XVI. NANSEN CROSSES GREENLAND
1888
Schwatka had explored the interior of Alaska, but the interior of Greenland remained as great a mystery as ever. The only man who had attempted to cross the inland region was Nordenskjöld, who had penetrated only a few miles.
In 1888 a young Norwegian named Fridtjof Nansen determined to cross the ice cap of Greenland.
Nansen was an expert in the use of the ski. Ski are Norwegian snowshoes. They consist of long, narrow strips of wood, which are fastened to the shoes in about the same way in which we fasten skates. The ski are about eight feet in length and three or four inches in breadth. In front they are slightly pointed and curved up; often the back is pointed also. A man who is skillful in the use of ski can travel over the snow by means of them at a rate of eight or nine miles an hour. In Norway and in some other cold countries, where the snow lies deep a larger part of the year, ski are much used for traveling.
The people of Norway love the sport of ski-löbning. During the long winter the boys and the girls go to and from school on ski. At recess they take a run on their ski, and often the teacher goes with them.
A Man on Ski.
Nansen learned to use the ski when a boy, and after he was grown up he took great pleasure in strapping these queer shoes to his feet and trying to climb the high mountains.
One day this question came suddenly into Nansen’s mind: Why might not a party of good ski-löbners cross Greenland from coast to coast? After thinking the matter over for a time, Nansen concluded that it could be done. From that moment he devoted all his time and energy to carrying out his idea. He decided that the best plan would be to start from the east coast and travel across to the west. The east coast was barren and uninhabited. Sometimes a few wandering Eskimo tribes found their way there, but no settlements had been made. On the western coast there were settlements.