The Return to Framheim
The going was splendid and all were in good spirits, so we went along
at a great pace. One would almost have thought the dogs knew they were
homeward bound. A mild, summer-like wind, with a temperature of -22°
F., was our last greeting from the Pole.
When we came to our last camp, where the sledge was left, we stopped
and took a few things with us. From this point we came into the line
of beacons. Our tracks had already become very indistinct, but, thanks
to his excellent sight, Bjaaland kept in them quite well. The beacons,
however, served their purpose so satisfactorily that the tracks were
almost superfluous. Although these beacons were not more than about 3
feet high, they were extremely conspicuous on the level surface. When
the sun was on them, they shone like electric lighthouses; and when
the sun was on the other side, they looked so dark in the shadow that
one would have taken them for black rocks. We intended in future to
travel at night; the advantages of this were many and great. In the
first place, we should have the sun behind us, which meant a good deal
to our eyes. Going against the sun on a snow surface like this tells
fearfully on the eyes, even if one has good snow-goggles; but with
the sun at one's back it is only play. Another great advantage --
which we did not reap till later -- was that it gave us the warmest
part of the twenty-four hours in the tent, during which time we had
an opportunity of drying wet clothes, and so on. This last advantage
was, however, a doubtful one, as we shall see in due course.
It was a great comfort to turn our backs to the south. The wind,
which had nearly always been in this quarter, had often been very
painful to our cracked faces; now we should always have it at our
backs, and it would help us on our way, besides giving our faces
time to heal. Another thing we were longing for was to come down
to the Barrier again, so that we could breathe freely. Up here we
were seldom able to draw a good long breath; if we only had to say
"Yes," we had to do it in two instalments. The asthmatic condition in
which we found ourselves during our six weeks' stay on the plateau
was anything but pleasant. We had fixed fifteen geographical miles
(seventeen and three-eighths statute miles) as a suitable day's march
on the homeward journey. We had, of course, many advantages now as
compared with the southward journey, which would have enabled us to
do longer marches than this; but we were afraid of overworking the
dogs, and possibly using them up before we had gone very far, if we
attempted too great a distance daily. It soon proved, however, that
we had underestimated our dogs' powers; it only took us five hours
to cover the appointed distance, and our rest was therefore a long one.
On December 19 we killed the first dog on the homeward trip. This was
Lasse, my own favourite dog. He had worn himself out completely, and
was no longer worth anything. He was divided into fifteen portions,
as nearly equal as possible, and given to his companions. They had
now learnt to set great store by fresh meat, and it is certain that
the extra feeds, like this one, that took place from time to time
on the way home, had no small share in the remarkably successful
result. They seemed to benefit by these meals of fresh meat for
several days afterwards, and worked much more easily.
December 20 began with bitter weather, a breeze from the south-east,
grey and thick. We lost the trail, and for some time had to go by
compass. But as usual it suddenly cleared, and once more the plain
lay before us, light and warm. Yes, too warm it was. We had to take
off everything -- nearly -- and still the sweat poured off us. It was
not for long that we were uncertain of the way: our excellent beacons
did us brilliant service, and one after another they came up on the
horizon, flashed and shone, and drew us on to our all-important depot
in 88° 25' S. We were now going slightly uphill, but so slightly that
it was unnoticeable. The hypsometer and barometer, however, were
not to be deceived, and both fell in precisely the same degree as
they had risen before. Even if we had not exactly noticed the rise,
the feeling of it was present. It may perhaps be called imagination,
but I certainly thought I could notice the rise by my breathing.
Our appetite had increased alarmingly during the last few days. It
appeared that we ski-runners evinced a far greater voracity than
the drivers. There were days -- only a few days, be it said --
when I believe any of us three -- Bjaaland, Hassel, and myself --
would have swallowed pebbles without winking. The drivers never
showed such signs of starvation. It has occurred to me that this may
possibly have been due to their being able to lean on the sledges
as they went along, and thus have a rest and support which we had
to do without. It seems little enough simply to rest one's hand on
a sledge on the march, but in the long run, day after day, it may
perhaps make itself felt. Fortunately we were so well supplied that
when this sensation of hunger came over us, we could increase our
daily rations. On leaving the Pole we added to our pemmican ration,
with the result that our wild-beast appetites soon gave way and
shrank to an ordinary good, everyday twist. Our daily programme on
entering upon the return journey was so arranged that we began to get
breakfast ready at 6 p.m., and by 8 p.m. we were usually quite ready
to start the day's march. An hour or so after midnight the fifteen
geographical miles were accomplished, and we could once more put
up our tent, cook our food, and seek our rest. But this rest soon
became so insufferably long. And then there was the fearful heat --
considering the circumstances -- which often made us get out of our
sleeping-bags and lie with nothing over us. These rests of twelve,
fourteen, sometimes as much as sixteen hours, were what most tried our
patience during the early part of the return journey. We could see
so well that all this rest was unnecessary, but still we kept it up
as long as we were on the high ground. Our conversation at this time
used to turn very often on the best way of filling up these long,
unnecessary waits.
That day -- December 20 -- Per -- good, faithful, conscientious Per --
broke down utterly and had to be taken on the sledge the last part
of the way. On arrival at the camping-ground he had his reward. A
little blow of the back of the axe was enough for him; without making
a sound the worn-out animal collapsed. In him Wisting lost one of
his best dogs. He was a curious animal -- always went about quietly
and peaceably, and never took part in the others' battles; from his
looks and behaviour one would have judged him, quite mistakenly, to
be a queer sort of beast who was good for nothing. But when he was
in harness he showed what he could do. Without needing any shouts or
cuts of the whip, he put himself into it from morning to night, and was
priceless as a draught dog. But, like others of the same character, he
could not keep it going any longer; he collapsed, was killed and eaten.
Christmas Eve was rapidly approaching. For us it could not be
particularly festive, but we should have to try to make as much of it
as circumstances would permit. We ought, therefore, to reach our depot
that evening, so as to keep Christmas with a dish of porridge. The
night before Christmas Eve we slaughtered Svartflekken. There was no
mourning on this occasion Svartflekken was one of Hassel's dogs, and
had always been a reprobate. I find the following in my diary, written
the same evening: "Slaughtered Svartflekken this evening. He would
not do any more, although there was not much wrong with his looks. Bad
character. If a man, he would have ended in penal servitude." He was
comparatively fat, and was consumed with evident satisfaction.
Christmas Eve came; the weather was rather changeable -- now overcast,
now clear -- when we set out at 8 p.m. the night before. We had not far
to go before reaching our depot. At 12 midnight we arrived there in the
most glorious weather, calm and warm. Now we had the whole of Christmas
Eve before us, and could enjoy it at our ease. Our depot was at once
taken down and divided between the two sledges. All crumbs of biscuit
were carefully collected by Wisting, the cook for the day, and put into
a bag. This was taken into the tent and vigorously beaten and kneaded;
the result was pulverized biscuit. With this product and a sausage of
dried milk, Wisting succeeded in making a capital dish of Christmas
porridge. I doubt whether anyone at home enjoyed his Christmas dinner
so much as we did that morning in the tent. One of Bjaaland's cigars
to follow brought a festival spirit over the whole camp.
Another thing we had to rejoice about that day was that we had again
reached the summit of the plateau, and after two or three more days'
march would begin to go downhill, finally reaching the Barrier and our
old haunts. Our daily march had hitherto been interrupted by one or
two halts; we stopped to rest both the dogs and ourselves. On Christmas
Eve we instituted a new order of things, and did the whole distance --
fifteen geographical miles -- without a stop. We liked this arrangement
best, after all, and it seemed as if the dogs did the same. As a rule
it was hard to begin the march again after the rest; one got rather
stiff lazy, too, perhaps -- and had to become supple again.
On the 26th we passed 88° S., going well. The surface appeared to have
been exposed to powerful sunshine since we left it, as it had become
quite polished. Going over these polished levels was like crossing
smooth ice, but with the important difference that here the dogs had
a good foothold. This time we sighted high land even in 88°, and it
had great surprises in store for us. It was clear that this was the
same mighty range running to the south-east as we had seen before,
but this time it stretched considerably farther to the south. The
weather was radiantly clear, and we could see by the land that the
range of vision was very great. Summit after summit the range extended
to the south-east, until it gradually disappeared; but to judge from
the atmosphere, it was continued beyond our range of vision in the
same direction. That this chain traverses the Antarctic continent I
therefore consider beyond a doubt. Here we had a very good example
of how deceptive the atmosphere is in these regions. On a day that
appeared perfectly clear we had lost sight of the mountains in 87°,
and now we saw them as far as the eye could reach in 88°. That we
were astonished is a mild expression. We looked and looked, entirely
unable to recognize our position; little did we guess that the huge
mountain-mass that stood up so high and clear on the horizon was Mount
Thorvald Nilsen. How utterly different it had looked in the misty air
when we said good-bye to it. It is amusing to read my diary of this
time and see how persistently we took the bearings of land every day,
and thought it was new. We did not recognize that vast mountain until
Mount Helmer Hanssen began to stick up out of the plain.
On December 28 we left the summit of the plateau, and began the
descent. Although the incline was not perceptible to the naked eye,
its effect could easily be seen in the dogs. Wisting now used a sail on
his sledge, and was thus able to keep up with Hanssen. If anyone had
seen the procession that came marching over the plateau at that time,
he would hardly have thought we had been out for seventy days at a
stretch, for we came at a swinging pace. We always had the wind at
our backs, with sunshine and warmth the whole time. There was never
a thought of using the whip now; the dogs were bursting with health,
and tugged at their harness to get away. It was a hard time for our
worthy forerunner; he often had to spurt as much as he could to keep
clear of Hanssen's dogs. Wisting in full sail, with his dogs howling
for joy, came close behind. Hassel had his work cut out to follow,
and, indeed, I had the same. The surface was absolutely polished,
and for long stretches at a time we could push ourselves along with
our sticks. The dogs were completely changed since we had left the
Pole; strange as it may sound, it is nevertheless true that they
were putting on flesh day by day, and getting quite fat. I believe
it must have been feeding them on fresh meat and pemmican together
that did this. We were again able to increase our ration of pemmican
from December 28; the daily ration was 1 pound (450 grams) per man,
and we could not manage more -- at least, I think not.
On December 29 we went downhill more and more, and it was indeed
tough work being a ski-runner. The drivers stood so jauntily by the
side of their sledges, letting themselves be carried over the plain
at a phenomenal pace. The surface consisted of sastrugi, alternating
with smooth stretches like ice. Heaven help me, how we ski-runners
had to struggle to keep up! It was all very well for Bjaaland; he
had flown faster on even worse ground. But for Hassel and me it was
different. I saw Hassel put out, now an arm; now a leg, and make the
most desperate efforts to keep on his feet. Fortunately I could not
see myself; if I had been able to, I am sure I should have been in
fits of laughter. Early that day Mount Helmer Hanssen appeared. The
ground now went in great undulations -- a thing we had not noticed
in the mist when we were going south. So high were these undulations
that they suddenly hid the view from us. The first we saw of Mount
Hanssen was from the top of one of these big waves; it then looked
like the top of a pressure hummock that was just sticking up above
the surface. At first we did not understand at all what it was; it
was not till the next day that we really grasped it, when the pointed
blocks of ice covering the top of the mountain came into view. As I
have said, it was only then that we made sure of being on the right
course; all the rest of the land that we saw was so entirely strange
to us. We recognized absolutely nothing.
On the 30th we passed 87° S., and were thus rapidly nearing the Devil's
Ballroom and Glacier. The next day was brilliantly fine-temperature
-2.2° F. -- with a good breeze right aft. To our great joy, we got
sight of the land around the Butcher's Shop. It was still a long way
off, of course, but was miraged up in the warm, sunny air. We were
extraordinarily lucky on our homeward trip; we escaped the Devil's
Ballroom altogether.
On January 1 we ought, according to our reckoning, to reach the Devil's
Glacier, and this held good. We could see it at a great distance;
huge hummocks and ice-waves towered into the sky. But what astonished
us was that between these disturbances and on the far side of them,
we seemed to see an even, unbroken plain, entirely unaffected by the
broken surface. Mounts Hassel, Wisting, and Bjaaland, lay as we had
left them; they were easy to recognize when we came a little nearer
to them. Now Mount Helmer Hanssen again towered high into the air;
it flashed and sparkled like diamonds as it lay bathed in the rays of
the morning sun. We assumed that we had come nearer to this range than
when we were going south, and that this was the reason of our finding
the ground so changed. When we were going south, it certainly looked
impassable between us and the mountains; but who could tell? Perhaps
in the middle of all the broken ground that we then saw there was a
good even stretch, and that we had now been lucky enough to stumble
upon it. But it was once more the atmosphere that deceived us, as we
found out on the following day, for instead of being nearer the range
we had come farther out from it, and this was the reason of our only
getting a little strip of this undesirable glacier.
We had our camp that evening in the middle of a big, filled-up
crevasse. We were a trifle anxious as to what kind of surface we
should find farther on; that these few hummocks and old crevasses
were all the glacier had to offer us this time, was more than we
dared to hope. But the 2nd came, and brought -- thank God! -- no
disappointment. With incredible luck we had slipped past all those
ugly and dangerous places, and now, before we knew where we were,
we found ourselves safe and sound on the plain below the glacier. The
weather was not first-rate when we started at seven in the evening. It
was fairly thick, and we could only just distinguish the top of Mount
Bjaaland. This was bad, as we were now in the neighbourhood of our
depot, and would have liked clear weather to find out where it lay;
but instead of clearing, as we hoped, it grew thicker and thicker,
and when we had gone about six and three-quarter miles, it was so bad
that we thought it best to stop and wait for a while. We had all the
time been going on the erroneous assumption that we had come too far to
the east-that is, too near the mountains -- and under the circumstances
-- in the short gleams that had come from time to time -- we had not
been able to recognize the ground below the glacier. According to
our idea, we were on the east of the depot. The bearings, which had
been taken in thick air, and were now to guide us in this heavy mist,
gave no result whatever. There was no depot to be seen.
We had just swallowed the grateful warm pemmican when the sun suddenly
showed itself. I don't think the camp was ever broken and the sledges
packed in such a short time. From the moment we jumped out of our
bags till the sledges were ready, it only took us fifteen minutes,
which is incredibly quick. "What on earth is that shining over there
through the fog?" The question came from one of the lads. The mist
had divided, and was rolling away on both sides; in the western bank
something big and white peeped through -- along ridge running north
and south. Hurrah! it's Helland Hansen. Can't possibly be anything
else. Our only landmark on the west. We all shouted with joy on meeting
this old acquaintance. But in the direction of the depot the fog hung
thick. We held a brief consultation, and agreed to let it go, to steer
for the Butcher's and put on the pace. We had food enough, anyhow. No
sooner said than done, and we started off. It rapidly cleared, and
then, on our way towards Helland Hansen, we found out that we had
come, not too far to the east, but too far to the west. But to turn
round and begin to search for our depot was not to our liking. Below
Mount Helland Hansen we came up on a fairly high ridge. We had now
gone our fixed distance, and so halted.
Behind us, in the brightest, clearest weather, lay the glacier, as we
had seen it for the first time on our way to the south: break after
break, crevasse after crevasse. But in among all this nastiness there
ran a white, unbroken line, the very path we had stood and looked at a
few weeks back. And directly below that white stripe we knew, as sure
as anything could be, that our depot lay. We stood there expressing our
annoyance rather forcibly at the depot having escaped us so easily,
and talking of how jolly it would have been to have picked up all
our depots from the plain we had strewed them over. Dead tired as I
felt that evening, I had not the least desire to go back the fifteen
miles that separated us from it. "If anybody would like to make the
trip, he shall have many thanks." They all wanted to make it -- all
as one man. There was no lack of volunteers in that company. I chose
Hanssen and Bjaaland. They took nearly everything off the sledge,
and went away with it empty.
It was then five in the morning. At three in the afternoon they
came back to the tent, Bjaaland running in front, Hanssen driving
the sedge. That was a notable feat, both for men and dogs. Hanssen,
Bjaaland, and that team had covered about fifty miles that day,
at an average rate of three to three and a half miles an hour. They
had found the depot without much search. Their greatest difficulty
had been in the undulating surface; for long stretches at a time
they were in the hollows between the waves, which shut in their view
entirely. Ridge succeeded ridge, endlessly. We had taken care that
everything was ready for their return -- above all great quantities
of water. Water, water was the first thing, and generally the last,
that was in request. When their thirst was a little quenched,
great interest was shown in the pemmican. While these two were
being well looked after, the depot they had brought in was divided
between the two sledges, and in a short time all was ready for our
departure. Meanwhile, the weather had been getting finer and finer,
and before us lay the mountains, sharp and clear. We thought we
recognized Fridtjof Nansen and Don Pedro Christophersen, and took
good bearings of them in case the fog should return. With most of us
the ideas of day and night began to get rather mixed. "Six o'clock,"
someone would answer, when asked the time. "Yes, in the morning,"
remarks the other. "No; what are you talking about?" answers the
first one again; "it's evening, of course." The date was hopeless;
it was a good thing if we remembered the year. Only when writing in
our diaries and observation books did we come across such things as
dates; while at work we had not the remotest idea of them.
Splendid weather it was when we turned out on the morning of January
3. We had now agreed to go as it suited us, and take no notice of day
or night; for some time past we had all been sick of the long hours
of rest, and wanted to break them up at any price. As I have said,
the weather could not have been finer brilliantly clear and a dead
calm. The temperature of -2.2° F. felt altogether like summer in
this bright, still air. Before we began our march all unnecessary
clothes were taken off and put on the sledges. It almost looked as
if everything would be considered superfluous, and the costume in
which we finally started would no doubt have been regarded as somewhat
unseemly in our latitudes. We smiled and congratulated ourselves that
at present no ladies had reached the Antarctic regions, or they might
have objected to our extremely comfortable and serviceable costume. The
high land now stood out still more sharply. It was very interesting
to see in these conditions the country we had gone through on,
the southward trip in the thickest blizzard. We had then been going
along the foot of this immense mountain chain without a suspicion
of how near we were to it, or how colossal it was. The ground was
fortunately quite undisturbed in this part. I say fortunately, as
Heaven knows what would have happened to us if we had been obliged
to cross a crevassed surface in such weather as we then had. Perhaps
we should have managed it -- perhaps not.
The journey before us was a stiff one, as the Butcher's lay 2,680
feet higher than the place where we were. We had been expecting to
stumble upon one of our beacons before long, but this did not happen
until we had gone twelve and a half miles. Then one of them suddenly
came in sight, and was greeted with joy. We knew well enough that we
were on the right track, but an old acquaintance like this was very
welcome all the same. The sun had evidently been at work up here while
we were in the south, as some of the beacons were quite bent over,
and great icicles told us clearly enough how powerful the sunshine
had been. After a march of about twenty-five miles we halted at the
beacon we had built right under the hill, where we had been forced
to stop by thick weather on November 25.
January 4 was one of the days to which we looked forward with anxiety,
as we were then due at our depot at the Butcher's, and had to find
it. This depot, which consisted of the finest, fresh dogs' flesh, was
of immense importance to us. Not only had our animals got into the way
of preferring this food to pemmican, but, what was of still greater
importance, it had an extremely good effect on the dogs' state of
health. No doubt our pemmican was good enough -- indeed, it could not
have been better -- but a variation of diet is a great consideration,
and seems, according to my experience, to mean even more to the dogs
than to the men on a long journey like this. On former occasions I have
seen dogs refuse pemmican, presumably because they were tired of it,
having no variety; the result was that the dogs grew thin and weak,
although we had food enough. The pemmican I am referring to on that
occasion was made for human use, so that their distaste cannot have
been due to the quality.
It was 1.15 a.m. when we set out. We had not had a long sleep, but it
was very important to avail ourselves of this fine, clear weather while
it lasted; we knew by experience that up here in the neighbourhood of
the Butcher's the weather was not to be depended upon. From the outward
journey we knew that the distance from the beacon where our camp was
to the depot at the Butcher's was thirteen and a half miles. We had
not put up more than two beacons on this stretch, but the ground was
of such a nature that we thought we could not go wrong. That it was
not so easy to find the way, in spite of the beacons, we were soon to
discover. In the fine, clear weather, and with Hanssen's sharp eyes,
we picked up both our beacons. Meanwhile we were astonished at the
appearance of the mountains. As I have already mentioned, we thought
the weather was perfectly clear when we reached the Butcher's for
the first time, on November 20. I then took a bearing from the tent
of the way we had come up on to the plateau between the mountains,
and carefully recorded it. After passing our last beacon, when we
were beginning to approach the Butcher's -- as we reckoned -- we were
greatly surprised at the aspect of our surroundings. Last time --
on November 20 -- we had seen mountains on the west and north, but
a long way off: Now the whole of that part of the horizon seemed
to be filled with colossal mountain masses, which were right over
us. What in the world was the meaning of this? Was it witchcraft? I
am sure I began to think so for a moment. I would readily have taken
my most solemn oath that I had never seen that landscape before in my
life. We had now gone the full distance, and according to the beacons
we had passed, we ought to be on the spot. This was very strange; in
the direction in which I had taken the bearing of our ascent, we now
only saw the side of a perfectly unknown mountain, sticking up from
the plain. There could be absolutely no way down in that precipitous
wall. Only on the north-west did the ground give the impression of
allowing a descent; there a natural depression seemed to be formed,
running down towards the Barrier, which we could see far, far away.
We halted and discussed the situation. "Hullo!" Hanssen suddenly
exclaimed, "somebody has been here before." -- "Yes," broke in Wisting;
"I'm hanged if that isn't my broken ski that I stuck up by the
depot." So it was Wisting's broken ski that brought us out of this
unpleasant situation. It was a good thing he put it there -- very
thoughtful, in any case. I now examined the place with the glasses,
and by the side of a snow mound, which proved to be our depot, but
might easily have escaped our notice, we could see the ski sticking
up out of the snow. We cheerfully set our course for the spot, but
did not reach it until we had gone three miles.
There was rejoicing in our little band when we arrived and saw that
what we had considered the most important point of our homeward
journey had been reached. It was not so much for the sake of the food
it contained that we considered it so necessary to find this spot,
as for discovering the way down to the Barrier again. And now that
we stood there, we recognized this necessity more than ever. For
although we now knew, from our bearings, exactly where the descent
lay, we could see nothing of it at all. The plateau there seemed to go
right up to the mountain, without any opening towards the lower ground
beyond; and yet the compass told us that such an opening must exist,
and would take us down. The mountain, on which we had thus walked all
day on the outward journey, without knowing anything of it, was Mount
Fridtjof Nansen. Yes, the difference in the light made a surprising
alteration in the appearance of things.
The first thing we did on reaching the depot was to take out the
dogs' carcasses that lay there and cut them into big lumps, that
were divided among the dogs. They looked rather surprised; they
had not been accustomed to such rations. We threw three carcasses
on to the sledges, so as to have a little extra food for them on
the way down. The Butcher's was not a very friendly spot this time,
either. True, it was not the same awful weather as on our first visit,
but it was blowing a fresh breeze with a temperature of -9.4° F.,
which, after the heat of the last few days, seemed to go to one's
marrow, and did not invite us to stay longer than was absolutely
necessary. Therefore, as soon as we had finished feeding the dogs
and putting our sledges in order, we set out.
Although the ground had not given us the impression of sloping, we
soon found out that it did so when we got under way. It was not only
downhill, but the pace became so great that we had to stop and put
brakes under the sledges. As we advanced, the apparently unbroken
wall opened more and more, and showed us at last our old familiar
ascent. There lay Mount Ole Engelstad, snowclad and cold, as we saw
it the first time. As we rounded it we came on to the severe, steep
slope, where, on the way south, I had so much admired the work done
by my companions and the dogs that day. But now I had an even better
opportunity of seeing how steep this ascent really had been. Many
were the brakes we had to put on before we could reduce the speed
to a moderate pace, but even so we came down rapidly, and soon the
first part of the descent lay behind us. So as not to be exposed to
possible gusts from the plain, we went round Mount Engelstad and
camped under the lee of it, well content with the day's work. The
snow lay here as on our first visit, deep and loose, and it was
difficult to find anything like a good place for the tent. We could
soon feel that we had descended a couple of thousand feet and come
down among the mountains. It was still, absolutely still, and the
sun broiled us as on a day of high summer at home. I thought, too,
that I could notice a difference in my breathing; it seemed to work
much more easily and pleasantly -- perhaps it was only imagination.
At one o'clock on the following morning we were out again. The sight
that met our eyes that morning, when we came out of the tent, was one
of those that will always live in our memories. The tent stood in the
narrow gap between Fridtjof Nansen and Ole Engelstad. The sun, which
now stood in the south, was completely hidden by the latter mountain,
and our camp was thus in the deepest shadow; but right against us
on the other side the Nansen mountain raised its splendid ice-clad
summit high towards heaven, gleaming and sparkling in the rays of
the midnight sun. The shining white passed gradually, very gradually,
into pale blue, then deeper and deeper blue, until the shadow swallowed
it up. But down below, right on the Heiberg Glacier, its ice-covered
side was exposed -- dark and solemn the mountain mass stood out. Mount
Engelstad lay in shadow, but on its summit rested a beautiful light
little cirrus cloud, red with an edge of gold. Down over its side
the blocks of ice lay scattered pell-mell. And farther down on the
east rose Don Pedro Christophersen, partly in shadow, partly gleaming
in the sun -- a marvellously beautiful sight. And all was so still;
one almost feared to disturb the incomparable splendour of the scene.
We now knew the ground well enough to be able to go straight ahead
without any detours. The huge avalanches were more frequent than on
the outward journey. One mass of snow after another plunged down;
Don Pedro was getting rid of his winter coat. The going was precisely
the same -- loose, fairly deep snow. We went quite easily over it,
however, and it was all downhill. On the ridge where the descent to
the glacier began we halted to make our preparations. Brakes were
put under the sledges, and our two ski-sticks were fastened together
to make one strong one; we should have to be able to stop instantly
if surprised by a crevasse as we were going. We ski-runners went in
front. The going was ideal here on the steep slope, just enough loose
snow to give one good steering on ski. We went whizzing down, and it
was not many minutes before we were on the Heiberg Glacier. For the
drivers it was not quite such plain sailing: they followed our tracks,
but had to be extremely careful on the steep fall.
We camped that evening on the selfsame spot where we had had our tent
on November 18, at about 3,100 feet above the sea. From here one could
see the course of the Axel Heiberg Glacier right down to its junction
with the Barrier. It looked fine and even, and we decided to follow
it instead of climbing over the mountain, as we had done on the way
south. Perhaps the distance would be somewhat longer, but probably we
should make a considerable saving of time. We had now agreed upon a new
arrangement of our time; the long spells of rest were becoming almost
unbearable. Another very important side of the question was that,
by a reasonable arrangement, we should be able to save a lot of time,
and reach home several days sooner than we had reckoned. After a great
deal of talk on one side and on the other, we agreed to arrange matters
thus: we were to do our fifteen geographical miles, or twenty-eight
kilometres, and then have a sleep of six hours, turn out again and do
fifteen miles more, and so on. In this way we should accomplish a very
good average distance on our day's march. We kept to this arrangement
for the rest of the journey, and thus saved a good many days.
Our progress down the Heiberg Glacier did not encounter any
obstructions; only at the transition from the glacier to the Barrier
were there a few crevasses that had to be circumvented. At 7 a.m. on
January 6 we halted at the angle of land that forms the entrance to
the Heiberg Glacier, and thence extends northward. We had not yet
recognized any of the land we lay under, but that was quite natural,
as we now saw it from the opposite side. We knew, though, that we
were not far away from our main depot in 85° 5' S. On the afternoon
of the same day we were off again.
From a little ridge we crossed immediately after starting, Bjaaland
thought he could see the depot down on the Barrier, and it was not
very long before we came in sight of Mount Betty and our way up. And
now we could make sure with the glasses that it really was our depot
that we saw -- the same that Bjaaland thought he had seen before. We
therefore set our course straight for it, and in a few minutes we
were once more on the Barrier -- January 6, 11 p.m. -- after a stay
of fifty-one days on land. It was on November 17 that we had begun
the ascent.
We reached the depot, and found everything in order. The heat here
must have been very powerful; our lofty, solid depot was melted by
the sun into a rather low mound of snow. The pemmican rations that
had been exposed to the direct action of the sun's rays had assumed
the strangest forms, and, of course, they had become rancid. We
got the sledges ready at once, taking all the provisions out of the
depot and loading them. We left behind some of the old clothes we
had been wearing all the way from here to the Pole and back. When
we had completed all this repacking and had everything ready, two
of us went over to Mount Betty, and collected as many different
specimens of rock as we could lay our hands on. At the same time we
built a great cairn, and left there a can of 17 litres of paraffin,
two packets of matches -- containing twenty boxes -- and an account
of our expedition. Possibly someone may find a use for these things
in the future.
We had to kill Frithjof, one of Bjaaland's dogs, at this camp. He had
latterly been showing marked signs of shortness of breath, and finally
this became so painful to the animal that we decided to put an end
to him. Thus brave Frithjof ended his career. On cutting him open
it appeared that his lungs were quite shrivelled up; nevertheless,
the remains disappeared pretty quickly into his companions'
stomachs. What they had lost in quantity did not apparently affect
their quality. Nigger, one of Hassel's dogs, had been destroyed on
the way down from the plateau. We thus reached this point again with
twelve dogs, as we had reckoned on doing, and left it with eleven. I
see in my diary the following remark: "The dogs look just as well
as when we left Framheim." On leaving the place a few hours later
we had provisions for thirty-five days on the sledges. Besides this,
of course, we had a depot at every degree of latitude up to 80°.
It looked as though we had found our depot at the right moment, for
when we came out to continue our journey the whole Barrier was in a
blizzard. A gale was blowing from the south, with a sky completely
clouded over; falling snow and drift united in a delightful dance, and
made it difficult to see. The lucky thing was that now we had the wind
with us, and thus escaped getting it all in our eyes, as, we had been
accustomed to. The big crevasse, which, as we knew, lay right across
the line of our route, made us go very carefully. To avoid any risk,
Bjaaland and Hassel, who went in advance, fastened an alpine rope
between them. The snow was very deep and loose, and the going very
heavy. Fortunately, we were warned in time of our approach to the
expected cracks by the appearance of some bare ice ridges. These told
us clearly enough that disturbances had taken place here, and that even
greater ones might be expected, probably near at hand. At that moment
the thick curtain of cloud was torn asunder, and the sun pierced the
whirling mass of snow. Instantly Hanssen shouted: "Stop, Bjaaland!" He
was just on the edge of the yawning crevasse. Bjaaland himself has
splendid sight, but his excellent snow-goggles -- his own patent --
entirely prevented his seeing. Well, Bjaaland would not have been in
any serious danger if he had fallen into the crevasse, as he was roped
to Hassel, but it would have been confoundedly unpleasant all the same.
As I have said before, I assume that these great disturbances here
mark the boundary between the Barrier and the land. This time,
curiously enough, they seemed also to form a boundary between good
and bad weather, for on the far side of them -- to the north -- the
Barrier lay bathed in sunshine. On the south the blizzard raged worse
than ever. Mount Betty was the last to send us its farewell. South
Victoria Land had gone into hiding, and did not show itself again. As
soon as we came into the sunshine, we ran upon one of our beacons;
our course lay straight towards it. That was not bad steering in the
dark. At 9 p.m. we reached the depot in 85° S. Now we could begin to be
liberal with the dogs' food, too; they had double pemmican rations,
besides as many oatmeal biscuits as they would eat. We had such
masses of biscuits now that we could positively throw them about. Of
course, we might have left a large part of these provisions behind;
but there was a great satisfaction in being so well supplied with
food, and the dogs did not seem to mind the little extra weight in
the least. As long as things went so capitally as they were going --
that is, with men and dogs exactly keeping pace with one another --
we could ask for nothing better. But the weather that had cheered us
was not of long duration. "Same beastly weather," my diary says of
the next stage. The wind had shifted to the north-west, with overcast,
thick weather, and very troublesome drifting snow. In spite of these
unfavourable conditions, we passed beacon after beacon, and at the
end of our march had picked up all the beacons we had erected on
this distance of seventeen miles and three-eighths. But, as before,
we owed this to Hanssen's good eyes.
On our way southward we had taken a good deal of seal meat and had
divided it among the depots we built on the Barrier in such a way that
we were now able to eat fresh meat every day. This had not been done
without an object; if we should be visited with scurvy, this fresh meat
would be invaluable. As we were -- sound and healthy as we had never
been before -- the seal-beef was a pleasant distraction in our menu,
nothing more. The temperature had risen greatly since we came down
on to the Barrier, and kept steady at about + 14° F. We were so warm
in our sleeping-bags that we had to turn them with the hair out. That
was better; we breathed more freely and felt happier. "Just like going
into an ice-cellar," somebody remarked. The same feeling as when on
a really warm summer day one comes out of the hot sun into cool shade.
January 9. -- "Same beastly weather; snow, snow, snow, nothing but
snow. Is there no end to it? Thick too, so that we have not been able
to see ten yards ahead. Temperature + 17.6° F. Thawing everywhere
on the sledges. Everything getting wet. Have not found a single
beacon in this blind man's weather. The snow was very deep to begin
with and the going exceedingly heavy, but in spite of this the dogs
managed their sledges very well." That evening the weather improved,
fortunately, and became comparatively clear by the time we resumed our
journey at 10 p.m. Not long after we sighted one of our beacons. It
lay to the west, about 200 yards away. We were thus not far out of
our course; we turned aside and went up to it, as it was interesting
to see whether our reckoning was in order. The beacon was somewhat
damaged by sunshine and storms, but we found the paper left in it,
which told us that this beacon was erected on November 14, in 84° 26'
S. It also told us what course to steer by compass to reach the next
beacon, which lay five kilometres from this one.
As we were leaving this old friend and setting our course as it
advised, to our unspeakable astonishment two great birds -- skua gulls
-- suddenly came flying straight towards us. They circled round us
once or twice and then settled on the beacon. Can anyone who reads
these lines form an idea of the effect this had upon us? It is hardly
likely. They brought us a message from the living world into this realm
of death -- a message of all that was dear to us. I think the same
thoughts filled us all. They did not allow themselves a long rest,
these first messengers from another world; they sat still a while,
no doubt wondering who we were, then rose aloft and flew on to the
south. Mysterious creatures! they were now exactly half-way between
Framheim and the Pole, and yet they were going farther inland. Were
they going over to the other side?
Our march ended this time at one of our beacons, in 84° 15'. It
felt so good and safe to lie beside one of these; it always gave
us a sure starting-point for the following stage. We were up at
4 a.m. and left the place a few hours later, with the result that
the day's march brought us thirty-four miles nearer Framheim. With
our present arrangement, we had these long-day marches every other
day. Our dogs need no better testimonial than this -- one day
seventeen miles, the next day thirty-four, and fresh all the way
home. The two birds, agreeably as their first appearance had affected
me, led my thoughts after a while in another direction, which was
anything but agreeable. It occurred to me that these two might only
be representatives of a larger collection of these voracious birds,
and that the remainder might now be occupied in consuming all the fresh
meat we had so laboriously transported with us and spread all over the
plain in our depots. It is incredible what a flock of these birds of
prey can get rid of; it would not matter if the meat were frozen as
hard as iron, they would have managed it, even if it had been a good
deal harder than iron. Of the seals' carcasses we had lying in 80°,
I saw in my thoughts nothing but the bones. Of the various dogs we
had killed on our way south and laid on the tops of beacons I did not
see even so much as that. Well, it was possible that my thoughts had
begun to assume too dark a hue; perhaps the reality would be brighter.
Weather and going began by degrees to right themselves; it looked as if
things would improve in proportion to our distance from land. Finally,
both became perfect; the sun shone from a cloudless sky, and the
sledges ran on the fine, even surface with all the ease and speed
that could be desired. Bjaaland, who had occupied the position of
forerunner all the way from the Pole, performed his duties admirably;
but the old saying that nobody is perfect applied even to him. None
of us -- no matter who it may be -- can keep in a straight line, when
he has no marks to follow. All the more difficult is this when, as so
often happened with us, one has to go blindly. Most of us, I suppose,
would swerve now to one side, now to the other, and possibly end,
after all this groping, by keeping pretty well to the line. Not so
with Bjaaland; he was a right-hand man. I can see him now; Hanssen
has given him the direction by compass, and Bjaaland turns round,
points his ski in the line indicated and sets of with decision. His
movements clearly show that he has made up his mind, cost what it
may, to keep in the right direction. He sends his ski firmly along,
so that the snow spurts from them, and looks straight before him. But
the result is the same; if Hanssen had let Bjaaland go on without any
correction, in the course of an hour or so the latter would probably
have described a beautiful circle and brought himself back to the spot
from which he had started. Perhaps. after all, this was not a fault to
complain of, since we always knew with absolute certainty that, when
we had got out of the line of beacons, we were to the right of it and
had to search for the beacons to the west. This conclusion proved very
useful to us more than once, and we gradually became so familiar with
Bjaaland's right-handed tendencies that we actually counted on them.
On January 13, according to our reckoning, we ought to reach the depot
in 83° S. This was the last of our depots that was not marked at right
angles to the route, and therefore the last critical point. The day
was not altogether suited for finding the needle in the haystack. It
was calm with a thick fog, so thick that we could only see a few yards
in front of us. We did not see a single beacon on the whole march. At
4 p.m. we had completed the distance, according to the sledge-meters,
and reckoned that we ought to be in 83° S., by the depot; but there
was nothing to be seen. We decided, therefore, to set our tent and
wait till it cleared. While we were at work with this, there was a
rift in the thick mass of fog, and there, not many yards away -- to
the west, of course -- lay our depot. We quickly took the tent down
again, packed it on the sledge, and drove up to our food mound, which
proved to be quite in order. There was no sign of the birds having
paid it a visit. But what was that? Fresh, well-marked dog-tracks
in the newly-fallen snow. We soon saw that they must be the tracks
of the runaways that we had lost here on the way south. Judging by
appearances, they must have lain under the lee of the depot for
a considerable time; two deep hollows in the snow told us that
plainly. And evidently they must have had enough food, but where
on earth had they got it from? The depot was absolutely untouched,
in spite of the fact that the lumps of pemmican lay exposed to the
light of day and were very easy to get at; besides which, the snow on
the depot was not so hard as to prevent the dogs pulling it down and
eating up all the food. Meanwhile the dogs had left the place again,
as shown by the fresh trail, which pointed to the north. We examined
the tracks very closely, and agreed that they were not more than
two days old. They went northward, and we followed them from time to
time on our next stage. At the beacon in 82° 45', where we halted,
we saw them still going to the north. In 82° 24' the trail began to
be much confused, and ended by pointing due west. That was the last
we saw of the tracks; but we had not done with these dogs, or rather
with their deeds. We stopped at the beacon in 82° 20'. Else, who
had been laid on the top of it, had fallen down and lay by the side;
the sun had thawed away the lower part of the beacon. So the roving
dogs had not been here; so much was certain, for otherwise we should
not have found Else as we did. We camped at the end of that stage by
the beacon in 82° 15', and shared out Else's body. Although she had
been lying in the strong sunshine, the flesh was quite good, when we
had scraped away a little mouldiness. It smelt rather old, perhaps,
but our dogs were not fastidious when it was a question of meat.
On January 16 we arrived at the depot in 82° S. We could see
from a long way off that the order in which we had left it no
longer prevailed. When we came up to it, we saw at once what had
happened. The innumerable dog-tracks that had trampled the snow quite
hard round the depot declared plainly enough that the runaways had
spent a good deal of time here. Several of the cases belonging to
the depot had fallen down, presumably from the same cause as Else,
and the rascals had succeeded in breaking into one of them. Of the
biscuits and pemmican which it had contained, nothing, of course,
was left; but that made no difference to us now, as we had food in
abundance. The two dogs' carcasses that we had placed on the top of
the depot -- Uranus and Jaala -- were gone, not even the teeth were to
be seen. Yet they had left the teeth of Lucy, whom they had eaten in
82° 3'. Jaala's eight puppies were still lying on the top of a case;
curiously enough, they had not fallen down. In addition to all the
rest, the beasts had devoured some ski-bindings and things of that
sort. It was no loss to us, as it happened; but who could tell which
way these creatures had gone? If they had succeeded in finding the
depot in 80° S., they would probably by this time have finished our
supply of seal meat there. Of course it would be regrettable if this
had happened, although it would entail no danger either to ourselves
or our animals. If we got as far as 80°, we should come through all
right. For the time being, we had to console ourselves with the fact
that we could see no continuation of the trail northward.
We permitted ourselves a little feast here in 82°. The "chocolate
pudding" that Wisting served as dessert is still fresh in my memory;
we all agreed that it came nearer perfection than anything it had
hitherto fallen to our lot to taste. I may disclose the receipt:
biscuit-crumbs, dried milk and chocolate are put into a kettle of
boiling water. What happens afterwards, I don't know; for further
information apply to Wisting. Between 82° and 81° we came into our
old marks of the second depot journey; on that trip we had marked
this distance with splinters of packing-case at every geographical
mile. That was in March, 1911, and now we were following these
splinters in the second half of January, 1912. Apparently they stood
exactly as they had been put in. This marking stopped in 81° 33' S.,
with two pieces of case on a snow pedestal. The pedestal was still
intact and good.
I shall let my diary describe what we saw on January 18: "Unusually
fine weather to-day. Light south-south-west breeze, which in the
course of our march cleared the whole sky. In 81° 20' we came abreast
of our old big pressure ridges. We now saw far more of them than ever
before. They extended as far as the eye could see, running north-east
to south-west, in ridges and peaks. Great was our surprise when, a
short time after, we made out high, bare land in the same direction,
and not long after that two lofty, white summits to the south-east,
probably in about 82° S. It could be seen by the look of the sky
that the land extended from north-east to south-west. This must be
the same land that we saw lose itself in the horizon in about 84°S.,
when we stood at a height of about 4,000 feet and looked out over
the Barrier, during our ascent. We now have sufficient indications to
enable us without hesitation to draw this land as continuous -- Carmen
Land. The surface against the land is violently disturbed -- crevasses
and pressure ridges, waves and valleys, in all directions. We shall
no doubt feel the effect of it to-morrow." Although what we have seen
apparently justifies us in concluding that Carmen Land extends from
86° S. to this position -- about 81° 30' S. -- and possibly farther
to the north-east, I have not ventured to lay it down thus on the
map. I have contented myself with giving the name of Carmen Land to
the land between 86° and 84°, and have called the rest "Appearance
of Land." It will be a profitable task for an explorer to investigate
this district more closely.
As we had expected, on our next stage we were made to feel the effect
of the disturbances. Three times we had now gone over this stretch of
the Barrier without having really clear weather. This time we had it,
and were able to see what it actually looked like. The irregularities
began in 81° 12' S., and did not extend very far from north to
south-possibly about five kilometres (three and a quarter miles). How
far they extended from east to west it is difficult to say, but at any
rate as far as the eye could reach. Immense pieces of the surface had
fallen away and opened up the most horrible yawning gulfs, big enough
to swallow many caravans of the size of ours. From these open holes,
ugly wide cracks ran out in all directions; besides which, mounds and
haycocks were everywhere to be seen. Perhaps the most remarkable thing
of all was that we had passed over here unharmed. We went across as
light-footedly as possible, and at top speed. Hanssen went halfway
into a crevasse, but luckily got out of it again without difficulty.
The depot in 81° S. was in perfect order; no dog-tracks to be
seen there. Our hopes that the depot in 80° S. would be intact rose
considerably. In 80° 45' S. lay the first dog we had killed -- Bone. He
was particularly fat, and was immensely appreciated. The dogs no
longer cared very much for pemmican. On January 21 we passed our last
beacon, which stood in 80° 23' S. Glad as we were to leave it behind,
I cannot deny that it was with a certain feeling of melancholy that
we saw it vanish. We had grown so fond of our beacons, and whenever
we met them we greeted them as old friends. Many and great were the
services these silent watchers did us on our long and lonely way.
On the same day we reached our big depot in 80° S., and now we
considered that we were back. We could see at once that others had
been at the depot since we had left it, and we found a message from
Lieutenant Prestrud, the leader of the eastern party, saying that he,
with Stubberud and Johansen, had passed here on November 12, with two
sledges, sixteen dogs, and supplies for thirty days. Everything thus
appeared to be in the best of order. Immediately on arriving at the
depot we let the dogs loose, and they made a dash for the heap of
seal's flesh, which had been attacked neither by birds nor dogs in
our absence. It was not so much for the sake of eating that our dogs
made their way to the meat mound, as for the sake of fighting. Now
they really had something to fight about. They went round the seals'
carcasses a few times, looked askance at the food and at each other,
and then flung themselves into the wildest scrimmage. When this had
been duly brought to a conclusion, they went away and lay round their
sledges. The depot in 80° S. is still large, well supplied and well
marked, so it is not impossible that it may be found useful later.
The journey from 80° S. to Framheim has been so often described that
there is nothing new to say about it. On January 25, at 4 a.m., we
reached our good little house again, with two sledges and eleven dogs;
men and animals all hale and hearty. We stood and waited for each other
outside the door in the early morning; our appearance must be made all
together. It was so still and quiet -- they must be all asleep. We came
in. Stubberud started up in his bunk and glared at us; no doubt he took
us for ghosts. One after another they woke up -- not grasping what was
happening. Then there was a hearty welcome home on all sides "Where's
the Fram?" was of course our first question Our joy was great when we
heard all was well. "And what about the Pole? Have you been there?" --
"Yes, of course; otherwise you would hardly have seen us again." Then
the coffee kettle was put on, and the perfume of "hot cakes" rose as
in old days. We agreed that it was good outside, but still better at
home. Ninety-nine days the trip had taken. Distance about 1,860 miles.
The Franz had come in to the Barrier on January 8, after a three
months' voyage from Buenos Aires; all were well on board. Meanwhile,
bad weather had forced her to put out again. On the following day the
lookout man reported that the Fram was approaching There was life in
the camp; on with furs and out with the dogs. They should see that our
dogs were not worn out yet. We heard the engine panting and grunting,
saw the crow's-nest appear over the edge of the Barrier, and at last
she glided in, sure and steady. It was with a joyful heart I went
on board and greeted all these gallant men, who had brought the
Franz to her destination through so many fatigues and perils, and
had accomplished so much excellent work on the way. They all looked
pleased and happy, but nobody asked about the Pole. At last it slipped
out of Gjertsen: "Have you been there?" Joy is a poor name for the
feeling that beamed in my comrades' faces; it was something more.
I shut myself up in the chart-house with Captain Nilsen, who gave
me my mail and all the news. Three names stood high above the rest,
when I was able to understand all that had happened -- the names of
the three who gave me their support when it was most needed. I shall
always remember them in respectful gratitude --
H. M. The King, Professor Fridtjof Nansen, Don Pedro Christophersen.