“The flag is flying at half mast from the pole to-day. It is the first time it has been in this position on board the Fram, let us hope it will indeed be the last.”
The interesting journey across the “inland ice” of Ellesmere Land, by Isachsen and Braskerud was undertaken May 23, 1899, with food for thirty days, and instruments and equipment; a total weight of eight hundred and seventy-two pounds, divided equally upon the sledges, each drawn by six dogs. Choosing a route to the westward, Isachsen writes in his report:—
“About midnight on June 2, we saw from the high ground to the northwest the first sight of what, later, proved the west coast. It was a fiord-arm, which cut into the land in an easterly direction from the larger fiord lying almost due north and south. From the outer part of this fiord-arm a chain of mountains of equal heights ran in a southeasterly direction. Nearer, and in front of this chain, was a wide level waste—‘Brakerndflya.’ There was no snow, either on the waste or on the mountains. In one part only of the chain was a fragment of glacier to be seen hanging over the upper part of the mountain side. In the southeast the waste abutted immediately on the ‘inland ice.’”
Travelling over a glacier, they endeavoured to reach the bare land of the fiord; this they succeeded in doing, June 4. “Three converging glaciers fell into a glacier-lake, and the following day we drove on this down the valley, but only for a couple of miles, which was the extent of its length. The ice on it was about to break up.”
Having encamped, the two men rambled over a considerable area in the vicinity; finding luxuriant vegetation wherever there was bare land. At a distance some ten or eleven miles in a northwesterly direction, there was no “inland ice” west of the northernmost glaciers previously mentioned. After continuing their explorations for several days, they were forced to return through continued bad weather, fogs, and gales. On June 22, the thirtieth day since leaving the ship,—the food supply remaining was reduced to about fifty biscuits, ten and a half tablets of compressed lentils, about four pounds of pemmican, enough coffee for twice, six whole rounds, or seventy-two rations, of dog-food, and a half gallon of petroleum. After a delay of six days by the inclement weather and a slow and difficult progress to the top of Leffert Glacier, it was with joy that a relief party from the ship were met with, and “the following day we drove down Leffert Glacier, on splendid snow, and reached the Fram on Sunday, July 2, at five in the morning.”
On August 4, the conditions being more favourable than heretofore, Captain Sverdrup endeavoured to navigate the Fram through Kane Basin. In Payer Harbor an American steamer was sighted, going northeast. To the joy of all, the steamer signalled she had letters on board for the Norwegians.
The attempt to penetrate Kane Basin was unsuccessful; the Fram was forced back to Foulke Fjord, a short distance from one of Peary’s ships. Captain Bartlett, Dr. Diedrick, and one or two other members of the expedition exchanged courtesies with the Norwegians. Mr. Bridgman and Professor Libbey came aboard the Fram.
SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS
It was learned that the mail brought north had been left at Payer Harbor. The Fram endeavoured to get it, but the impenetrable pack prevented, and after the most desperate efforts they gave up in despair. It was at this juncture, after the abandonment of the plan to trace the northern extremity of Greenland, that Sverdrup transferred his base to the fiords of the north coast of Jones Sound. Securing no less than thirty-three walrus for dog-food, the Fram established the second winter quarters at Havnefjord in 96° 29´ N., 84° 25´ W. Game and seals were found in plenty during the autumn, also musk-oxen, hares, and reindeer. Most successful scientific researches were promoted, sledging parties continued explorations, and the only event to mar a happy autumn was the death of Braskerud. He had had a very bad cold, was ill a fortnight with a cough and had great difficulty in breathing, but had suffered no pain; there was no doctor, and nothing could be done to relieve him; he had kept his bed the last three days of his illness, and no one dreamed the end was so near.