New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-14


ficult to secure in other circumstances anu'
moreover certifying to himself. through MS
intimate knowledge of his countrymen, that lie
WINS getting the best possible corps OF seainen.
Thirteen men embarked, including the COM
mander Of the expedition. All had passed Sc
we're medical examinations and were perfectly
adapted in physiaue to undergo the rigors or
the VOYAGE More than that. they seem to nave
made the happiest family that ever sailed from
A port Each man had his definite place In the
company his special work to do. and his particu-
lar relation toward the disciplinary head OF the
enterprise. But Nansen foresaw that 1t would
never do to draw any social line between any
of the men. They were launched upon an I'M
dertaking which would bring glory to each one
They fraternzed therefore, from the first day
TO the last They Jared at the same table; en-
joyed all the comforts and amusements or the
vessel in common every man had his birthday
celebrated by all the others when the festiVai
came round and If there was any friction at
any time hansen does not tell of it, We can
not believe that he has suppressed anything,
either This book wears singular air or can
dor The author seems to be speaking straight
from the centre Of things If he or Els men
are downhearted he says II they are merry
he records the fact. They played cards together'
sang together. danced together, worked on
through their perilous voyage with the FRANK
unanmty which would be expected OF party
of gentlemen who had set out on tour or ex-
ploration. They called themselves Fran Eel
lows" and when the 'Framsjaa' was estap
lshed. an intermittent newspaper Of exceeding
humor. everybody contributed TO 1t and MADE
fun OF everybody else. One of the men haa
some skill in repairing Instruments Concerning
him the following "Warning..!" was promus-
gated II think I, is my duty to warn the pun
lie that travelling matchmaker has pcen max
ing the round Of this neighborhood lately get
ting watches to repair and not returning 'heii'
to their owners. How long is this to be allowed
to go under the eyes OF the authorizes! Inc
watchmaker's appearance is as follows; MIG
die height. fair, gray eyes brown full pearo'
round shoulders and generally delicate-iooKhs'
The signature TO this warning was forgeo' anu
out Of this crime sprang long lawsuit OF great
ntrcacy and presumably Of uproarous conf
cality.
The health of the men was preserved almost
mracuously. When it is remembered that the
scurvy has from time immemora been consld-
cred an inevitable result of long absence from
fresh food on the sea. It will be realized how re-
markabe was the Frams immunity from the dis
ease The food brought from Norway had
been selected with the utmost care. there was a
rotous abundance of ii. and instead of falling III
the men grew inconveniently fat. so fat that
Nansen had serious fears Of the consequences In
the event Of abandoning the ship. Men With a
superabundance of flesh on their bones could
never stand long period Of travel on foot across
the ice fields, and the ships company was put on
shorter ratons. This damped nobody's spirits
Frozen solid into the Arctic waste. the Fran
made a cosey home; she was we'll lighted and
heated; there were books and games In quan-
titles; the forethought Of the commander had
brought not only organ on beard. but an ac-
Gordon and some jewsharps Snugly ensconced
for the interminable Polar night. and with plenty
of good exercise to be had on the ice. besides
bear hunting at frequent intervals the explorers
were so content that they almost forgot to long
for home There was always work to do. so that
the monotony of nacton was hardly noticed.
When they did notice it the effect was difficult to
deal with, and hansen especially was sometimes
reduced to feeling bordering close on despair
1T was to explore the unknown Polar regions
that came" he writes on one day OF H. ertia; III
was for that the Norwegian people gave their
money, and surely my first duty is to do that II
can" This thought haunts him, and when he
goes up on deck and looks out upon the
awful plain Of sheeted ice and chaotic hum
mocks and realizes that there the Fran
must lie almost immovabe, until the months
push It few leagues further on Its
way. the sense Of his impotence overcomes him.
He can do nothing. he must sit in patience. busy
ing himself with scientific observations and
studies that seem maddenngly trivial in the light
Of what he wants to do. He hungers to push on.
81, tl,o or
Of his mind and hands. To be bafied by the I'M
yielding ice is almost more than he can bear.
Here is a typical passage from his diary:
Oh, at times this inactivity brushes ones very
soul: ones life seems as dark as the winter night
outside; there is sunlight upon no part OF 1T eX-
ccpt the past and the far, far distant
future feel as il / must break through
this deafness, this inertia. and find some
outlet for my energies. Can't something
hf ppen? Could not a hurricane come and
tear I'D this ice and set it rolling in high
waves like the open sea? Welcome danger. if ii
Crly brings the chance OF fighting for our lives
only let's us move onward. The miserable thing
is to be inactive onlookers. not to be able to lift
hand to help ourselves forward. Ii wants ten
times more strength of mind TO sit still and trust
in your theories and let nature work them out
without your being able to so much as lay one
stick across another to help, than il does to trust
In working them oui by your own energy-that is
nothing when you have n pair OF strong arms.
Here Sit whining like an old woman Did not
Know all TINS before i started! IhlngS nave not
gene worse than l expected, but on the contrary,
| rather better. Where is the serene hopeful
ness that spread itself in the daylight and the
sun? Where are those proud imagnirgs now that
mounted like young eagles toward the bright
ness Of the future? Like broken winged, wet
| crows, they leave the sunlit sea. ard hide them
selves In the misty marshes Of dependency. Per
| haps 1t will all come back again with the south
wind but mol must so and rummage up one of
| the old philosophers again.
III.
THE ARCTIC NIGHT