 CHAPTER II. PREPARATIONS AND EQUIPMENT Foolhardy as the scheme appeared to some, it received powerful support from the Norwegian Government and the King of Norway. A bill was laid before the Storting for a grant of 11,250 pounds, 200,000 kroner, or two-thirds of the estimated cost. The remaining third I hoped to be able to raise from private sources, as I had already received promises of support from many quarters. On June 30, 1890, the amount demanded was voted by the Storting, which thereby expressed its wish that the expedition should be a Norwegian one. In January 1891, Mr. Thomas Fernley, Consul Axel Heiberg, and Mr. Elefringnes set to work to collect the further sum required, and in a few days the amount was subscribed. His Majesty King Oscar gave 1,125 pounds, 20,000 kroner, while private individuals in Norway gave as follows. Consul Axel Heiberg, 562 pounds, 10 shillings. Ditto later, 393 pounds, 15 shillings. Mr. Anton Christian Heuen, 1,125 pounds. Mr. A. Dick Hovick, 281 pounds, 5 shillings. Ditto later, 393 pounds, 15 shillings. Mr. Thomas Fernley, Merchant, 281 pounds, 5 shillings. Ditto later, 56 pounds, 5 shillings. Mr. E. Sundt, Merchant, Bergen, 281 pounds, 5 shillings. Consul Westy Heiberg, 562 pounds, 10 shillings. Mr. Halver Show, 281 pounds, 5 shillings. Baron Harald Wettel Gjarlsberg, and C. Jovenschold, Minister of State, 562 pounds, 10 shillings. Consul Nicolai H. Knudsen, Christian Sundt, 281 pounds, 5 shillings. Among foreign contributors may be mentioned the Royal Geographical Society of London which showed its sympathy with the undertaking by subscribing 300 pounds sterling. Baron Oscar Dixon provided at his own cost the electric installation, dynamo, accumulators, and conductors. As the work of equipment proceeded it appeared the first estimate was not sufficient. This was especially due to the ship which was estimated to cost 8,437 pounds, 10 shillings, 150,000 kroner, but which came to nearly double that sum. Where so much was at stake I did not think it right to study the cost too much if it seemed that a little extra outlay could ensure the successful result of the expedition. The three gentlemen who had taken the lead in the first collection, Mr. Thomas Furnley, Consul Axel Heiberg, and Mr. Elefringnes undertook at my request to constitute themselves the committee of the expedition and to take charge of its pecuniary affairs. In order to cover a portion of the deficiency they, together with certain members of the Council of the Geographical Society, set on foot another private subscription all over the country, while the same society at a later period headed a national subscription. By these means about 956 pounds five shillings was collected in all. I had further to petition the Norwegian Storting for an additional sum of 4,500 pounds when our National Assembly again gave proof of its sympathy with the undertaking by granting the amount named June 9th, 1890. Finally, Consul Axel Heiberg and Mr. Dick subscribed an additional 337 pounds ten shillings each, while I myself made up the deficiency that still remained on the eve of our departure. Statement of accounts of the expedition on its setting out 1893 income. State grant 280,000 Kroner. His Majesty the King and original private subscribers 105,000 Kroner. Private subscription of the Geographical Society 12,781 Kroner, 23 Ora. National subscription 2,200 Kroner 23 Ora. Interest accrued 9,729 Kroner, 78 Ora. Guaranteed by private individuals 5,400 Kroner. Deficit covered by A. Heiberg and A. Dick 12,000 Kroner. Ditto F. Nansen 5,400 Kroner. Geographical Society London 300 pounds. H. Simon Manchester 100 pounds. A Norwegian Enriga 1000 rubles and others 9,278 Kroner 62 Ora. Total 444,339 Kroner 36 Ora. Nearly 25,000 pounds. Expenditure. Wages account 46,440 Kroner. Life insurance premiums of married participators 5,361 Kroner 90 Ora. Instruments account 12,978 Kroner and a total of 1,000 Kroner 68 Ora. Ship account 271,927 Kroner 8 Ora. Provisions account 39,172 Kroner 98 Ora. Expenses account 10,612 Kroner 38 Ora. Equipment account 57,846 Kroner 34 Ora. Total 44,000 339 Kroner 36 Ora. It will be evident from the plan above expounded that the most important point in the equipment of our expedition was the building of the ship that was to carry us through the dreaded ice regions. The construction of this vessel was accordingly carried out with greater care probably than has been devoted to any ship that has hitherto plowed the Arctic waters. I found in the well-known shipbuilder Colin Archer, a man who thoroughly understood the task I set him, and who concentrated all his skill, foresight, and rare thoroughness upon the work. We must gratefully recognize that the success of the expedition was in no small degree due to this man. If we turn our attention to the long list of former expeditions and to their equipments, it cannot but strike us that scarcely a single vessel had been built specially for the purpose. In fact, the majority of explorers have not even provided themselves with vessels which were originally intended for ice navigation. This is the more surprising when we remember the sums of money that have been lavished on the equipment of some of these expeditions. The fact is, they have generally been in such a hurry to set out, there has been no time to devote to a more careful equipment. In many cases indeed, preparations were not begun until a few months before the expedition sailed. The present expedition, however, could not be equipped in so short a time, if the voyage itself took three years, the preparations took no less time, while the scheme was conceived thrice three years earlier. Plan after plan did archer make of the projected ship. One model after another was prepared and abandoned. Fresh improvements were constantly being suggested. The form we finally adhered to may seem to many people by no means beautiful, but that it is well adapted to the ends in view I think our expedition has fully proved. What was especially aimed at was, as mentioned on page thirty, to give the ship such sides that it could readily be hoisted up during ice pressure without being crushed between the flows. Greeley, Dara's, etc., etc., are certainly right in saying that this is nothing new. I relied here simply on the sad experiences of earlier expeditions. What, however, may be said to be new is the fact that we not only realized that the ship ought to have such a form, but that we gave it that form, as well as the necessary strength for resisting great ice pressure, and that this was the guiding idea in the whole work of construction. Colin Archer is quite right in what he says in an article in the Norse Tidschrift for Sovenson, 1892. When one bears in mind what is, so to speak, the fundamental idea of Dr. Nansen's plan in his North Pole expedition, it will readily be seen that a ship which is to be built with exclusive regard to its suitability for this object must differ essentially from any other previously known vessel. In the construction of the ship two points must be especially studied. One, that the shape of the hull be such as to offer as small a vulnerable target as possible to the attacks of the ice, and two, that it be built so solidly as to be able to withstand the greatest possible pressure from without in any direction whatsoever. And thus she was built, more attention being paid to making her a safe and warm stronghold while drifting in the ice than to endowing her with speed or good sailing qualities. As above stated, our aim was to make the ship as small as possible. The reason of this was that a small ship is, of course, lighter than a large one and can be made stronger in proportion to her weight. A small ship too is better adapted for navigation among the ice. It is easier to handle her in critical moments and to find a safe berth for her between the packing ice flows. I was of opinion that a vessel of 170 tons register would suffice. But the Fram is considerably larger, 402 tons gross and 307 tons net. It was also our aim to build a short vessel which could thread her way easily among the flows, especially as great lengths would have been a source of weakness when ice pressure set in. But in order that such a ship which has, more over, very sloping sides shall possess the necessary carrying capacity, she must be broad, and her breadth is, in fact, about a third of her length. Another point of importance was to make the sides as smooth as possible, without projecting edges, while plain surfaces were as much as possible avoided in the neighborhood of the most vulnerable points, and the hull assumed a plump and rounded form. Bow, stern, and keel all were rounded off so that the ice should not be able to get a grip of her anywhere. For this reason, too, the keel was sunk in the planking, so that barely three inches protruded and its edges were rounded. The object was that the hull craft should be able to slip like an eel out of the embraces of the ice. The hull was made pointed fore and aft, and somewhat resembles a pilot boat minus the keel and the sharp, garbored strakes. Both ends were made specially strong. The stem consists of three stout oak beams, one inside the other, forming an aggregate thickness of four feet, one and a quarter meters, of solid oak. Inside the stem are fitted solid breast hooks of oak and iron to bind the ship sides together, and from these breast hooks stays are placed against the pall bit. The bow is protected by an iron stem, and across it are fitted transverse bars which run some small distance backwards on either side as is usual in sealers. The stern is of a special and somewhat peculiar construction. On either side of the rudder and propeller posts, which are sided twenty-four inches, sixty-five centimeters, is fitted a stout oak counter timber following the curvature of the stern right up to the upper deck and forming, so to speak, a double stern post. The planking is carried outside these timbers and the stern protected by heavy iron plates wrought outside the planking. Between these two counter timbers there is a well for the screw and also one for the rudder, through which they can both be hoisted up on deck. It is usual in sealers to have the screw arranged in this way, so that it can easily be replaced by a spare screw should it be broken by the ice. But such an arrangement is not usual in the case of the rudder, and while with our small crew and with the help of the capstan we could hoist the rudder on deck in a few minutes in case of any sudden ice pressure or the like, I have known it takes sealers with a crew of over sixty men several hours or even a whole day to ship a fresh rudder. The stern is on the hull, the achilles heel of ships in the polar seas. Here the ice can easily inflict great damage, for instance by breaking the rudder. To guard against this danger our rudder was placed so low down as not to be visible above water, so that if a flow should strike the vessel aft it would break its force against the strong stern part and could hardly touch the rudder itself. As a matter of fact notwithstanding the violent pressures we met with we never suffered any injury in this respect. Everything was of course done to make the sides of the ship as strong as possible. The frame timbers were of choice Italian oak that had originally been intended for the Norwegian Navy and had lain under cover at Horton for thirty years. They were all grown to shape and ten to eleven inches thick. The frames were built in two courses or tiers closely wrought together and connected by bolts some of which were riveted. Over each joint flat iron bands were placed. The frames were about twenty-one inches fifty-six centimeters wide and were placed close together with only about an inch or an inch and a half between. And these interstices were filled with pitch and sawdust mixed from the keel to a little distance above the water line in order to keep the ship moderately watertight even should the outer skin be chafed through. The outside planking consists of three layers. The inner one is of oak three inches thick fastened with spikes and carefully caulked. Outside this another oak sheathing four inches thick fastened with through bolts and caulked and outside these comes the ice skin of Greenheart which like the other planking runs right down to the keel. At the water line it is six inches thick gradually diminishing towards the bottom to three inches. It is fastened with nails and jagged bolts and not with through bolts so that if the ice had stripped off the whole of the ice sheathing the hull of the ship would not have suffered any great damage. The lining inside the frame timbers is of pitch pine planks some four some eight inches thick. It was also carefully caulked once or twice. The total thickness of the ship's sides is therefore from twenty four to twenty eight inches of solid watertight wood. It will readily be understood that such a ship's side with its rounded form would of itself offer a very good resistance to the ice. To make it still stronger the inside was short up in every possible way so that the hold looks like a cobweb of bulk stanchions and braces. In the first place there are two rows of beams the upper deck and between decks principally of solid oak partly also of pitch pine and all of these are further connected with each other as well as with the sides of the ship by numerous supports. The accompanying diagrams will show how they are arranged. The diagonal stays are of course placed as nearly as possible at right angles to the sides of the ship so as to strengthen them against external pressure and to distribute its force. The vertical stanchions between both tiers of beams and between the lower beams and kielsen are admirably adapted for this latter object. All are connected together with strong knees and iron fastenings so that the hole becomes as if it were a single coherent mass. It should be borne in mind that while in former expeditions it was thought sufficient to give a couple of beams amidships some extra strengthening every single cross beam in the from was stayed in the manner described and depicted. In the engine room there was of course no space for supports in the middle but in their place two stay ends were fixed on either side. The beams of the lower deck were placed a little under the water line where the ice pressure would be the severest. In the after hold these beams had to be raised a little to give room for the engine. The upper deck aft therefore was somewhat higher than the main deck and the ship had a poop or half deck under which were the cabins for all the members of the expedition and also the cooking galley. Strong iron riders were worked in for the whole length of the ship in the spaces between the beams extending in one length from the clamp under the upper deck nearly to the kielsen. The kielsen was in two tiers and about thirty one inches eighty centimeters high saving in the engine room where the height of the room only allows one tier. The keel consists of two heavy American elm logs fourteen inches square but as has been mentioned so built in that only three inches protrude below the outer planking. The sides of the hull are rounded downwards to the keel so that a transverse section at the midship frame reminds one forcibly of half a coconut cut in two. The higher the ship is lifted out of the water the heavier does she of course become and the greater her pressure on the ice but for the above reason the easier also does it become for the ice to lift. To obviate much healing in case the hull should be lifted very high the bottom was made flat and this proved to be an excellent idea. I endeavored to determine experimentally the friction of ice against wood and taking into account the strength of the ship and the angle of her sides with the surface of the water I came to the conclusion that her strength must be many times sufficient to withstand the pressure necessary to lift her. This calculation was amply borne out by experience. The principal dimensions of the ship were as follows length of keel 102 feet length of waterline 113 feet length from stem to stern on deck 128 feet extreme breadth 36 feet breadth of waterline exclusive of ice skin 34 feet depth 17 feet draft of water with light cargo 12 and a half feet displacement with light cargo 530 tons with heavy cargo the draft is over 15 feet and the displacement is 800 tons there is a free board of about three feet six inches the hull with boilers filled was calculated to weigh about 420 tons and with 800 tons displacement there should therefore be spare carrying power for coal and other cargo to the amount of 380 tons thus in addition to the requisite provisions for dogs and men for more than five years we could carry coal for four months steaming at full speed which was more than sufficient for such an expedition as this as regards the rigging the most important object was to have it as simple and as strong as possible and at the same time so contrived as to offer the least possible resistance to the wind while the ship was under steam with our small crew it was moreover of the last importance that it should be easy to work from deck for this reason the from was rigged as a three-masted four and aft schooner several of our old Arctic skippers disapproved of this arrangement they had always been used to sail with square rigged ships and with the conservatism peculiar to their class were of opinion that what they had used was the only thing that could be used in the ice however the rig we chose was unquestionably the best for our purpose in addition to the ordinary four and aft sails we had two movable yards on the four mast for a square four sail and top sail as the yards were attached to a sliding trust they could easily be hauled down when not in use the ship's lower masts were tolerably high and massive the main mast was about 80 feet high the main top mast was 50 feet high and the crow's nest on the top was about 102 feet 32 meters above the water it was important to have this as high as possible so as to have a more extended view when it came to picking our way through the ice the aggregate sail area was about 6,000 square feet the ship's engine a triple expansion was made with particular care the work was done at the occurs mechanical factory and engineer Norbeck deserves a special credit for its construction with his quick insight he foresaw the various possibilities that might occur and took precautions against them the triple expansion system was chosen as being the most economical in the consumption of coal but as it might happen that one or other of the cylinders should get out of order it was arranged by means of separate pipes that any of the cylinders could be cut off and thus the other two or at a pinch even one alone could be used in this way the engine by the mere turning of a cock or two could be changed at will into a compound high pressure or low pressure engine although nothing ever went wrong with any of the cylinders this arrangement was frequently used with advantage by using the engine as a compound one we could for instance give the from greater speed for a short time and when occasion demanded we often took this means of forcing our way through the ice the engine was of 220 indicated horsepower and we could in calm weather with a light cargo attain of speed of six or seven knots the propellers of which we had two in reserve were two bladed and made of cast iron but we never used either the spare propellers or a spare rudder which we had with us our quarters lay as before mentioned a bathed under the half deck and were arranged so that the saloon which formed our dining room and drawing room was in the middle surrounded on all sides by the sleeping cabins these consisted of four state rooms with one birth a piece and two with four births the object of this arrangement was to protect the saloon from external cold but further the ceiling floors and walls were covered with several thick coatings of non conducting material the surface layer in touch with the heat of the cabin consisting of airtight linoleum to prevent the warm damp air from penetrating to the other side and depositing moisture which would soon turn to ice the sides of the ship were lined with tarred felt then came a space with cork padding next a deal paneling then a thick layer of felt next and airtight linoleum and last of all an inner paneling the ceiling of the saloon and cabins consisted of many different layers air felt deal paneling reindeer hair stuffing deal paneling linoleum air and deal paneling which with the four inch deck planks gave a total thickness of about fifteen inches to form the floor of the saloon cork padding six or seven inches thick was laid on the deck planks on this a thick wooden floor and above all linoleum the skylight which was most exposed to the cold was protected by three paints of glass one within the other and in various other ways one of the greatest difficulties of life on board ship which former arctic expeditions had had to contend with was that moisture collecting on the cold outside walls either froze at once or ran down in streams into the births and onto the floor thus it was not unusual to find the mattresses converted into more or less solid masses of ice we however by these arrangements entirely avoided such an unpleasant state of things and when the fire was lighted in the saloon there was not a trace of moisture on the walls even in the sleeping cabins in front of the saloon lay the cooks galley on either side of which was a companion leading to the deck as a protection against the cold each of these companion ways was fitted with four small solid doors consisting of several layers of wood with felt between all of which had to be passed through on going out and the more completely to exclude the cold air the thresholds of the doors were made more than ordinarily high on the half-deck over the cooks galley between the main mast and the funnel was a chart room facing the bow and a smaller workroom abaffed in order to secure the safety of the ship in case of a leak the hold was divided into three compartments by watertight bulkheads besides the usual pumps we had a powerful centrifugal pump driven by the engine which could be connected with each of the three compartments it may be mentioned as an improvement on former expeditions that the from was furnished with an electric light installation the dynamo was to be driven by the engine while we were under steam while the intention was to drive it partly by means of the wind partly by hand power during our sojourn in the ice for this purpose we took a windmill with us and also a horse mill to be worked by ourselves I had anticipated that this latter might have been useful in giving us exercise in the long polar night we found however that there were plenty of other things to do and we never used it on the other hand the windmill proved extremely serviceable for illumination when we might not have had enough power to produce electric light we took with us about 16 tons of petroleum which was also intended for cooking purposes and for warming the cabins this petroleum as well as 20 tons of common kerosene intended to be used along with coal in the boiler was stored in massive iron tanks eight of which were in the hold and one on deck in all the ship had eight boats two of which were especially large 29 feet long and nine feet wide these were intended for use in case the ship should after all be lost the idea being that we should live in them while drifting in the ice they were large enough to accommodate the whole ships company with provisions for many months then there were four smaller boats of the form sealers generally use they were exceedingly strong and lightly built two of oak and two of elm the seventh boat was a small pram and the eighth a launch with a petroleum engine which however was not very serviceable and caused us a great deal of trouble as I shall have frequent occasion later on to speak of other details of our equipment I shall content myself here with mentioning a few of the most important special attention was of course devoted to our commissariat with a view to obviating the danger of scurvy and other ailments the principle on which I acted in the choice of provisions was to combine variety with wholesomeness every single article of food was chemically analyzed before being adopted and great care was taken that it should be properly packed such articles even as bread dried vegetables et cetera et cetera were soldered down in tins as a protection against damp a good library was a great importance to an expedition like ours and thanks to publishers and friends both in our own and in other countries we were very well supplied in this respect the instruments for taking scientific observations of course formed an important part of our equipment and special care was bestowed upon them in addition to the collection of instruments I had used on my Greenland expedition a great many new ones were provided and no pains were spared to get them as good and complete as possible for meteorological observations in addition to the ordinary thermometers barometers aneroids psychometers hygrometers anemometers et cetera et cetera self-registering instruments were also taken of special importance were a self-registering aneroid barometer barograph and a pair of self-registering thermometers thermographs for astronomical observations we had a large theodolite and two smaller ones intended for use on sledge expeditions together with several sextants of different sizes we had more over four ships chronometers and several pocket chronometers for magnetic observations for taking the declination inclination and intensity both horizontal and total intensity we had a complete set of instruments among others may be mentioned a spectroscope especially adapted for the northern lights an electroscope for determining the amount of electricity in the air photographic apparatuses of which we had seven large and small and a photographometer for making charts I considered a pendulum apparatus with its adjuncts to be of special importance to enable us to make pendulum experiments in the far north to do this however land was necessary and as we did not find any this instrument unfortunately did not come into use for hydrographic observations we took a full equipment of water samplers deep water thermometers et cetera to ascertain the saltness of the water we had in addition to the ordinary airometers and the electrical apparatus especially constructed by Mr. Thornell all together our scientific equipment was especially excellent thanks in great measure to the obliging assistance rendered me by many men of science I would take this opportunity of tendering my special thanks to professor moan who besides seeing to the meteorological instruments helped me in many other ways with his valuable advice to professor gilmudin who undertook the supervision of the astronomical instruments to dr. newmeyer of hamburg who took charge of the magnetic equipment and to professor auto petersen of Stockholm and Mr. Thornell of christiania both of whom superintendent the hydrographic department of no less importance with the physiological medicinal preparations to which professor torrup devoted particular care as it might be of the utmost importance in several contingencies to have good sledge dogs I applied to my friend baron edward von toll of st. Petersburg and asked him whether it was possible to procure serviceable animals from Siberia with great courtesy von toll replied that he thought he himself could arrange this for me as he was just on the point of undertaking his second scientific expedition to Siberia and the new Siberian islands he proposed to send the dogs to cabarova on you go straight on his journey through tumen in january 1893 by the help of an english merchant named wardroper who resided there he engaged Alexander Ivanovich Trontheim to undertake the purchase of 30 osteoc dogs and their conveyance to you go straight but von toll was not content with this Mr. Nikolai kelch having offered to bear the expense my friend procured the east Siberian dogs which are acknowledged to be better draft dogs than those of west Siberia osteoc dogs and Johan Torgerson a Norwegian undertook to deliver them at the mouth of the Olaneck where it was arranged that we should touch von toll moreover thought it would be important to establish some depots of provisions on the new Siberian islands in case the from should meet with disaster and the expedition should be obliged to return home that way on von tolls mentioning this kelch at once expressed himself willing to bear the costs as he wished us in that event to meet with Siberian hospitality even on the new Siberian islands as it was difficult to find trustworthy agents to carry out a task involving so much responsibility von toll determined to establish the depots himself and in May 1893 he set out on an adventurous and highly interesting journey from the mainland over the ice to the new Siberian islands where besides laying down three depots for us he made some very important geological researches another important matter I thought was to have a cargo of coal sent out as far as possible on our route so that when we broke off all connection with the rest of the world we should have on board the from as much coal as she could carry I therefore joyfully accepted an offer from an Englishman who was to accompany us with his steam yacht to novia zemlia or the car a sea and give us 100 tons of coal on parting company as our departure was drawing nigh I learned however that other arrangements had been made it being now too late to take any other measures I chartered the sloop uranium of bronesund in norland to bring a cargo of coals to kabarova on the yugor straight no sooner did the plan of my expedition become known than petitions poured in by the hundred from all quarters of the earth from europe america australia from persons who wish to take part in it in spite of the many warning voices that had been raised it was no easy thing to choose among all the brave men who applied as a matter of course it was absolutely essential that every man should be strong and healthy and not one was finally accepted till he had been carefully examined by professor heilmar highberg of christiania the following is a list of the members of the expedition auto newman sverdrup commander of the from was born in bindal in helgeland 1855 at the age of 17 he went to see past his mate's examination in 1878 and for some years was captain of a ship in 1888 89 he took part in the greenland expedition as soon as he heard of the plan of the polar expedition he expressed his desire to accompany it and I knew that I could not place the from in better hands he is married and has one child sigurd scott hansen first lieutenant in the navy undertook the management of the meteorological astronomical and magnetic observations he was born in christiania in 1868 after passing through the naval school at horton he became an officer in 1889 and first lieutenant in 1892 he is a son of andreas hansen parish priest in christiania heinrich greva blessing doctor and botanist to the expedition was born in dramen in 1866 where his father was at that time a clergyman he became a student in 1885 and graduated in medicine in the spring of 1893 theodore claudius mate of the from was born a tromso in 1855 where his father was a ship's captain afterwards harbour master and head pilot at the age of 15 he went to see and passed his mate's examination four years later he spent two years in new zealand and from 1886 to 90 he went on voyages to the arctic sea a skipper of a tromso sloop he is married and has one child anton eminson chief engineer of the from was born at horton in 1853 in 1884 he passed his technical examination and soon afterwards his engineers examination for 25 years he has been in the navy where he attained the rank of chief engineer he is married and has six children adolf yule steward and cook of the from was born in the parish of scottow near cragarow in 1860 his father claus nielsen was a farmer and ship owner in 1879 he passed his mate's examination and has been captain of a ship many years he is married and has four children lars petterson second engineer of the from was born in 1860 at borough near lands corona in sweden of norwegian parents he is a fully qualified smith and machinist in which capacity he has served in the norwegian navy for several years is married and has children frederick hyalmar yohansen lieutenant in the reserve was born at skeen in 1867 and matriculated at the university in 1886 in 1891 to 92 he went to the military school and became a supernumerary officer he was so eager to take part in the expedition that as no other posts could be found for him he accepted that of stoker peter lenard henrickson harpooner was born in balsfjord near trompsow in 1859 from childhood he has been a sailor and from 14 years old has gone voyages to the arctic sea as harpooner and skipper in 1888 he was shipwrecked off novaya's emilia in the sloop aenig hayden from christian sund he is married and has four children bernhard nordall was born in christiania in 1862 at the age of 14 he entered the navy and advanced to be a gunner subsequently he has done a little of everything and among other things has worked as an electrical engineer he had charged of the dynamo and electric installation on board acted more over as stoker and for a time assisted in the meteorological observations he is married and has five children iver auto urgens mogstead was born in ora in nord mora in 1856 in 1877 passed his examination as first assistant and from 1882 onward was one of the headkeepers at the gustad lunatic asylum berenc benson born in 1860 went to sea for several years in 1890 he passed his mates examination since which he has sailed as mate in several voyages to the arctic sea we engaged him at tromso just as we were starting it was 8 30 when he came on board to speak to me and at 10 o'clock the from set sail end of file four file five of farthest north volume one this liber vox recording is in the public domain recording by sharon riskadal farthest north by free chaff nonsense volume one chapter three the start so travel i north to the gloomy abode that the sun never shines on there is no day it was mid-summer day a dull gloomy day and with it came the inevitable leave-taking the door closed behind me for the last time i left my home and went alone down the garden to the beach where the from's little petroleum launch pitilessly awaited me behind me lay all i held dear in life and what before me how many years would pass ere i should see it all again what would i not have given at that moment to be able to turn back but up at the window little leave was sitting clapping her hands happy child little do you know what life is how strangely mingled and how full of change like an arrow the little boat sped over lisaker bay bearing me on the first stage of a journey on which life itself if not more was staked at last everything was in readiness the hour had arrived towards which the persevering labor of years had been incessantly bent and with it the feeling that everything being provided and completed responsibility might be thrown aside and the weary brain at last find rest the from lies yonder at pepper vegan impatiently panting and waiting for the signal when the launch comes puffing pastina and runs alongside the deck is closely packed with people come to bid a last farewell and now almost leave the ship then the from ways anchor and heavily laden and moving slowly makes the tour of the little creek the keys are black with crowds of people waving their hats and handkerchiefs but silently and quietly the from heads toward the fjord steers slowly past big da and dina out on her unknown path while little nimble craft steamers and pleasure boats swarm around her peaceful and snug lay the villas along the shore behind their veils of foliage just as they ever seemed of old ah fair is the woodland slope and never did it look fairer long long will it be before we shall plow these well-known waters again and now a last farewell to home yonder it lies on the point the fjord sparkling in front pine and fur woods around a little smiling meadowland and long woodclad ridges behind through the glass one could describe a summer-clad figure by the bench under the fir tree it was the darkest hour of the whole journey and now out into the fjord it was rainy weather and a feeling of melancholy seemed to brood over the familiar landscape with all its memories it was not until noon the next day june 25th that the from glided into the bay by rakvik archer shipyard near larvik where her cradle stood and where many a golden dream had been dreamt of her victorious career here we were to take the two long boats on board and have them set up on their davits and there were several other things to be shipped it took the whole day and a good part of the next before always completed about three o'clock on the 26th we bade farewell to rakvik and made a bend into larvik bay in order to stand out to sea by frederick's barn archer himself had to take the wheel and steer his child this last bit before leaving the ship and then came the farewell handshake but few words were spoken and they got into the boat he my brothers and friend while the from glided ahead with her heavy motion and the bonds that united us were severed it was sad and strange to see this last relic of home in that little skiff on the wide blue surface anchors cutter behind and larvik further in the distance i almost think a tear glittered on that fine old face as he stood erect in the boat and shouted a farewell to us and to the from do you think he does not love the vessel that he believes in her i know well so we gave him the first salute from the from's guns a worthier inauguration they could not well have had full speed ahead and in the calm bright summer weather while the setting sun shed his beams over the land the from stood out towards the blue sea to get its first roll in the long heaving swell they stood up in the boat and watched us for long we bore along the coast in good weather past christian sand the next evening june 27th we were off the nazi i sat up and chatted with scott hansen till late in the night he acted as captain on the trip from christiania to trontime whore sverderp was to join after having accompanied his family to stinkier as we sat there in the chart house and let the hours slip by while we pushed on in the ever-increasing swell all at once a sea burst opened the door and poured in we rushed out on deck the ship rolled like a log the seas broke in over the rails on both sides and one by one up came all the crew i feared most lest the slender davits which supported the long boats should give way and the boats themselves should go overboard perhaps carrying away with them a lot of the rigging then 25 empty paraffin casks which were lashed on deck broke loose washed backwards and forwards and gradually filled with water so that the outlook was not altogether agreeable but it was worst of all when the piles of reserve timber spars and planks began the same dance and threatened to break the props under the boats it was an anxious hour seasick i stood on the bridge occupying myself in alternately making libations to neptune and trembling for the safety of the boats and the men who were trying to make snug what they could forward on deck i often saw only a hodgepodge of sea jifting planks arms legs and empty barrels now a green sea poured over us and knocked a man off his legs so that the water deluged him now i saw the lads jumping over hurtling spars and barrels so as not to get their feet crushed between them there was not a dry thread on them yule who lay asleep in the grand hotel as we called one of the long boats awoke to hear the sea roaring under him like a cataract i met him at the cabin door as he came running down it was no longer safe there he thought best to save one's rags he had a bundle under his arm then he set off forward to secure his sea chest which was floating about on the foredeck and dragged it hurriedly aft while one heavy sea after another swept over him once the frown buried her bows and shipped a sea over the forecastle there was one fellow clinging to the anchor davits over the frothing water it was poor yule again we were hard put to it to secure our goods and chattels we had to throw all our good paraffin casks overboard and one prime timber bulk after another went the same way while i stood and watched them sadly as they floated off the rest of the deck cargo was shifted aft onto the half-deck i'm afraid the shares in the expedition stood rather low at this moment then all at once when things were about at their worst with us we sighted a bark looming out of the fog ahead there it lay with royals and all sails set as snugly and peacefully as if nothing was the matter rocking gently on the sea it made one feel almost savage to look at it visions of the flying dutchman and other devilry flashed through my mind terrible disaster in the cook's galley mugstead goes in and sees the whole wall sprinkled over with dark red stains rushes off to nordall and says he believes yule has shot himself through despair at the insufferable heat he complained so about great revolver disaster on board the from on close inspection however the stains appeared to proceed from a box of chocolate that had upset in the cupboard owing to the fog we dared not go too near land so kept out to sea till at last towards morning the fog lifted somewhat and the pilot found his bearings between far soon and hummer deuce we put into lister fjord intending to anchor there and get into better sea trim but as the weather improved we went on our way it was not till the afternoon that we steered into ekersund owing to thick weather and a stiff breeze and anchored in hovelands bay where our pilot hoveland lived next morning the boat davits etc were put in good working order the from however was too heavily laden to be at all easy in a seaway but this we could not alter what we had we must keep and if we only got everything on deck ship shape and properly lashed the sea could not do us much harm however rough it might be for we knew well enough that ship and rigging would hold out it was late in the evening of the last day of june when we rounded kvarvan and stood in for bergen in the gloom of the sullen night next morning when i came on deck wagon lay clear and bright in the sun all the ships being gaily decked out with bunting from top mass to deck the sun was holding high festival in the sky ulriken florin and louvre stockin sparkled and glittered and greeted me as of old it is a marvelous place that old hanseatic town in the evening i was to give a lecture but arrived half an hour too late for just as i was dressing to go a number of bills poured in and if i was to leave the town as a solvent man i must needs pay them and so the public per force had to wait but the worst of it was that the saloon was full of those everlastingly inquisitive tourists i could hear a whole company of them besieging my cabindore while i was dressing declaring they must shake hands with the doctor one of them actually peaked in through the ventilator at me my secretary told me afterwards a nice sight she must have seen the lovely creature report says she drew her head back very quickly indeed at every place where we put in we were looked on somewhat as wild animals in a menagerie for they peeped unceremoniously at us in our births as if we had been bears and lions and a den and we could hear them loudly disputing among themselves as to who was who and whether those nearest and dearest to us whose portraits hung on the walls could be called pretty or not when i had finished my toilet i opened the door cautiously made a rush through the gaping company there he is there he is they called out to each other as they tumbled up the steps after me it was no use i was on the key and in the carriage long before they had reached the deck at eight o'clock there was a great banquet many fine speeches good fare and excellent wine pretty ladies music and dancing till far into the night next morning at eleven o'clock it was sunday in bright sunshiney weather we stood northwards over bergen fjord many friends accompanying us it was a lovely never to be forgotten summer day in herla fjord right out by the scaries they parted from us amid wavings of hats and pocket handkerchiefs we could see the little harbour boat for a long while with its black cloud of smoke on the sparkling surface of the water outside the sea rolled in the hazy sunlight and within lay the flat mongerland full of memories for me of zoological investigations in fair weather and fowl years and years ago here it was that one of norway's most famous naturalists a lonely pastor far removed from the outer world made his great discoveries here i myself first groped my way along the narrow path of zoological research it was a wondrous evening the lingering flush of vanished days suffused the northern sky while the moon hung large and round over the mountains behind us a headlay alden and kin like a fairyland rising up from the sea tired as i was i could not seek my birth i must drink in all this loveliness in deep refreshing drafts it was like bomb to the soul after the turmoil and friction with crowds of strangers so we went on our way mostly in fair weather occasionally in fog and rain through sounds and between islands northwards along the coast of norway a glorious land i wonder if another fairway like this is to be found the whole world over those never to be forgotten mornings when nature wakens to life wreaths of mist glittering like silver over the mountains their tops soaring above the mist like islands out of the sea then the day gleaming over the dazzling white snow peaks and the evenings and the sunsets with the pale moon overhead white mountains and islands lay hushed and dreamlike as a youthful longing here and there past homely little havens with houses around them set in smiling green trees ah those snug homes in the lee of the scaries awake a longing for life and warmth in the breast you may shrug your shoulders as much as you like at the beauties of nature but it is a fine thing for people to have a fair land be it never so poor never did this seem clearer to me than now when i was leaving it every now and then a hurrah from land at one time from a troop of children at another from grown-up people but mostly from wandering peasants who gazed long at the strange-looking ship and muse over its enigmatic destination and men and women on board sloops and tin-oared boats stand up in their red shirts that glow in the sunlight and rest on their oars to look at us steamboats crowded with people came out from the towns we passed to greet us and bid us godspeed on our way with music songs and canon salutes the great tourist steamboats dipped flags to us and fired salutes and the smaller craft did the same it is embarrassing and oppressive to be the object of homage like this before anything has been accomplished there is an old saying at the eve the day shall be praised the wife when she is burnt the sword when tried the woman when married the ice when passed over ale when drunk most touching was the interest and sympathy with which these poor fisher folk and peasants greeted us it often set me wondering i felt they followed us with fervent eagerness i remember one day it was north in helgeland an old woman was standing waving and waving to us on a bare crag her cottage lay some distance inland i wonder if it can really be us she is waving to i said to the pilot who was standing beside me you may be sure it is was the answer but how can she know who we are oh they know all about the from up here in every cabin and they will be on the lookout for you as you come back i can tell you he answered i truly it is a responsible task we are undertaking when the whole nation are with us like this what if the thing should turn out a huge disappointment in the evening i would sit and look around lonely huts lay scattered here and there on points and islets here the norwegian people wear out their lives in the struggle with the rocks in the struggle with the sea and it is this people that is sending us out into the great hazardous unknown the very folk who stand there in their fishing boats and look wonderingly after the from as she slowly and heavily steams along on her northward course many of them wave their southwesters and shout hurrah others have barely time to gape at us in wonderment in on the point are a troop of women waving and shouting outside a few boats with ladies in light summer dresses and gentlemen at the oars entertaining them with small talk as they wave their parasols and pocket handkerchief yes it is they who are sending us out it is not a cheering thought not one of them probably knows what they are paying their money for maybe they have heard it is a glorious enterprise but why to what end are we not defrauding them but their eyes are riveted on the ship and perhaps their dawns before their minds a momentary vision of a new and inconceivable world with aspirations after a something of which they know not and here on board are men who are leaving wife and children behind them how sad has been the separation what longing what yearning await them in the coming years and it is not for profit they do it for honor and glory then these may be scant enough it is the same thirst for achievement the same craving to get beyond the limits of the known which inspired this people in the saga times that is stirring in them again today in spite of all our toil for subsistence in spite of all our peasant politics sheer utilitarianism is perhaps not so dominant among us after all as time was precious i did not as originally intended put in a tron time but stopped at bayon where sverdrup joined us here professor bruger also came on board to accompany us as far as tramsa here too our doctor received three monstrous chests with the medicine supply a gift from apothecary brun of tron time and so on towards the north along the lovely coast of nordland we stopped at one or two places to take dried fish on board as provision for the dogs past torg cotton the seven sisters and hestamondon past lovinan and tronan far out yonder in the sea past loviton and all the other lovely places each bold gigantic form wilder and more beautiful than the last it is unique a fairyland a land of dreams we felt afraid to go on too fast for fear of missing something on july 12th we arrived at tramsa where we were to take in coal and other things such as reindeer cloaks co-mugger a sort of lap moccasin fin shoes senna grass dried reindeer flesh etc etc all of which had been procured by that indefatigable friend of the expedition advocate mac tramsa also gave us a cold reception a north westerly gale with driving snow and sleet mountains planes and house roofs were all covered with snow down to the water's edge it was the very bitterest july day i ever experienced the people there said they could not remember such a july perhaps they were afraid the place would come into disrepute for in a town where they hold snowshoe races on midsummer day one may be prepared for anything in the way of weather in tramsa the next day a new member of the expedition was engaged burnt benson a stout fellow to look at he originally intended accompanying us only as far as yugor straight but as a matter of fact he went the whole voyage with us and proved a great acquisition being not only a capital seaman but a cheerful and amusing comrade after a stay of two days we again set out on the night of the sixteenth east of the north cape or margaro we met with such a nasty sea and shipped so much water on deck that we put into churlifjord to adjust our cargo better by shifting the coal and making a few other changes we worked at this the whole of two days and made everything clear for the voyage to navoya zemlia i had it first thought of taking on board a fresh supply of coal at vardo but as we were already deeply laden and the urania was to meet us at yugor straight with coal we thought it best to be contented with what we had already got on board as we might expect bad weather in crossing the white sea and barren sea at ten o'clock in the evening we weighed anchor and reached vardo next evening where we met with a magnificent reception there was a band of music on the pier the fjord teamed with boats flags waved on every hand and salutes were fired the people had been waiting for us ever since the previous evening we were told some of them indeed coming from vagzo and they had seized the opportunity to get up a subscription to provide a big drum for the town band the north pole and here we were entertained to a sumptuous banquet with speeches and champagne flowing in streams ere we bade norway our last farewell the last thing that had now to be done for the from was to have her bottom cleaned of mussels and weeds so that she might be able to make the best speed possible this work was done by divers who were readily placed at our service by the local inspector of the government harbor department but our own bodies also claimed one last civilized feast of purification before entering on a life of savagery the bathhouse of the town is a small timber building the bathroom itself is low and provided with shelves where you lie down and are parboiled with hot steam which is constantly kept up by water being thrown on the glowing hot stones of an awful oven worthy of hell itself well all the time young quen lesses floggy with birch twigs after that you are rubbed down washed and dried delightfully everything being well managed clean and comfortable i wonder whether old father mohammed has set up a bath like this in his paradise end of file five