The Siege and Conquest of the North Pole

by George Bryce

The foxes caused a good deal of trouble during the winter. They stole everything they could move. Pieces of bamboo, steel-wire, harpoons and harpoon-lines, a collection of geological specimens, a ball of twine, and lastly a thermometer, were all carried off.

On the 15th of October they saw the sun for the last time above a ridge to the south. The last bear was shot on the 21st October, and no more were seen until the spring.

The life during the winter was very monotonous. It consisted chiefly of cooking and eating, and taking a little exercise when weather permitted. On Christmas Eve preparations were made to celebrate Christmas, but these preparations were of a very limited character. Johansen turned his shirts and put the outside one next the skin. Nansen did likewise, and washed himself in a quarter of a cup of warm water, using a dirty pair of drawers as sponge and towel. For supper they ate a small portion of the provisions they had preserved for the journey south in the spring. Only on this occasion and on New Year’s Eve were these provisions touched during the winter.

Birds again made their appearance on 25th February, and a bear was shot on 8th March. This bear came in good time; the supply of oil was running low, and they could only afford to cook once a day. Another bear was shot on 2nd April, and as they now had a considerable quantity of blubber and meat, preparations were made for the journey south. But a great deal required to be done. New clothes had to be made out of blankets; the windclothes had to be patched; the “komager” had to be soled; and socks and gloves had to be made out of bear-skin. Then a light sleeping-bag of bear-skin had also to be made. The hut was therefore suddenly transformed into a tailor’s and shoemaker’s workroom. Thread was obtained by unravelling the cotton canvas of some provision-bags.

Nansen was as pleased as a child with a new dress when on 12th May he was able to put on his blanket-trousers, strengthened inside and out with pieces of an old pair of drawers and of a shirt.

The stores which had been buried at the beginning of the winter were now dug up, and greatly to Nansen’s disappointment it was found that several articles had been spoiled by the damp of the previous autumn. The flour had got mildewed; the chocolate had been dissolved by the damp; the pemmican was uneatable. There remained a limited quantity of fish-flour, some aleuronate flour, and some half-moulded bread, which they carefully boiled in train-oil, partly to dry it, and partly to render it more nutritious by impregnating it with fat. They also cut up as much raw bear’s flesh and blubber as they could carry. Train-oil took the place of petroleum as fuel. They still had 100 rifle-cartridges and 110 smallshot-cartridges, and their rifles were in good condition.

The hut was left on 19th May, after a short record of the journey had been deposited in a brass tube plugged at each end and hung by a wire to the roof. During the first few days they made short marches, until they again became accustomed to the work. On 22nd May they had to shelter from a snowstorm, and on the 23rd the weather was still bad, and they only went a short distance. On the 24th, Nansen narrowly escaped being drowned. While Johansen was busy with his kayak, Nansen pushed ahead to look for a camping-ground, but suddenly the ice gave way, and he found himself lying in a broad crack which had been concealed in the snow. He tried to get out again, but his snow-shoes were firmly fastened, and he was also tied by the harness to the sledge, so that he could not turn round. Fortunately, he had been able, when falling, to dig his pike-staff into the ice on the opposite side of the crack, and he held himself up by that, and lay waiting for Johansen to come up. The latter, however, had not noticed the accident, and was still busy at his sledge and kayak. Meanwhile the water was creeping farther and farther up Nansen’s body, and he began to shout for help. At last he was observed by Johansen, who arrived just in time to prevent Nansen from going completely under the water. In future the snow-shoes were not firmly attached when the ice was thought to be dangerous. From the 26th to the 28th May they were weather-bound, and after advancing a short distance on the latter date, they had again to take shelter until the 3rd of June. As provisions were now getting low, a walrus was shot, and a supply of meat and blubber thus obtained. On the 4th June they were able to launch their kayaks for the first time, and made great progress. On the 6th they had again to take to the ice, but as there was a strong north wind and the surface was favourable they were able to make good use of the sledge-sail. On the 8th they were stopped by a furious storm, and next day they had to make a long détour westwards in order to avoid treacherous ice. On the 12th they were able to sail all day long. In the evening they felt their legs stiff with sitting in the kayak all day, and they landed on the edge of the ice so that they might stretch them a little. They then wished to ascend a hummock, so that a view might be obtained over the water. After the kayaks, which were lashed together, had been moored by means of one of the braces, they ascended a hummock close by, and had been standing only a short time when Johansen raised the cry that the kayaks were adrift. A rush was made to the edge of the ice, but the kayaks were already a little way off and were drifting quickly. The position was a terrible one, for all they possessed was on board the kayaks. Nansen at once threw off some of his clothing, handed his watch to Johansen, and sprang into the icy water. He knew that if the kayaks were lost it meant death to him and his companion. At first it seemed more than doubtful whether he could manage to regain them. When he got tired, he turned over and swam on his back. At length he gained a little on the kayaks, and he redoubled his exertions. By this time Nansen felt his limbs gradually stiffening and losing all feeling. His strokes became more and more feeble, but the distance from the kayaks became shorter, and at last he was able to grasp a snow-shoe which lay across the sterns. He now tried to pull himself up, but his body was so stiff with cold that this seemed an impossibility. After a little, he managed to swing one leg up on to the edge of the sledge which lay on the deck, and then raised the rest of his body. They were saved! With some difficulty he paddled the kayaks back to Johansen, who confessed that these were the worst moments he had ever lived through. Johansen now pulled off Nansen’s wet clothes, put on the few dry ones they had in reserve, spread the sleeping-bag upon the ice, and covered Nansen with the sail and everything he could find to keep out the cold. Next day Nansen was all right again, and in the evening the journey was continued.

On 14th June great herds of walruses were met, and as meat and blubber were at a low ebb, a young one was shot. Two days afterwards, a walrus nearly turned the tables on them. It came up close beside Nansen’s kayak, threw itself on the edge of it, took hold farther over the deck with one fore-flipper, and tried to upset the frail craft. Nansen struck at its head with the paddle, while it in turn struck at the kayak with its tusks. It was only when the deck was almost under water that it suddenly disappeared. Nansen was congratulating himself on his fortunate escape, when he noticed his legs getting wet, and he had only time to run the kayak on a sunken ledge of ice when it sank. It was as well that the ice was near at hand, or the result would have been serious.

In the afternoon of the 17th June, Nansen had ascended a hummock to have a look at the land beyond. Flocks of auks were flying to and fro making a confused noise, and as Nansen listened, a sound suddenly reached his ear, so like the barking of a dog that he started. He waited for some time, listening intently, till the barking began again and there was no room for doubt. He shouted to Johansen that he heard dogs. Johansen started up from the bag where he lay sleeping, and tumbled out of the tent. He tried to hear the sound, but could only make out the noise of the birds. Nansen, however, was convinced that he heard dogs, and he prepared to make for the land, leaving Johansen to stay behind with the kayaks, so that there might be no risk of their drifting away again. He had not gone far when he observed tracks which were probably those of a dog. Then he again heard the yelping of a dog more distinctly than ever. It was with a strange mixture of feelings that he made his way towards land. Suddenly he thought he heard a shout from a human voice, and he ran up on to a hummock and hallooed with all his might. Soon he heard another shout, and saw a dark form moving among the hummocks. It was a dog, and farther off was seen a man. Nansen approached quickly and waved his hat; the man did the same. Nansen heard him speak to the dog, and recognised that the language was English. As he drew nearer, Nansen thought he recognised Mr. Jackson, whom he had once seen. They extended a hand to one another, with a hearty “How do you do?” Explanations quickly followed, and Nansen was led to Jackson’s hut at Cape Flora. Here he received a royal welcome from the members of the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition. Men were immediately sent to Johansen’s assistance, and his reception at the hut was scarcely less hospitable than Nansen’s. Their feelings may be imagined when they were able to throw off their dirty oily rags and have a hot bath, and to be able to put on clean clothes. To add to Nansen’s delight, Jackson had a packet of letters for him, and these contained only good news.

It is an interesting fact that Nansen when he arrived at Cape Flora weighed no less than 22 lb. more than when he left the Fram, and Johansen weighed 13 lb. more. Bear’s flesh had evidently agreed with them.