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END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTSVer.10/04/01*END*

The South Pole

An Account of the Norwegian

Antarctic Expedition in the “Fram,”

1910 — 1912

By Roald Amundsen

Translated from the Norwegian by

A. G. Chater

To

My Comrades,

The Brave Little Band That Promised

In Funchal Roads

To Stand by Me in the Struggle for the South Pole,

I Dedicate this Book.

Roald Amundsen.

Uranienborg,

August 15, 1912.

Chapter The First Account

Introduction, by Fridtjof Nansen I. The History of the South Pole

II. Plan and Preparations

III. On the Way to the South

IV. From Madeira to the Barrier

V. On the Barrier

VI. Depot Journeys

VII. Preparing for Winter

VIII. A Day at Framheim

IX. The End of the Winter

X. The Start for the Pole

XI. Through the Mountains

XII. At the Pole

XIII. The Return to Framheim

XIV. Northward

XV. The Eastern Sledge Journey

By Lieutenant K. Prestrud

XVI. The Voyage of the “Fram”

By First-Lieutenant Thorvald Nilsen I. From Norway to the Barrier

II. Off the Barrier

III. From the Bay of Whales to Buenos Aires IV. The Oceanographical Cruise V. At Buenos Aires

VI. From Buenos Aires to the Ross Barrier VII. From the Barrier to Buenos Aires, Via Hobart Appendix I : The “Fram”

By Commodore Christian Blom

Appendix II. : Remarks on the Meteorological Observations at Framheim

By B. J. Birkeland

Appendix III: Geology

By J. Schetelig

Appendix IV.: The Astronomical Observations at the Pole By A. Alexander, with Note by Professor H. Geelmuyden Appendix V.: Oceanography

By Professors Bjorn Helland-Hansen and Fridtjof Nansen List of Illustrations

Roald Amundsen

Approximate Bird’s-eye View, Drawn from the First Telegraphic Account Reproduced by permission of the Daily Chronicle The Opening of Roald Amundsen’s Manuscript Helmer Hanssen, Ice Pilot, a Member of the Polar Party The “Fram’s” Pigsty

The Pig’s Toilet

Hoisting the Flag

A Patient

Some Members of the Expedition

Sverre Hassel

Oscar Wisting

In the North-east Trades

In the Rigging

Taking an Observation

Ronne Felt Safer when the Dogs were Muzzled Starboard Watch on the Bridge

Olav Bjaaland, a Member of the Polar Party 136

In the Absence of Lady Partners, Ronne Takes a Turn with the Dogs An Albatross

In Warmer Regions

A Fresh Breeze in the West Wind Belt

The Propeller Lifted in the Westerlies The “Fram’s” Saloon Decorated for Christmas Eve Ronne at a Sailor’s Job

The “Fram” In Drift-ice

Drift-ice in Ross Sea

A Clever Method of Landing

The “Fram” under Sail

Cape Man’s Head on the Barrier

Seal-hunting

The “Fram”

The Crew of the “Fram” in the Bay of Whales The “Fram” in the Bay of Whales

The First Dog-camp

Digging the Foundations of Framheim

Building the Hut

Unloading the Six Sledge-drivers

Polar Transport

Penguins

The Provision Store

Framheim, January, 1911

Suggen, Arne, and the Colonel

Mikkel, Ravn, and Mas-mas

Framheim, February, 1911

Prestrud in Winter Dress

Bjaaland in Winter Dress

The “Fram” Veteran, Lindstrom: the Only Man Who has Sailed round the Continent of America

The Start of the First Depot Journey

A Page from the Sledge Diary, Giving Details of Depots I. and II.

Framheim, March, 1911

Killing Seals for the Depot

The Meat Tent

The Meteorological Screen

Inside a Dog-tent

A Winter Evening at Framheim

The Carpenters’ Shop

Entrance to the Hut

Entrance to the Western Workshop

Prestrud in His Observatory

Wisting at the Sewing-machine

Packing Sledges in the “Crystal Palace”

Lindstrom with the Buckwheat Cakes

On His “Native Heath”: A Dog on the Barrier Ice Dogs Exercising

Helmer Hanssen on a Seal-hunt

Hanssen and Wisting Lashing the New Sledges Passage in the Ice

Johansen Packing Provisions in the “Crystal Palace”

A Corner of the Kitchen

Stubberud Taking it Easy

Johansen Packing Biscuits in the “Crystal Palace”

Hassel and the Vapour-bath

Midwinter Day, June, 1911

Our Ski-binding in its Final Form

At Work on Personal Outfit

Trying on Patent Goggles

Hassel in the Oil-store

Deep in Thought

Funcho

The Loaded Sledges in the Clothing Store Sledges Ready for Use Being Hauled Out of the Storeroom At the Depot in Lat. 80deg. S.

Some of the Land Party in Winter Costume General Map of the South Polar Region

Roald Amundsen in Polar Kit

A Snow Beacon on the Barrier Surface

Crevassed Surface on the Barrier

Depot in 83 Degrees S.

Depot in 82 Degrees S.

At the Depot in Lat. 84 Degrees S.

The Depot and Mountains in Lat. 85 Degrees S.

Ascending Mount Betty

Mount Fridtjof Nansen, 15,000 Feet Above the Sea At the End of a Day’s March: the Pole Expedition The Tent After a Blizzard

A Large Filled Crevasse on the Devil’s Glacier Hell’s Gate on the Devil’s Glacier

Mount Thorvald Nilsen

The Sledges Packed for the Final March Taking an Observation at the Pole

At the South Pole: Oscar Wisting and His Team Arrive at the Goal A Page from the Observation Book, December 17, 1911

At the South Pole, December 16 and 17, 1911

Mount Don Pedro Christophersen

Framheim on the Return of the Polar Party Lindstrom in the Kitchen

Farewell to the Barrier

Bjaaland as Tinker

Dogs Landed at Hobart for Dr. Mawson’s Expedition Members of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition Lieutenant Prestrud

An Original Inhabitant of the Antarctic Stubberud Reviews the Situation

Camp on the Barrier: Eastern Expedition A Broken-off Cape

Off to the East

The Junction of the Great Barrier and King Edward Land Improvised Sounding Tackle

The Leader of the Eastern Expedition, Prestrud, on Scott’s Nunatak First in King Edward Land

In King Edward Land: After a Three Days’ Storm On Scott’s Nunatak

Scott’s Nunatak

The “Fram” at the Ice-edge, January, 1912

The “Kainan Maru”

Seals on Sea-ice near the Barrier

Seals: Mother and Calf

A Group of Adelie Penguins

A Quiet Pipe

First-lieutenant Thorvald Nilsen, Norwegian Navy The Second in Command Takes a Nap

The “Fram” Sighted

On the Ice-edge, January, 1911

Our Last Moorings on the Ice-foot

A Hunting Expedition at the Foot of the Barrier Beck Steers the “Fram” through Unknown Waters Our Cook, Cheerful and Contented as Usual Sectional Diagrams of the “Fram”

List of Maps and Charts

Fig.

Chart of the Immediate Surroundings of the South Pole to face Chart of the Ross Sea

Chart of the Bay of Whales

1. Hypothetical Representation of the Surface Currents in the Northern Atlantic in April

2. The “Fram’s” Route from June 20 To July 7, 1910

3. Temperature and Salinity in the “Fram’s” Southern Section, June, 1910

4. Temperature and Salinity in the “Fram’s” Northern Section, July, 1910

5. The “Fram’s” Stations in the South Atlantic (June — August, 1911) 6. Currents in the South Atlantic (June — August, 1911) 7. Salinities and Temperatures at the Surface in the South Atlantic (June — August, 1911) 8. Temperatures (Centigrade) at a Depth of 400 Metres (218 Fathoms) 9. Temperatures at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911) 10. Salinities at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911) 11. Salinities and Temperatures in the Southern Section (June —

July, 1911)

12. Salinities and Temperatures in the Northern Section (July —

August, 1911)

13. Temperatures at one of the “Fram’s” and one of the “Challenger’s”

Stations, to the South of the South Equatorial Current 14. Temperatures at one of the “Fram’s” and one of the “Valdivia’s”

Stations, in the Benguela Current 15. Temperatures at the “Planet’s” Station 25, And the “Fram’s”

Station 39 — Both in the Neighbourhood of St. Helena 16. Salinities at the “Planet’s” Station 25 (March 19, 1906), and the “Fram’s” Station 39 (July 29, 1911) Chart of the Antarctic Region

The First Account

On February 10, 1911, we started for the South to establish depots, and continued our journey until April 11. We formed three depots and stored in them 3 tons of provisions, including 22 hundredweight of seal meat. As there were no landmarks, we had to indicate the position of our depots by flags, which were posted at a distance of about four miles to the east and west. The first barrier afforded the best going, and was specially adapted for dog-sledging. Thus, on February 15 we did sixty-two miles with sledges. Each sledge weighed 660 pounds, and we had six dogs for each. The upper barrier (“barrier surface”) was smooth and even. There were a few crevasses here and there, but we only found them dangerous at one or two points. The barrier went in long, regular undulations. The weather was very favourable, with calms or light winds. The lowest temperature at this station was -49�

F., which was taken on March 4.

When we returned to winter quarters on February 5 from a first trip, we found that the Fram had already left us. With joy and pride we heard from those who had stayed behind that our gallant captain had succeeded in sailing her farther south than any former ship. So the good old Fram has shown the flag of Norway both farthest north and farthest south. The most southerly latitude reached by the Fram was 78� 41’.

Before the winter set in we had 60 tons of seal meat in our winter quarters; this was enough for ourselves and our 110 dogs. We had built eight kennels and a number of connecting tents and snow huts. When we had provided for the