The herald., 1896-08-15

suits on board Of the ship. The mini
mum temperature in March was 40 and
the maximum was "a; in April the mir
imum was 3S and the maximum 20 de-
grees. eW saw no sign of land in any di-
rection. In fact the foe seemed to move
so freely before the wind that there
could not have been anything in the way
of land to stop it for long distance off
We were now drifting rapidly north
ward.
"On April 9Th we began our march to-
ward Franz Josefland and on April 18th
our watches ran down owing to the un-
usual length of the day. After that date
we were uncertain as to our longitude
I but hoped that our dead reckoning was
tairly correct. AS we came south we
met many cracks which greatly retarded
cur progress. The provisions were rap
idly decreasing. The dogs were killed
one after another to feed the rest.
In June the cracks became very bad
and the snow was in exceedingly bad
condition for travelling. The dogs and
the ski and sled runners broke through
the crust and sank deep into the wet
snow. Only few dogs were now left
and progress was next to impossible. But
unfortunately we had no line of retreat
The dogs rations as we'll as our own
were reduced to minimum and we
made the best way we could ahead. We
expected daily to find land in sight, but
we looked in vain. On May 81 we were
In S2 degrees II minutes north and OH
June in so degrees Is minutes north,
but on June 18th we had been drifted to
the northwest to SO degrees 26 minutes
north. No land was to be seen, although
according to Payers map we had expect
ed to meet with Petermann land at SO
degrees north. These discrepancies were
more and more puzzlng as time went
on. On June 22d we had at last shot a.
bearded seal and as the snow became
constantly worse we determined to wait
We now had supply of seal meat until
it melted away. We also shot three
beras. We had only two dogs left, which
were now well fed upon meat.
"On July %, we continued our journey
over tolerably good snow. On July "a,
when about SO degrees north we sighted
unknown land at last, but the ice was
everywhere broken in which the use of
the kyaks was impossible. We there
fore had to make our way by balancing
from one ice piece to another and we
did not reach land until August at 81
degrees 3S minutes uorth and about 43
degrees east longitude. This proved to
be entirely Ice cappedislands. In kyaks
we made our was westward in open
water along these islands and on August
IL, we discovered land extending from
southeast to northwest. The country
became more and more puzzling as /
could find no agreement with Prayers
map. / then thought we were in long
titude east of Austria sound, but if this
was correct we were now travelling
straight across Wilczcok land and Dove
glacier, without seeing any land near us.
"On August 26 we reached spot in
S1.13 north and 56 east, evidently we'll
suited to wintering and as it was now
too late for the voyage to Spitzbergen,
l considered it wisest to stop and pre-
pare for the winter. We shot bears and
walrus and built hut of stones, earth
and moss, making the roof of walrus
hide tied down with rope and covered
with snow. We used the blubber for
cooking, light and heat. The bear meat
and the blubber were our only food for
ten months. The bear skins formed our
beds and sleeping bags. The winter
however, passed we'll and we were both
in perfect health. Spring came with
sunshine and with much open water to |
the southwest. We hoped to have an
easy voyage to Spitzbergen on the foes
of ice and to open water. We were
obliged to make clothes from blankets
n c1a ,t,nz~ L.,
Our provisions were now bear meat and
blubber. On May 10 we were at last |
ready to start. We came to open water |
on May %, in S1.O5 north but were re- |
tarded by storms until June 3. A little |
south of 81 degrees we found land ex-
tending westward and open water which |
reached west northwest along its north !
coast. But We preferred to travel |
over the ice through a broad |
sound.
We came on June 18th to the south |
side of the island, and found much omen
water there ending westward. We sail |
ed and padded in this direction in or.
uer TO proceed across to Spitzbergen
from the most westward cape. but
Payers map was Misleading
Dr. Nansen's account concludes as fol-
lows after touching upon the details Of
MS meeting with Jackson, which have
been cabled to the Associated
Press: We left Franz Josefland on the
steamer Winward on August 7tb. and
had a short and very pleasant passage.
thanks to the mastery way in which
Captain Brown brought his ship through
the ice and thence in the open sea to
Vardoe. NANSENn
TIL ESHIP SAFE.
CHRISTIANA, Aug. 14.-The Aften-
posten learns that DR.. Nansen has no
as to the fate of the Fran
He has the fullest confidence that Lien
tenant Sverderup, her commander. who
proved himself most capable, is enrou,e
to Franz Josefland.
Dr. Nansen had q narrow escepe from
death when walrus furiously attacked
and smashed his kyak
MELVILLE'S OPINION.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-Without
questioning the accuracy of the reports
that come by cable from Norway an
nouncing the return of the Arctic ex-
plorer. Nansen, safely from his novel
md adventurous voyage in the Fran
Commodore Melville, chief engineer of
The navy who was a member of the ILL
-ated Jeanette party, which served as
he ma fern fn,. Noncan,., |