During July the dépôt at Fort Juliana was withdrawn, and preparations were made to sail north. An attempt was made on the 24th July, but the Fram could not get beyond Pim Island. Next day, in order to avoid the pressure of the pack, the ship had to retreat to its winter harbour.
On 4th August another attempt was made to proceed north. Things went well until the Fram was abreast of Cape Camperdown, but here the ice compelled them to steer a course more and more to the east. While in this position, a steamer was seen to issue from Payer Harbour. Sverdrup at once came to the conclusion that it was looking for Peary, and would probably have letters from Norway. An attempt was made to meet each other, but they could not get nearer than about 5 miles. Then the American ship signalled that she had letters on board for Sverdrup, and steered off southward. The farthest point reached by the Fram was about abreast of Cape Hawks. Here she lay in the ice several days, and at last got free only a few miles north of Cape Sabine.
Sverdrup now decided to go across to Foulke Fiord. There one of Peary’s ships was found, and it was ascertained that the Norwegian mail had been left at Payer Harbour.
Foulke Fiord was left on 12th August, and a course was steered for Payer Harbour to fetch the mail. It was soon seen, however, that it was impossible to reach it through such masses of ice as were encountered. A course was tried farther south, but with no better result. Then several attempts were made along the Greenland side, and across towards Payer Harbour, but each ended in failure.
After a good deal of deliberation, it was finally decided to make for Jones Sound. It was a great disappointment that they were unable to proceed through Kane Basin towards the north of Greenland; and the failure to reach their letters very much depressed the spirits of the party.
A course was now set for the walrus-shoals off Northumberland Island, where twenty-two of the animals were killed to serve as dog-food during the winter.
Jones Sound was entered on 24th August. A place of anchorage was found in a fiord a little west of Cone Island. It was afterwards named “Fram Fiord.” On the night of 28th August this fiord was left, and the Fram proceeded west as far as Havnefiord, where a winter harbour was secured.
After various short trips, Sverdrup with three men set out on 8th September to put down dépôts of dog-food as far west as possible, so as to be prepared for long journeys. The water was still open, and the party went by boat. On the 10th they reached a fiord, afterwards named “Baadsfiord,” and they formed a dépôt on its eastern side. They now decided to return to the ship, but found it impossible to row the boat through a thick layer of snow and slush which had formed on the surface of the water.
When they saw that there was little chance of being able to take the boat back to the ship, and that they must wait until ice formed strong enough to allow them to walk back, they set to work to make a house, with the boat for a roof. A hole was dug in a mound, and the boat put on the top with shingle along the sides, and over the whole was put a layer of snow 2 feet deep.
On 6th October the ice was strong enough to bear, and a start was made for the Fram. On the way they met a relief party from the ship, and learned that Braskerud was dead. He had caught a bad cold in Jones Sound, and had been ill two weeks with a cough and great difficulty in breathing. It is probable that both he and the doctor had suffered from pneumonia.