 Section 35 of the south pole. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Vera and Mjöl. The south pole by Rold Atmanson. Translation by A. G. Carter. Section 35, Volume 2, Chapter 16. The voyage of the Fram. The Oceano-Graphical Cruise. By 1st afternoon, Thorvald Nielsen. According to the programme, the Fram was to go on an Oceano-Graphical Cruise in the South Atlantic, and my orders were that this was to be arranged to suit their existing circumstances. I had reckoned on a cruise of about three months. We didn't have to leave Buenos Aires at the beginning of October to be down in their eyes at the right time, about New Year. As we were too short-handed to work the ship, take soundings, etc., the following four seamen were engaged. H. Halborsen, A. Olsen, F. Stella and J. Anderson. At last, we were more or less ready. In the Fram sailed from Buenos Aires on June 8, 1911, the anniversary of our leaving Horton on our first hydrographic cruise in the North Atlantic. I suppose there was no one on board on June 8, 1910, who dreamed that a year later we should go on a similar cruise in the South. We had a pilot on board as far as motor video, where we arrived on the afternoon of the night. But on account of an increasing wind, panpero, we had to lie at anchor here for a day and a half, as the pilot could not be taken off. On Thursday afternoon, the 10th, he was fetched off by a picked up boat, on board of which was the secretary of a Norwegian consultant. This gentleman asked us if we could not come into a harbor, as people would like to see the ship. I promised to come in on the way there, if we had time. On Sunday morning, the 11th, we waved anchor and went out in the most lovely weather that can be imagined. Gradually the land disappeared, and in the course of the evening we lost light. We were once more out in the Atlantic, and immediately everything resumed its own course. In order to save our supply of reserve provisions as much as possible, we took with us a quantity of live poultry and no fewer than 20 live sheep, which were quartered in the palm yard on the port side of the vessel's fore deck. Sheep and hens were all together, and there was always a most beautiful scent of hay, so that we had not only sea air, but country air. In spite of all this delightful air, three or four of the crew were down with influenza, and had to keep their berths for some days. I reckon on being back at Buenos Aires by the beginning of September, and on getting, if possible, one station a day. The distance, according to a rough calculation, was about 8,000 nautical miles, and I laid down the following plan. To go about east by north, with prevailing normally, and northwest in events, to the coast of Africa, and there get home of the southeast street. If we could not reach Africa before that day, then to turn on July 22nd, and lay our course with the southeast trade for St Helena, which we could reach before August 1st, from there again with the same wind to South Trinidad, August 11th or 12th. On again with east knee and northeast knee winds, on the southwest knee course until about August 22nd, when the observations must be concluded, and we should try to make Buenos Aires in the shortest time. That was the plan that we attempted. On account of fresh water from the River La Plata, we did not begin at once to take samples of water, and with a headwind, northeast, we lay close up for some days. We also had pretty stiff breeze, which was another reason for delaying the soundings till the 17th. For taking samples of water, a wind is used, with a sounding line of, let's say, 5,000 meters, or 2,730m, on which are hung one or more tubes for catching water. We used three at once to save time. Now, supposing water and temperatures are to be taken at depths of 300, 400 and 500 meters, or 164, 218, and 203 phephems, at British 3. This was hung on about 3 meters or 10 phephems from the end of the line, where a small weight hangs. Then it is lowered until the indicator wheel, over which the line passes, shows 100 meters or 54 phephems. Apparatus 2 is then put on, and it is lowered again for another 100 meters, when Apparatus 1 is put on and the line paid out for 300 meters or 164 phephems. That is, until the indicator wheel, shows 500 meters or 273 phephems. The upper Apparatus 1 is then at 300 meters or 164 phephems. Number 2 at 400 meters or 218 phephems, and number 3 at 500 meters or 273 phephems. Under Apparatus 1 and 2 is some sleeping sinker, about 8 centimeters or 3.25 inches long, and 3 centimeters or 1.25 inches in diameter. To the water samplers, attach thermometers and tubes arranged for the purpose. The water samplers themselves consist of a brass cylinder, about 38 centimeters or 15 inches long, and 4 centimeters or 1.5 inches in diameter. About half a liter of water, set in a frame. It's about the middle of the cylinder up avert, which wears in bearings on the frame, so that the cylinder can be strong 180 degrees straight up and down. The cylinder, while being nowhere in an inverted position, is open at both ends, so that the water can pass through. The air is up and nowhere and evolves, working on hinges and provided with packing. When the Apparatus is released, the cylinder swings round, and these valves then automatically close ends of the cylinder. The water that is half squat in the cylinder, and the required depth remains in it, while it's being heaved up, and is collected in bottles. When the Apparatus is released, the column of mercury in the thermometer is broken, and the temperature of the water is read at the same depth, as the water is taken from. The release takes place in the following manner. When all the cylinders have been lowered to required depth, they are left hanging for a few minutes, so that the thermometers may be set at the right temperature before the column of mercury is broken. Then, a slipping sinker is turned down the line. When the sinker strikes the first Apparatus, a spring is pressed, a hook which has helped the cylinder slips loose, and the cylinder turns completely over. As it does this, the valves, as I already mentioned, close ends of the cylinder, which is fixed in its new position by a hook in the bottom of the frame. At the same instant, the slipping sinker that hangs under Apparatus 1 is released, and continues the journey to Apparatus 2, where the same thing happens, is then repeated with Apparatus 3, when they are all ready, they are heaved in. By holding one sinker on the line, one can feel, at all events, in the way you come with them, when the sinkers strike against the cylinders. But I used to look at my watch, as it takes about half a minute for a sinker to go down 100 metres. The necessary data are entered in a book. On the morning of the 17th, then, the sails were clued up, and the frown began to roll even worse than with the sails set. We first tried taking soundings with a sinker of 66 pounds, and a tube for taking specimens of a seabed. At 2,000 metres, or 1,093 metres, or more, the line broke, so that the sinker tube and over 2,000 metres of line continued their way, and ended at the bottom. I had thought of taking samples of water at 4,000, 3,000 and 2,000 metres, or 2,187, 1,639, 1,093 specimens, and so on, and water cylinders were put on from 0 to 2,000 metres. This, however, took six hours. Next day, on account of the heavy sea, only a few samples from 0 to 100 metres of 55 specimens were taken. On the third day, we made another attempt to get the bottom. This time we got specimens of a seabed from about 4,500 metres, about 2,500 specimens. We were heaving in and taking about 40 samples, and temperatures occupied eight hours from 7am to 3pm, or a third part of the 24 hours. In this way, we should run at least nine months on the route that had been laid down, but as, unfortunately, this time was not at our disposal. We once gave up taking specimens of bottom and samples of water at greater depths, then 1,000 metres, or 546 bathrooms. For the remainder of the trip, we took temperatures and samples of water at the following depths, 0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 750, and 1,000 metres, or 0, 2 and 3 quarters, 5 and a half, 13 and a half, 3, 7, 41, 54, 81, 108, 135, 164, 218, 273, 410, and 546 bathrooms. In now, 15 samples from each station, and from this time forward, we ran on regularly with one station every day. Finally, we managed to heave up two water cylinders on the same line by hand, without great difficulty. At first, this was done with a mortar and sounding machine, but this took too long, and we afterwards used nothing but a light-hand wrench. Before very long, we also practised that the whole business only took two hours. These two hours were those we liked best of the 24. All kinds of funny stories were told, especially about experiences in Reno's iris, and every day there was something new. Here is a little yarn. One of the members of the expedition, having knocked down my motor car in one of the busier streets. The car stopped, and of course a crowd collected at once. Our friend lay there, wondering whether he ought not to be sent, or at least to have broken a leg. So as to get compensation, while he lay first, being crowded and examined by the public, he suddenly remembered that he had half a dollar in his pocket. With all that money, it didn't matter so much about the compensation. I jumped our friend like an indi-arrival ball, and in a second, he had vanished in a crowd, with his open mouth, gazing after the dead man. Our speed on this cruise was regulated as nearly as possible, so that there might be about 100 nautical miles between each station, and I must say that we were uncommonly lucky in the weather. We made two fairly parallel sections, with comparatively regular intervals between the stations. As regular, in any case, as one can hope to get with a vessel like the Fram, which fairly has too little, both of sail area and engine power. The number of stations was 60 in all, and 891 samples of water were taken. Of plankton's specimens, 190% tall. The further examination of these specimens in Norway, we'll show whether the material collected is of any value, and whether the cruise has yielded satisfactory results. As regards the weather on the trip, it was uniformly good the whole time. We had a good deal of wind, now and then, there's seas and rolling, but for the most part, there was a fresh breeze. In the southeast trade, we sailed for four weeks, and then stretched without using the engine, which then had a thorough overhauling. At the same time, we had a good opportunity of smartening up the ship, which we needed badly. All the iron was freed from rust, and the whole vessel painted both below and above it. The deck itself was made up with a mixture of oil, tar and turpentine, after being scoured. All the rigging was examined. At the anchorage at Buenos Aires, nearly the whole ship was painted again, masts and yachts, the outside of vessel and everything involved, both deck houses, the boats and the various winches, palms, etc. In the engine room, everything was either shining bright or freshly painted. Everything hung in its place, in such order and clean in the spring, there was a pleasure to go down there. The result of all this renovating and smartening up was debt. When you fetched up by the key at Buenos Aires, the frame looked brighter than I suppose she has ever done since she was new. During the trip, the holes were also cleaned up, and all the provisions reached out, and an inventory made of them. A whole suit of sails was completely worn out on this voyage. But what can one expect when the ship is being worked every single day, have queuing up, making fast and setting of sails, both in calm and mint? This work every day reminded me of the combat leader when the order was all hand-to-loft. As a rule, though, there was only queuing up the sails that had to be done, as we always had to take soundings on the weather side, so that the sounding line should not fall on the bottom of the vessel and smash their paratis, and we did not lose more than one thermometer in about 900 soundings. On account of all this wear and tear of sails, Ron was occupied the whole time while at sea and in Buenos Aires, in making and patching the sails, as there was not much more than the leeches left of those that had the news, and on the approaching trip to the Ice Barrier, we should have to have absolutely first-class things in the roaring 40s. June 30, 1911 is a red-letter day in the French history, as on that day we intersected from Norway to the Barrier, and the France just completed her first circumnavigation of the clock. Bravo from It was well done, especially after that character you have been given as a sailor and a sea-boat, and on the other occasion she had better dinner than usual. And the France was congratulated by all present on having done her work well. On the evening of July 29, Saint Helena was passed. It was the first time I had seen this historic island. It was very strange to think that the greatest spirit of 100 centuries as an author had got Napoleon should have ending his restless life on this lonely island of the South Atlantic. On August 12, when daylight came, he sighted a little mountain vast islands ahead, and a little later, South Trinidad, in 1910, this island was passed on August 16. We checked our chronometers, which, however, proved to be correct. From noon till 2pm, while we were lying still and taking our daily hydrographic observations and sailing ship up here to north of us, lying close to South. She bowed down on us and ran up up there, and yet shared her usual greetings. She was in Norwegian back to see more than four or five ships on the whole voyage, and those were pretty far off. Never since leaving Madeira, on September 1910, had we been troubled with animals and sex of any kind ever. But when we were in Buenos Aires for the first time, at least half a million flies came about to look at the vessel. I hoped they would go ashore on the farm still, until by degrees, they passed peacefully away on flypaper. Well, flies are one thing, but we had something else that was worse. They mean red, or horror and dread, and for the future, are deadly enemies. The first signs of them I found in my bound and on the table and the force alone. They were certainly not particular. What I said on the occasion had better not be printed, but the expression could be strong enough to give vent to one's annoyance at such a discovery. We said traps, but what was the use of that when the cargo consisted exclusively of provisions? One morning, as Rome sitting at Mug making sales, he observed a shadow flying past this week, and, according to his account, it took the force loom. The coat came roaring, there was a rat in the force loom, the door was shut, and all hands started hunting. All the cabins were emptied and rummaged. The piano too. Everything was turned upside down, but the rat had vanished into thin air. About a fortnight later, I noticed a Coptax belt in Hesel's cabin, which was empty. While close to sniffing at examination, it turned out to be the dead rat, a big black one, unfortunately a male rat. Last after death, had tried to keep itself alive by devouring a couple of novels that laid in locked drawer. How that rat got into that drawer meets me. On cleaning out the provision, whole nests were found with several rats in them. Six were killed, but at least as many escaped. We have a whole colony. A reward was promised of 10 cigars for each friend. All this said very little good. When we were in Buenos Aires for the second time, we got a cat on board. It certainly kept the rats down, but it was shot on the barrier. At whole bar, we provided a few traps, which caught a good many, but we shall hardly get rid of them altogether, until we have landed most of the provisions and smoked them out. We have also had a lot of moth. At present, they have done nothing beyond easing a couple of holes in my best trousers. Driven the whole of this cruise, we had a fishing line hanging out, but it hung for a whole month without there being a sign of a fish. In spite of the most delicate little white rat that was attached to a hook, one morning the keenness of our fisherman came out as usual and felt the line. Yes, by Joe, the last there was one, and a big one too, as he could hardly haul in the line by himself. There was a shout-out for assistance. How you beggar? Come and learn again. There's a big fish. Help came in the second, and they were all hot. Oh, they were all hot. Ah, he's a fine-listening fish. It'll be grand to get fresh fish for dinner. At last, the fish appeared over the reel, but at last, it was seen to have no hit. It was an ordinary, soft fish, about three-quarters of a yacht long, that some joker had hung on the line during the night. Let me all have a hearty laugh. Goals without saying, the fisherman included, as they took it on good part. As the fishing boat, the frame, is on the hold not very successful. The only fish we caught, besides the worth-mentioned soft fish, was a real live fish, but unfortunately, it fell off the hook as it was being hauled in. According to account of eye-witnesses, the fish was six feet long and one block. Now, we don't fish anymore. On August 19th, the hydro-fic observations were brought to an end, and the cause was laid for Buenos Aires, where we anchored in their ropes at midnight on September 1st. End of Section 35. Section 36 of the South Pole. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recorded by Ken Campbell. The South Pole by Roald Amundsen. Translation by A.G. Carter. Section 36, Volume 2, Chapter 16. The Voyage of the From. At Buenos Aires, from Buenos Aires to the Ross Barrier, and from the Barrier to Buenos Aires by Hobart, by First Lieutenant Thorvald Nielsen. At Buenos Aires. The life at Buenos Aires in the early part of 1911 was not an unmixed pleasure, especially when one had no money. The From expedition was apparently not very popular at that time, and our cash balance amounted to about 40 pesos, about three pounds ten shillings. But that would not go very far. Our supply of provisions had shrunk to almost nothing, and we had not enough to be able to leave the port. We were in place to the credit of the From for our stay in Buenos Aires, but I neither saw nor heard anything of it while we were there, and it was no doubt somewhat imaginary. If we were to be at all able to go down and take off the shore party, money must be found. We had come to the end of sail-cloth and ropes. We had too little food and a minimum of oil. All this would have to be provided. At the worst, the oceanic graphical cruise could be cut out, and we would lie still at Buenos Aires. Then, as our comrades could not very well be left to perish on the ice, enough would have to be sent us from Norway to enable us to go down there. But that would finish the whole expedition, as in such a case the From had orders to go back to Norway. As usual, however, the From's luck helped her again. A few days before we left Norway, Captain Pedro Christofferson had cabled that he would supply us with what provisions we might require, if after leaving Madeira we would call it Buenos Aires. Of course, he did not know at the time that the voyage would be extended to include the South Pole, and that the From on arrival at Buenos Aires would be almost empty instead of having a full cargo. But that did not prevent his helping us. I immediately called on him and his brother, the Norwegian minister. Fortunately, there were both very enthusiastic about our chief's change of plan. When, on a subsequent occasion, I expressed my astonishment at not hearing from home, I was told that the funds of the expeditions were exhausted, and Mr. Christofferson promised me on hearing what straits we were in to pay all of our expenses in Buenos Aires, and to supply us with provisions and fuel. That brought us out of our difficulties at a bound, and we had no more need to take thought of the moral. Everyone on board received a sum of money for his personal expenses from the Norwegian colony of the River Plate, and we were invited to their dinner on Independence Day, May 17. Our second stay at Buenos Aires was very pleasant. Everyone was amiability itself and festivities were even got up for us. We took on board provisions that had been sent out from Norway by Mr. Christofferson's orders. About 50,000 liters, that's 11,000 gallons of petroleum ship stores, and so on, enough for a year. But this was not all. Just before we sailed, Mr. Christofferson said he would send a relief expedition if the Fram did not return to Australia by a certain date. But, as everyone knows, this was happily unnecessary. During the next three weeks we were lying at the quay in Buenos Aires, we were occupied in getting everything on board and making the vessel ready for sea. We had finished this by the afternoon of Wednesday, October 4, and next morning the Fram was ready to continue her second circumnavigation of the globe. In Buenos Aires we lay at the same quay as the Duchland, the German Antarctic Expedition Ship. A Kutschein and second engineer Jay Notvat went home and Seaman Jay Anderson was discharged. From Buenos Aires to the Ross Barrier On the trip from Buenos Aires to the barrier, the watches were divided as follows. From 8-2, T. Nelson, L. Hansen, H. Halverson, and A. Olsen. From 2-day 8, H. Garretson, A. Beck, Amrani, and F. Steller. In the engine room, K. Sunbeck and H. Christensen. Lastly, K. Olsen cook. In all, eleven men. It has been said that well begun is half done and it almost seems as if a bad beginning were likely to have a similar continuation. When we left the northern basin on the morning of October 5, there was a headwind and it was not until 24 hours later that we could drop the pilot at the Recalida Light Ship. After a time it fell calm and we made small progress at the Recalida. Until on the night of the 6th we were clear of the land and the lights disappeared on the horizon. Properly speaking we ought have been in the west wind-belt as soon as we came out and the drift of the clouds and the movement of the barograph were examined at least 24 times a day. But it still remained calm. At last, after the lapse of several days, we had a little fresh and then of course I thought we had made a beginning but unfortunately it only lasted a night so that our joy was short-lived. We took with us from Buenos Aires 15 live sheep and 15 live little pigs of which two houses were built on the after-deck. As however, one of the pigs was found dead on the morning after the south-westerly breeze just mentioned, it was assumed that this was on account of the cold and another house was at once built on the back in the workroom where it was very warm. They were down here the whole time but as their house was cleaned out twice a day and dry straw put on the floor they did not cause us much inconvenience besides which their house was raised more than half a foot above the deck itself so that the space below could always be kept clean. The pigs thrived so well down here that we could almost see them growing. On arrival at the barrier we were then nine alive. The sheep had a weathertight house with a tarpolin over the roof and they grew fatter and fatter. We had every opportunity of noticing this as we killed one of them regularly every Saturday until we came into the pack ice and got seal meat. We had four sheep left on reaching the barrier. We did wretchedly in October. Calms and east winds, nothing but east winds. As regards distance it was the worst month we had since leaving Norway. Now it was standing that the from had been in dry dock, had a clean bottom and a light cargo. When close hauled with any head sea we scarcely moved. A stiff air wind is what is wanted if we are to get on. Someone said we got on so badly because we had thirteen pigs on board. Another said it was because we caught so many birds and I had caught no less than fourteen albatras and four cape pigeons. All together there is quite enough of what I will call superstition at sea. One particular bird brings fine weather and other storms. It is very important to notice which way the whale swims or that often leaps. The success of seal hunting depends on whether the first seal is seen ahead or a stern and so on. Enough of that. October went out and November came in with a fresh breeze from the south-south west so that we did nine and a half knots. This promised well for November but the promise was scarcely fulfilled. We had northerly wind or southerly wind continually generally a little to the east of north or south and I believe I am not saying too much when I state that in the west wind belt with an easterly course we lay close hauled on one track or the other for about two thirds of the way. For only three days out of three months did we have real west wind which with southwesterly and northwesterly winds I had reckoned on having for 75% of the trip from Buenos Aires to about the longitude of Tasmania. In my enthusiasm over the west wind in question I went so far as to write in my diary at 2am on November 11th. There is a gale from the west and we are making nine knots with foresail and top sail. The sea is pretty high and breaking on both sides of the vessel and everything about us is a massive spray. In spite of this not a drop of water comes on deck and it is so dry that the watch are going about in clogs. For my part I am wearing felt slippers which will not stand wet. Sea boots and oil skins hang ready in the chart house in case it should rain. On a watch like tonight when the moon is kind enough to shine everyone on deck is in the best of humours whistling, chattering, singing comes up with a remark that she took that sea finally or now she is flying properly fine is almost too feeble an expression one ought to say lightly and elegantly when speaking of the from what more can one wish etc. But whatever time Adam may have spent in paradise we were not there more than three days when the same wretched state of things began again. What I wrote when there was a headwind or a calm I should be sorry to reproduce well to him who then came and said it was fine weather. It was lucky for us that the from sails so much more easily now than it did in 1910 otherwise we should have taken six months to reach the barrier. When we had wind we used it to the utmost but we did not do this without the loss of one or two things the new jib sheet broke couple of times and one night we carried away the outer bob day on the jib boom. The fore sail and the top sail were neither made fast nor reef during the whole trip. The last time the jib sheet broke there was a strong breeze from the southwest with a heavy sea. All sail was set with the exception of the spanker as the ship would not steer with that. There was an extra preventer on the double jib sheet but in spite of that the sheets broke and the jib was split with a fearful crack. Within a minute the main sail and the top sail were hauled down so that the ship might fall off and the jib hauled down. This was instantly unbent and a new one bent. The man at the helm of course got the blame. For this and for the first thing he said to me was I couldn't help it she was twisting on the top of a wave we were then making ten knots and more than that we shall not do. The from rolled well that day a little earlier in the afternoon at the dock when the watch had gone below to dinner and we're just eating the sweet which on that occasion consisted of preserved pears we felt that there was an unusually big lurch coming. Although of course we had fiddles on the table the plates with meat potatoes and so on jumped over the fiddles which I didn't care a button for into Beck's cabin. I caught one of the pears in its flight but the plate with the rest of them went on its way. Which stopped dead as we heard a violent noise on deck over our heads. I guessed at once it was an empty water tank that had broken loose and with my mouth full of pear I yelled tank and flew on the deck with the whole watch below at my heels. A sea had come in over the after deck and it lifted the tank up from its lashings. I'll hand-stew themselves upon the tank and held on to it till the water had poured off the deck in its place. When this was done my watch went below again and lit their pipes as if nothing had happened. On November 13th we passed the northern most of the Prince Edward Islands and on the 18th close to the Penguin Island the most southwesternly of the Crozitz. In the neighborhood of the latter we saw great quantity of birds a number of seals and penguins and even a little iceberg. I went close to the land to check that the ocean and bearing of the island showed to be correct. Our course was then laid for Krugerland Island but we went too far north to see it. As for two weeks the winds was south-easterly and southerly and the leeway we made when sailing close hauled took us every day a little to the north of east. When we were in the same waters in 1910 there was a gale after gale then we did not put in at Krugerland on account this time we could not approach the island because of the winds direction in no respect can the second trip be compared with the first I should never have dreamed that there would be so much difference in the roaring forties in two different years at the same season. In the foggy fifties the weathers was calm and fine and we had no fog until latitude 58 degrees south. As regards to the distance sailed November 1911 is the best month the Fram has had. In December which began with a speed of one and a half knots calm swell against us and the engine at full speed we had a fair wind for three days all the rest calms and headwinds the first part of the month from the northeast and east so that we came much too far south even in longitude 150 degrees east we were in latitude 60 degrees south in Christmas week we had calms and light winds from the southeast so that we managed to steal eastwards to longitude 170 degrees east and latitude 65 degrees south where on the edge of the pack ice we had a stiff breeze from the north northeast that is straight on to the ice between Buenos Aires and the pack ice we caught as I had said a good many birds mostly albatras and about 30 skins were prepared by L. Hansen the largest albatras we got measured 12 feet between the tips of its wings and the smallest bird was of a land species not much bigger than a hummingbird talking of albatras it is both amusing and interesting to watch their elegant flight in a high wind without a movement of the wings they sail now with now against the wind and one instant they touch the surface of the water with the points of their wings at the next they go straight into the air an interesting and instructive study for an aviator in a wind where there is generally a number of them hovering about the vessel they will dash down after anything that is thrown overboard but of course it is useless to try and catch them when the ship is so much way this must be done the next day when the wind is lighter the birds are caught with an iron triangle which ought to be enclosed in wood so that they will float on the water the apax which is very acute the iron is filled as sharp as a knife a pork is hung on each side of the sides when this is thrown into the wake of the ship the bird settles on the water to feed the upper part of his beak is hooked like that of a bird of prey and as the albatras open its beak to bite at the pork you give it a jerk so that the triangle catches the upper part of the beak by two small notches and the bird is left hanging if the line should break the whole thing simply falls off and the bird is unharmed in hauling in therefore you have to be very careful to hold the line quite tight even if the bird flies towards you otherwise it will easily fall off a bird may be pulled half way in several times and will immediately take the bait again on the night of December 11th an unusually beautiful aurora was seen it lasted over an hour from west to east on the 14th all the white paint was washed the temperature was 43 degrees Fahrenheit and we were in shirt sleeves for a whole week before Christmas the cook was busy baking Christmas cakes I am bound to say he is industrious and the day before Christmas a one of the little pigs named Tula was killed the swine herd a Olson whose special favorite this pig was had to be kept away during this operation we might not witness his emotion early on the morning of Christmas Eve we saw the three first icebergs there was an absolute calm all day with misty air to keep Christmas the engine was stopped at 5 p.m and then all hands came to dinner unfortunately we had no gramophone to sing to us as in 1910 as a substitute the orchestra played Gladjul and Helgejul when all were seated the orchestra was composed of back on the violin, son back on the mandolin and the undersigned on the flute I puffed out my cheeks as much as I could and that is not saying a little so that the others might see how proficient I was I hardly think it was much of a musical treat but the public was neither critical nor ceremonious and the prevalent costume was jerseys the dinner consisted of soup, roast pork with fresh potatoes and whole berries ten year old aquavit and Norwegian bakbier followed by wine jelly and krenzen cake with champagne the toast to their majesties the king and queen Don Pedro Christofferson Captain Amundsen and the from were drunk I had decorated the saloon in a small way with artificial flowers embroideries and a flag to give a little color dinner was followed by saccars and a distribution of Christmas presents Al Hansen played the accordion and Lieutenant Gerritzen and Ronnie danced folk dances the latter was as usual so amusing that he kept us in fits of laughter at ten o'clock it was all over the engine was started again one watch went to bed and the other on deck Olsen cleaned out the pigsty as usual at this time of night that finished Christmas for this year just before Sir James Ross was down here in the 1840s two years in succession he sailed from the Pacific into Ross Sea with two ships that had no auxiliary steam power I assumed therefore that if he could get through so easily there must be some place between the South Victoria land and the barrier or land on the other side where there was a little or no ice following this assumption I intended to go down to the western pack ice that laying off South Victoria land and steer along until we were in the Ross Sea or at all events until we found a place where we could easily get through it is quite possible that Ross was very lucky in the time at which he encountered the ice and that he only sailed in clear weather we had no time to spare however but we had to make use of whatever wind there was even if we could not see very far as early as December 28th at 5pm in latitude 65 degrees south and longitude 171.5 degrees east it was reported that we were off the pack I was a good deal surprised as recent expeditions had not met the pack until 66.5 degrees south or about 100 nautical miles farther south nor had there been any signs of our being so near the ice the wind for the last few days had been south-easterly but for the moment it was calm we therefore held on to the east along the edge of the pack with the ice to starboard about midnight the winds freshened from the north and we lay close hauled along the edge of the ice until midday on the 29th when the direction of the ice became more southerly the northerly wind which gradually increased to a stiff breeze was good enough for getting us on but it must inevitably bring fog and snow in its strain these came sure enough as thick as a wall and for a couple of days we sailed perfectly blindly outside the pack ice proper lie long streams of flows and loose scattered lumps which became more frequent as one nears the pack for two days we sailed simply by the lumps of ice the more of them we saw the more easterly was our course until they began to decrease when we steered more to the south in this way we went into 48 hours from latitude 65 degrees south and longitude 174 degrees east to latitude 69 degrees south and longitude 178 degrees east a distance of about 250 nautical miles without entering the pack once we very nearly went into the trap but fortunately got out again the wind was so fresh we did as much as 8.5 knots when the sailing at such a rate through a loose stream of ice we sometimes ran upon a flow which went under the ship's bottom and then came up alongside the other way up during the afternoon of the 31st the streams of ice became closer and closer and then I made a mistake of continuing to sail to the eastward instead of this I ought to have stood off and steered due south of south with this ice on our port side the farther we advanced the more certain I was that we had come into the eastern pack ice it must be remembered however that owing to fog and thick snow we had seen nothing for over two days observations there were none of course our speed had varied between 2 and 8.5 knots and we had steered all manner of courses that our dead reckoning was not very correct in such circumstances goes without saying and an observation on January 2nd showed us that we were somewhat farther to the east than we had reckoned on the evening of December 31st the fog lifted for a while and we saw nothing but ice all round our course was then set due south we had come right down in latitude 69.5 degrees south and I hope soon to be clear all together in 1910 we got out of the ice at 70 degrees south and were then in the same longitude as now now indeed our progress began to slow and the old year went out in a far from pleasant fashion the fog was so thick that I may safely say we did not see more than 50 yards from the ship whereas we ought to have had the midnight sun ice and snow sludge were so thick that at times we lay still the wind had unfortunately fallen off we all had a little breeze from the north so that both sails and engine could be used we went simply at haphazard now and then we were lucky enough to come into great open channels and even lakes but then the ice closed again absolutely tight it could hardly be called real ice however but was rather a snow sludge about two feet thick and as tough as dull it looked as if it had all just been broken off the flows lay close together and we could see how one flow fitted into the other the ice remained more or less closed until we were right down in latitude 73 degrees south and longitude 179 degrees west the last part of it was old drift ice from here to the Bay of Whales we saw a few scattered streams of flows and some icebergs few seals were shot in the ice so that we had fresh meat enough and pigs until a shore party came on board I was sure they would appreciate fresh roast pork the chart of Ross Sea had been drawn chiefly as a guide to future expeditions it may be taken as certain that the best place to go through the ice is between longitude 176 degrees east and 180 degrees and that the best time is about the beginning of February take for instance our southward route in 1911 and 1912 as has been said the ice was met with as early as 65 degrees south and we were not clear of it until about 73 degrees south between 68 degrees south and 69 degrees south the line is interrupted and it was there that I ought to have steered to the south now follow the course from the Bay of Whales in 1912 only in about 75 degrees south the ice scene almost is in 1911 and we followed it after that time we saw absolutely no more ice as the chart shows therefore in the course of about a month and a half all the ice that we met when going south had drifted out the snipplet line shows how I assumed the ice to have been laid the heavy broken line shows what our course ought to have been the Midnight Sun was not seen until the night of January 7th 1912 to the south of latitude 77 degrees south it was already 9.5 degrees above the horizon on the night of January 8th we arrived off the barrier in extremely bitter weather southwesterly and southerly winds had held for a few days with fair weather but that night there was a thick snow and the wind gradually fell calm after which a fresh breeze sprang up from the southeast with biting snow and a lot of drift ice the engine went very slowly and the ship kept head to wind about midnight the weather cleared a little and a dark line which proved to be the barrier came in sight the engine went ahead at full speed and the sails were set so that we might get under the lee of the perpendicular wall by degrees the ice blank above the barrier became lighter and lighter and before very long we were so close under it that we had room to go about the barrier here runs east and west and with a southwesterly wind we went along it to the east the watch had gone below at 8 o'clock when we were still in open sea came up again at 2 to find us close to the long desired wall of ice some hours passed in the same way but then of course the wind became easterly dead ahead so that we had to tack and tack until 6 p.m. the same day when we were at the western point of the bay of whales the ice lay right out to the west cape and we sailed across the mouth of the bay and up under the lee of the eastern barrier in order if possible to find slack ice or open water but no, the fast ice came just as far on that side it turned out that we could not get farther south in 78 degrees 30 minutes that is 11 nautical miles farther north in the previous year we were 15 nautical miles from Framheim taking into consideration the turn in the bay we were thus back at the same place we had left on February 14, 1911 and had since been round the world the distance covered on this voyage of circumnavigation was 25,000 nautical miles of which 8,000 belonged to the oceanographical cruise in the south Atlantic we did not lie under the lee of the eastern barrier for more than 4 hours the wind which had so often been against us was true to its principles to the last of course it went to the north and blew right up the bay the drift ice from the Rossi came in and at midnight, January 9th through 10th we stood out again I had thought of sending a man up to Framheim to report that we had arrived but the state of the weather did not allow it besides I had only one pair of private ski on board and should therefore only have been able to run it would have been better if several had gone together during the 4 noon of the 10th it gradually cleared the wind fell light and we stood in shore again at the same time the barometer was rising steadily Lieutenant Gerritzen was ashore on ski about one o'clock later in the afternoon a dog came running out across the sea ice and I thought it had come down on Lieutenant Gerritzen's track but I was afterwards told that meanwhile dogs ran about on the ice and did not show themselves up at the hunt meanwhile the wind freshened again we had to put out for another 24 hours and lay first one way and then the other with short and sail then there was fine weather again and we came in at 4 p.m. on the 11th Lieutenant Gerritzen returned with Lieutenant Prestude, Johansson and Stuberhead of course we were very glad to see one another again we stayed on both sides the chief of the southern party were not back yet they stayed on board till the 12th got their letters in a big pile of newspapers and went ashore again we followed them with the glasses as far as possible so as to take them on board again if they could not get across the cracks in the ice during the days that followed we lay more to the ice or went out according to the weather on the 9th we were somewhat surprised to see a vessel bearing down for my part I guessed her to be the Aurora Dr. Mawson's ship she came very slowly but at last what should we see but the Japanese flag I had no idea that the expedition was out again the ship came right in and went past us twice immediately afterwards 10 man arm with picks and shovels went up the barrier and quickly about the penguins and their shots were heard all night next morning the commander of the Kaini Maru whose name was Haroma came on board the same day a tent was set up on the edge of the barrier and cases, sledges, and so on were put out on the ice Kaini and Maru means I have been told the ship that opens the south Prestudon I went on board her later in the day to see what she was laying at neither the leader of the expedition nor the captain of the ship Prestudon had the cinematograph apparatus with him and a lot of photographs were also taken the leader of the Japanese expedition has written somewhere or other that the reason Shackleton's losing all his ponies was that the ponies were not kept in tents at night and had to lie outside he thought the ponies ought to be in the tents and the men outside from this one would think that they were great lovers of animals but I must confess that was not the impression I received they had put penguins into little boxes to take them alive to Japan round about the deck lay dead and half dead skier gulls and heaps on the ice close to the vessel was a seal ripped open with parts of instant trails on the ice but the seal was still alive neither Prestudon or I had any sort of weapon that we could kill the seal with so we asked the Japanese to do it but they only grinned and laughed a little way off two of them were coming across the ice with the seal in front of them they dove on it with two long poles of which they pricked it when it would not go if it fell into a crack they dug it up again as you would see men quarrying stone at home it had not enough life in it to be able to escape its tormentors all this was accompanied by laughter and jokes on arrival at the ship the animal was nearly dead and it was left there till it expired on the 19th we had a fresh southwesterly wind and a lot of ice went out the Japanese occupied most of the night and going round among the flows and picking up men dogs cases and so on as they had put a good deal on the ice in the course of the day as the ice came out so the from went in right up to latitude 78 degrees 35 minutes south while the Karnan Maru drifted farther and farther out till at last she disappeared nor do we see the vessel again but a couple of men with a tent state on the barrier as long as we were in the bay on the night of the 24th there was a stiff breeze from the west and we drifted so far out in the thick snow that was only on the afternoon of the 27th that we could make our way and again through a massive ice in the course of these two days so much ice had broken up that we came right in at latitude 78 degrees 39 minutes south or almost to Fromheim and that was very lucky as we stood in over the bay of Wales we caught sight of a big Norwegian naval insignia flying on the barrier at Cape Man's head and then I knew that the southern party had arrived we went therefore as far south as and blew out our powerful siren nor was it very long before eight men came tearing down there was great enthusiasm the first man on board was the chief I was so certain that he had reached the goal that I never asked him nor till an hour later when we had discussed all kinds of other things did I inquire well of course you have been at the south pole we lay there for a couple of days on account of the short distance from Fromheim for visions outfit etc were brought on board if such great masses of ice had not drifted out in the last few days it would probably have taken us a week or two to get the same quantity on board at 9 30 p.m. on January 30th 1912 in a thick fog we took our moorings on board and waved a last farewell to the mighty barrier from the barrier to Buenos Hobart the first day after our departure from the barrier everything we had taken on board was stowed away so the one would not have thought our numbers were doubled or that we had taken several hundred cases and a lot of outfit on board the change was only noticed on deck where 39 powerful dogs made an uproar all day long and in the four saloon which was entirely changed this saloon had been deserted for about a year was now full of men and it was a pleasure to be there especially as everyone had something to tell the chief of his trip Prestud of his and Gerritz in an eye of the Froms however there was not very much time for yawning and the chief at once began writing cablegrams and lectures which Prestud and I translated into English and the chief then copied again on a typewriter in addition to this I was occupied all the time in drawing charts so then I would rival at Hobart everything was ready the time passed quickly and the voyage was fearfully long as regards to the pack ice we were extremely lucky it lay in exactly the same spot where we had met it in 1911 that is in about latitude 75 degrees south we went along the edge of it for a very short time and then it was done with nothing but a few small icebergs we made terribly slow progress to the northward how slow may be perhaps understood if I quote my diary for February 27th this trip is slower than anything we have had before now and then we manage an average rate of two knots an hour in a day's run in the last four days we have covered a distance that before would have been too little for a single day we have been added now for nearly a month and are still only between latitude 52 degrees and 53 degrees south gales from the north are almost the order of the day, etc however it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good and the time well was employed with all we had to do after five weeks struggle we had at last reach Hobart and anchored in the splendid harbor on March 7th our fresh provisions from Buenos Aires just lasted out the last of the fresh potatoes were finished a couple of days before our arrival and the last pig was killed when we had been at Hobart for two days the fromet remained here for 13 days which were chiefly spent in repairing the propeller and cleaning the engine in addition to this the top sail yard which was nearly broken in the middle was spliced as we had no anything a new one the first week was quiet on board as owning to the circumstances there were no communications with the shore but after that the ship was full of visitors so that we were not very sorry to get away again 21 of our dogs were presented to Dr. Marston the leader of the Australian expedition and only those dogs that had been to the south pole and a few puppies 18 and all were left on board why we lay in Hobart Dr. Marston's ship the Aurora came in I want to board her one day and have thus been on board the vessels of all the present Antarctic expeditions on the Taranova the British on February 14th 9-11 in the Bay of Wales on the Dutchland the German in September and October 19-11 in Buenos Aires on the Cane Maru the Japanese on January 17th 19-12 in the Bay of Wales and finally on the Aurora on the Aurora in Hobart not forgetting the Fram which of course I think best of all on March 20th the Fram weighed anchor and left Tansmanian we made very poor progress to begin with as we had calms for nearly three weeks in spite of it being the month of March in the west wind belt of the south pacific on the morning of Easter Sunday April 7th the wind first freshened from the northwest and blew day after day a stiff breeze and a gale alternately so that we went splendidly all the way to the Falkland Islands in spite of the fact that the top sail was reefed for nearly five weeks on account of the fragile state of the yarn I believe most of us wanted to get on fast the trip is now over for the present and those who had families at home naturally wanted to be with them as soon as they could perhaps that was why we went so well on April 1st Mrs. Snupson on April 4th Tate Pups for those were killed while the rest of each sex were allowed to live on Maudi Thursday April 4th we were in longitude 180 degrees and changed the date so that we had two Maudi Thursdays in one week this gave us a good many holidays running and I cannot say the effect is altogether cheerful it was a good thing when Easter Tuesday came round as an ordinary week day on May 6 we passed Cape Horn in very fair weather it is true we had a snow squall of hurricane violence but it did not last that much more than a half of an hour for a few days the temperature was a little below freezing point but it rose rapidly as soon as we were out in the Atlantic from Hobart to Cape Horn we saw no ice after passing the Falkland Islands we had a headwind on the night of May 21 we passed Montevideo where the chief had arrived a few hours before from here up the river La Plata we went so slowly on account of the headwind that we did not anchor in the roads of Buenos Aires until the afternoon of the 23rd almost exactly at the same time as the chief landed at Buenos Aires when I went ashore the next morning I met Mr. P. Christopherson he was in great good humor this is just like a fairy tale he said and it could not have been denied that it was an amusing coincidence the chief of course was equally pleased on the 25th the Argentine National FETI the Fram was moored at the same quay that it had left on October 5th, 1911 at our departure there were exactly seven people on board to say goodbye but as far as I could see there were more than this and I was able to make out from the newspapers and other sources that in the course of a couple of months the 3rd Fram expedition had grown considerably in popularity in conclusion I will give one or two data since the Fram left Cristina on June 7th, 1910 we have been two and a half times around the globe the distance covered is about 54,400 nautical miles the lowest reading on the barometer during the time was 27.56 inches 700 millimeters in March, 1911 the South Pacific and the highest 30.82 inches 783 millimeters in October, 1911 in the South Atlantic on June 7th, 1912 the second anniversary of our leaving Cristina all the members of the expedition except the chief and myself left for Norway and the second half of the expedition was thus brought to a fortunate conclusion End of section 36 End of the South Pole by Roel Amundsen recorded by Ken Campbell