15 inches) deep. This is considerably shorter and wider than an ordinary Eskimo kayak, and consequently these boats were not so light to propel through the water. But as they were chiefly intended for crossing over channels and open spaces in the ice, and coasting along possible land, speed was not of much importance. The great thing was that the boats should be strong and light, and should be able to carry, in addition to ourselves, provisions and equipments for a considerable time. If we had made them longer and narrower, besides being heavier they would have been more exposed to injury in the course of transport over the uneven ice. As the\^ were built they proved admirably adapted for our purpose. When we loaded them with care we could stow away in them provisions and equipment for three months at least for ourselves, besides a good deal of food for the dogs; and we could, moreover, carry a dog or two on the deck.

In other respects they were essentially like the Eskimo kayaks, full decked, save for an aperture in the middle for a man to sit in. This aperture was encircled by a wooden ring, after the Eskimo fashion, over which we could slip the lower part of our sealskin jackets, specially adjusted for this purpose, so that the junction between boat and jacket was water-tight. When these jackets were drawn tight round the wrists and face the sea might sweep right over us without a drop of water coming into the kayak. We had to provide ourselves with such boats in case of having to cross open stretches of sea on our way to Spitzbergen, or, if we chose the other route, between Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. Besides this aperture in the middle, there were small trap-doors fore and aft in the deck, to enable us to put our hands in and stow the provisions, and also get things out more readily, without having to take out all the freight through the middle aperture, in case what we wanted lay at either extremity. These trap-doors, however, could be closed so as to be quite water-tight. To make the canvas quite impervious to water, the best plan would have been to have sized it, and then painted it externally with ordinary oil paint ; but, on the one hand, it was very difficult to do this work in the extreme cold (in the hold the temperature was —20° C, —4° Fahr.), and, on the other hand, I was afraid the paint might render the canvas too hard and brittle, and apt to have holes knocked in it during transport over the ice. Therefore I preferred to steep it in a mixture of parafifin and tallow, which added somewhat to the weight of the kayaks, so that altogether they came to weigh about 36 pounds apiece.

I had, moreover, some hand -sledges made especially for this expedition ; they were supple and strong, designed to withstand the severe tests to which an expedition with dogs and heavy freights over the uneven drift-ice would necessarily expose them. Two of these sledges were about the same length as the kayaks — that is, 12 feet. I also made several experiments with respect to the clothes we should wear, and was especially anxious to ascertain whether it would do to go in our thick wolfskin garments, but always came to the conclusion that they were too warm. Thus, on November 29th I write : " Took another walk northward in my wolfskin dress ; but it is still too mild (-37.6° C). I sweated like a horse, though I went fasting and quite gently. It is rather heavy going now in the dark when one cannot use snow-shoes. I wonder when it will be cold enough to use this dress."

On December 9th again we went out on snow-shoes. " It was -41° C. (-41.8° Fahr.). Went in wolfskin dress, but the perspiration poured down our backs enough to turn a mill. Too warm yet ; goodness knows if it ever will be cold enough."

Of course, we made some experiments with the tent and with the cooking apparatus. On December 7th I write : " I pitched the silk tent we are going to take, and used our cooking apparatus in it. From repeated trials it appeared that from ice of —35" C (—31° Fahr.), we boiled 3 litres of .water (5^ pints), and at the same time melted 5 litres (8f pints) in an hour and a half, with a consumption of about 120 grammes of snowflake petroleum. Next day we boiled 2\ litres of water (over 4 pints), and melted 22 litres in one hour with 100 grammes of snowflake petroleum. Yesterday we made about two litres of excellent oatmeal porridge, and at the same time got some half-melted ice and a little v/ater in little over half an hour, with 50 grarnmes of snowflake petroleum. Thus there will be no very great consumption of fuel in the day."

Then I made all kinds of calculations and computations in order to find out what would be the most advantageous kind of provisions for our expedition, where it was of the greatest moment that the food both for dogs and men should be nutritious, and yet should not weigh more than was absolutely necessary. Later on, in the list of our equipments, I shall give the final result of my deliberations on this matter. Besides all this, we had, of course, to consider and test the instruments to be taken with us, and to go into many other matters, which, though perhaps trifles in themselves, were yet absolutely necessary. It is on the felicitous combination of all these trifles that ultimate success depends.

We two passed the greater portion of our time in these preparations, which also kept many of the others pretty busy during the winter. Mogstad, for instance, found steady employment in making sledges and fitting them with runners, etc. Sverdrup busied himself in making sleeping-bags and many other things. Juell was appointed dog-tailor, and when he was not busy in the galley, his time was devoted to taking the measurements of the dogs, making harness for them and testing it. Blessing, too, fitted up for us a small, light medicine-chest, containing selected drugs, bandages, and such other things as might be of use. One man was constantly employed in copying out all our journals and scientific observations, etc., etc., on thin paper in a contracted form, as I wanted, by way of doubly assuring their preservation, to take a copy of them along with me. Hansen was occupied in preparing tabular forms necessary for our observations, curves of the movement of our chronometers, and other such things. Besides this, he was to make a complete chart of our voyage and drifting up to the present time.

I could not, however, lay too great a claim on his valuable time, as it was necessary that he should continue his scientific observations without interruption. During this autumn he had greatly increased the comfort of his work by building, along with Johansen, an observation-hut of snow, not unlike an Eskimo cabin. He found himself very much at his ease in it, with a petroleum lamp hanging from the roof, the light of which, being reflected by the white snow walls, made quite a

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brilliant show. Here he could manipulate his instruments quietly and comfortably, undisturbed by the biting wind outside. He thought it quite warm there, too, when he could get the temperature up to something like 20° below freezing-point, so that he was able without much inconvenience to adjust his instruments with bare hands. Here he worked away indefatigably at his observations day after day, watching the often mysterious movements of the magnetic needle, which would sometimes give him no end of trouble. One day — it was November 24th — he came into supper a little after 6 o'clock quite alarmed and said, " There has just been a singular inclination of the needle to 24", and, remarkably enough, its northern extremity pointed to the east. I cannot remember ever having heard of such an inclination." He also had several others of about 15°. At the same time, through the opening into his observatory he noticed that it was unusually light out-of-doors, and that not only the ship, but the ice in the distance, was as plainly visible as if it had been full moonlight. No aurora, however, could be discerned through the thick clouds that covered the sky. It would appear, then, that this unusual inclination^ was in some way connected with the northem_Jights, though it was to the east and not to the west, as usual. There could be no question of any disturbance of the floe on which we were lying; for everything had been perfectly still and quiet, and it is inconceivable that a disturbance which could cause such a remarkable oscillation of two points and back again in so short a space of time should not have been noticed and heard on board. This theory, therefore, is entirely excluded, and the whole matter seems to me, for the present, to be incomprehensible. Blessing and I at once went on deck to look at the sky. Certainly it was so light that we could see the lanes in the ice astern quite plainly; but there was nothing remarkable in, that, it happened often enough.

" Friday, November 30th. I found a bear's track on the ice in front of our bow. The bear had come from the east, trotting very gently along the lane, on the newly frozen ice, but he must have been scared by something or other ahead of the vessel, as he had gone off again with long strides in the same direction in which he had come. Strange that living creatures should be roaming about in this desert. What can they have to do here ? If only one had such a stomach one could at least stand a journey to the Pole and back without a meal. We shall probably have him back again soon — that is, if I understand his nature aright — and then perhaps he will come a little closer, so that we may have a good look at him.*

" I paced the lane in front of the port bow. It was 348 paces across, and maintained the same width for a considerable distance eastward ; nor can it be much

=f He did not return, after all.

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narrower for a great distance to the west. Now, when one bears in mind that the lane behind us is also of considerable width, it is rather consoling, after all, to think that the ice does permit of such large openings. There must be room enough to drift, if we only get wind — wind which will never come. On the whole, November has been an uncommonly wretched month. Driven back instead of forward — and yet this month was so good last year. But one can never rely on the seasons in this dreadful sea ; taking all in all, perhaps, the winter will not be a bit better than the summer. Yet, it surely must improve — I cannot believe otherwise.

" The skies are clouded with a thick veil, through which the stars barely glisten. It is darker than usual, and in this eternal night we drift about, lonely and forsaken, 'for the whole world was filled with a shining light and undisturbed activity. Above those men alone brooded nought but depressing night — an image of that gloom which was soon to swallow them up.'

" This dark, deep, silent void is like the mysterious, unfathomable well into which you look for that something which you think must be there, only to meet the reflec- :tion of your own eyes. Ugh! the worn-out thoughts you can never get rid of become in the end very wearisome company. Is there no means of fleeing from one's self, to grasp one single thought — only a single one, which lies outside one's self — is there no way except death.'' But death is certain ; one day it will come, silent and majestic; it will open Nirvana's mighty portal, and we shall be swept away into the sea of eternity.

" Sunday, December 2d. Sverdrup has now been ill for some days; during the last day or two he has been laid up in his berth, and is still there. I trust it is nothing serious ; he himself thinks nothing of it, nevertheless it is very disquieting. Poor fellow, he lives entirely on oatmeal gruel. It is an intestinal catarrh, which he probably contracted through catching cold on the ice. I am afraid he has been rather careless in this respect. However, he is now improving, so that probably it will soon pass off ; but it is a warning not to be over-confident. I went for a long walk this morning along the lane; it is quite a large one, extending a good way to the east, and being of considerable breadth at some points. It is only after walking for a while on the newly frozen ice, where walking is as easy and comfortable as on a well - trodden path, and then coming up to the snow-covered surface of the old ice again, that one thoroughly appreciates for the first time what it means to go without snow-shoes ; the difference is something marvellous. Even if I have not felt warm before, I break out into a perspiration after going a short distance over the rough ice. But what can one do t One cannot use snow-shoes ; it is so dark that it is difficult enough to grope one's way about with ordinary boots, and even then one stumbles about or slips down between great blocks of ice.

" I am now reading the various English stories of the polar expeditions during the Franklin period, and the search for him, and I must admit I am filled with admiration for these men and the amount of labor they expended. The English nation, truly, has cause to be proud of them. I remember reading these stories as a lad, and all my boyish fancies were strangely thrilled with longing for the scener)^ and the scenes which were displayed before me. I am reading them now as a man, after having had a little experience myself; and now, when my mind is uninfluenced by romance, I bow in admiration. There was grit in men like Parry, Franklin, James Ross, Richardson, and last, but not least, in M'Clintock, and, indeed, in all the rest. How well was their equipment thought out and arranged, with the means they had at their disposal ! Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. Most of what I prided myself upon, and what I thought to be new, I find they had anticipated. M'Clintock used the same thing forty years ago. It was not their fault that they were born in a country where the use of snow-shoes is unknown, and where snow is scarcely to be found throughout the whole winter. Nevertheless, despite the fact that they had to gain their experience of snow and snow travel during their sojourn up here ; despite the fact that they were without snow-shoes and had to toil on as best they could wi*h sledges with narrow runners over uneven snow -covered drift-ice — what distances did they not cover, what fatigues and trials did they not endure ! No one has surpassed and scarcely any one approached them, unless, perhaps, the Russians on the Siberian coast; but then they have the great advantage of being natives of a country where snow is not uncommon.