Farthest North Volume II Part 23

[11] Used by the Lapps to their dog.--Trans.

[12] Whereas eating snow may increase the above-mentioned feeling of thirst, and have disagreeable consequences in other ways, sucking a piece of ice, which will soon quench it, may safely be resorted to, particularly if it be held in the hand a little while before putting it in the mouth. Many travellers have, no doubt, had the same experience.

[13] We always kept a supply of our various provisions in small bags inside the kayaks, so that we could get out whatever we wanted for our daily consumption without undoing the big sacks, which were sewed up or securely fastened in other ways.

[14] When I left the s.h.i.+p I had purposed to travel northward for 50 days, for which time we had taken provender for the dogs.

[15] This was the lat.i.tude I got by a rough estimation, but on further calculation it proved to be 86 13.6' N.; the longitude was about 95 E.

[16] I felt convinced we could not have reached such a westerly longitude, but a.s.sumed this for the sake of certainty, as I would rather come down on the east side of Franz Josef Land than on the west side. Should we reach the lat.i.tude of Petermann's Land or Prince Rudolf Land without seeing them, I should in the former case be certain that we had them on our west, and could then look for them in that direction, whereas, in the event of our not finding land and being uncertain whether we were too far east or too far west, we should not then know in what direction we ought to look for it.

[17] We saw no real ice-mountains at any period of our journey before we got under land; everything was sea-ice. The same was the case during the drift of the Fram.

[18] In point of fact it was nearly three months (till July 24) before this marvel happened.

[19] As on the previous day, the ice on the north side of the lane was moving westward, in comparison with that on the south side. The same thing was the case, or could be seen to have been so, with the lanes we met with later in the day. We naturally conceived this to mean that there was a strong westerly drift in the ice northward, while that southward was retained by land.

[20] The lanes form most frequently in windy weather, as the ice is then set in motion.

[21] In point of fact, we were then about 6 farther east than we thought. I had on April 14th, it will be remembered (compare my notes for that day), surmised that the longitude I then set down (86 E.) was more westerly than that we were actually in.

[22] For melting water in the cooker it is better to use ice than snow, particularly if the latter be not old and granular. Newly fallen snow gives little water, and requires considerably more heat to warm it. That part of salt-water ice which is above the surface of the sea, and, in particular, prominent pieces which have been exposed to the rays of the sun during a summer and are thus freed from the greater part of their salt, furnish excellent drinking-water. Some expeditions have harbored the superst.i.tion that drinking-water from ice in which there was the least salt was injurious. This is a mistake which cost, for instance, the members of the Jeannette expedition much unnecessary trouble, as they thought it imperative to distil the water before they could drink it without incurring the risk of scurvy.

[23] As will be understood by our later discoveries, my surmises were not quite correct. We really were at that time north or northeast of Wilczek's Land, which seems to be only a little island. Meanwhile there must have been extensive open water the previous autumn where this ice was formed. But when it is shown later how much open water we saw on the northwest coast of Franz Josef Land even in winter, this can easily be imagined.

[24] Whereas Finn shoes are made of reindeer-skin with the hair on, "komager" are made of under-tanned hide without hair, generally from the ox or bearded seal (Phoca barbata), with tops of reindeer-skin. They are strong and water-proof. (See description of equipment.)

[25] It was undoubtedly from seals, which often utter a sound like a protracted "ho!"

[26] It was from about 82 52' N. south to 82 19' N. that we travelled over young ice of this description; that is to say, there must have been open water over a distance of fully 32 English geographical miles (33' of lat.i.tude). We also found ice of this kind farther south for a long distance, and the open sea must have been considerably greater.

[27] It was the first diary I used on the sledge journey.

[28] Until this day we had eaten what we required without weighing out rations. It proved that, after all, we did not eat more than what I had originally allowed per day--i.e., 1 kilo. of dried food. We now reduced these day's rations considerably.

[29] It was probably pressure of the floes against each other which caused this movement. We noticed the same motion several times later.

[30] We found water on the ice here suitable for cooking for the first time. It was, however, somewhat salt, so that the "fiskegratin"

was too well seasoned.

[31] As it proved later, we were, in reality, about 6 farther east than we thought.

[32] I called my watch thus after Johannsen, the watchmaker in London who supplied it.

[33] In reality we were somewhat near the point I here a.s.sume (we were in 67 E., approximately). The reason why we did not see the land here mentioned was because it does not exist, as was proved later.

[34] A proper hauling harness is an important item, and in the long run is much less trying than the ordinary hauling strap or rope crosswise over the chest and one shoulder. The form of harness I use consists of two straps, which are pa.s.sed over both shoulders, like the straps of a knap-sack, and are fastened crosswise over the back to a leather belt, where the hauling-rope from the sledge is also attached. It is thus in one's power during the work of hauling to distribute the strain equally between both shoulders and the belt (i.e., the thighs and abdomen). The hauling "centre of gravity" is in this manner lower in the body, just above the legs, which do the work, and the hauling-rope does not, as is usually the case, press only on the upper part of the body.

[35] Certain straps which are fixed on the kayak, just in front of the occupant, and through which the paddle is pa.s.sed when shooting, etc. The blade thus lying laterally on the water very much increases the steadiness of the occupants.

[36] Compare, however, what I say on this subject later--i.e., July 24th.

[37] This was taken in case it might be wanted for soldering the cooking apparatus or the German-silver plates under the sledge-runners.

[38] We eventually decided to retain this, however.

[39] The vessel we expected to catch in Spitzbergen.

[40] This supposition is extremely doubtful.

[41] It proved later that this must be Crown Prince Rudolf Land.

[42] In reality we were probably farther from it than before.

[43] We saw more and more of these remarkable birds the farther we went.

[44] As a rule, we crossed the lanes in this manner; we placed the sledges, with the kayaks on, side by side, lashed them together, stiffened them by running the snow-shoes across under the straps, which also steadied them, and then launched them as they were, with the sledges lashed underneath. When across, we had only to haul them up on the other side.

[45] The first island I called "Eva's Island," the second "Liv's Island," and the little one we were then on "Adelaide's Island." The fourth island south of us had, perhaps, already been seen by Payer, and named by him "Freeden Island." The whole group of islands I named "Hvidtenland" (White Land).

[46] Icebergs of considerable size have been described as having been seen off Franz Josef Land, but I can only say with reference to this that during the whole of our voyage through this archipelago we saw nothing of the kind. The one mentioned here was the biggest of all those we came across, and they were, compared with the Greenland icebergs, quite insignificant ma.s.ses of glacier-ice.

[47] I have called it granite in my diary, but it was in reality a very coa.r.s.e-grained basalt. The specimens I took have unfortunately been lost.

[48] "Houen's Island."

[49] "Torup's Island."

[50] This color is owing to a beautiful minute red alga, which grows on the snow (generally Spaerella nivalis). There were also some yellowish-green patches in this snow, which must certainly be attributed to another species of alga.

[51] It proved later to be Crown Prince Rudolf's Land.

[52] Off Brogger's Foreland.

[53] Clements Markham's Foreland.

[54] h.e.l.land's Foreland.

[55] On h.e.l.land's Foreland.

[56] I took specimens of the different rock formations, lichens, etc., that we came across; but in the course of the winter the collection was stolen by the foxes, and I thus brought little home from the tracts north of our winter hut.

[57] As this promontory is probably the land Jackson saw farthest north in the spring of 1895, it has no name upon my map. It is otherwise with the islands outside, which he did not notice. They are only indicated approximately (as Geelmuyden Island and Alexander's Island), as I am not certain of either their number or their exact situation.

[58] These three islands, whose bearings we were subsequently enabled to take, and which we could see from our winter hut, are probably the land which Jackson saw and took to be "King Oscar Land." In consequence of his having seen them from only one point (his Cape Fisher), due south, in 81, he has placed them 40' too far north, in 82), having overestimated their distance. (See his map in the Geographical Journal, Vol. VII., No. 6, December, 1896, London.)

[59] Called Steinen on the map.