The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-11-18
By Hanna Astrup Larsen
~ Is all in the days work"
II there We're any exact MOI
wegian equivalent of this Ell

Northwest Passage. It is this attitude
toward himself and his work which
makes him SO satisfactory as a friend
but SO unsatisfactory as victim for
Interviewing.
The dangers Of the expedition were
nothing TO speak Of In fact. there
We're none In a casual way ii NAV
slip out that the tiny sloop was often
buneted by wind and waves in the
narrow strip Of open water between
The coast and the ice uncertain which
Of the two was most to be avoided.
and with the compass rendered abso-
lutely useless by the nearness to the
magnetic pole
The cold was nothing. Why. bless
YOU. IL was only 20 degrees below zero.
and that is not much when one is used
10 il.
OF other hardships there were none.
for there was always enough to eat
and shelter sufficient to keep from
freezing None OF the members of the
expedition froze their limbs and as
for their faces, that didn't count" 1t
Is true that Captain Amundsen and
Lieutenant Hansen lived for three
years and half in the little six by
nine cabin OF the Gjoa. but that was
no hardship. because they were always
good friends. II is true that there
was sometimes frost in their hunks, but
that was nothing to whine about
The loneliness and monotonv of life
on the tiny vessel or among the ice
fields was not so bad for there was
always plenty TO do and the time
passed quiclSly--'even more quickly
than in the days OF feasting and jolli-
ncation in san Francisco"
The patient painstaking observa :.
tons, extending over a period Of nearly
Two years, were not at all trying
though the fact OF not seeing any i'm
mediate results would have made them
peculiarly trying 10 a more impatient
temperament. We knew il had 10 tc
done" That was all
The walk overland from the vicinity
OF Herschel Island to Eagle CITY. =
. distance Of 200 miles. through regions
never before traversed by white peo-
Die, was hard work. OF course: but it
was not so bad, after all. for there was
always plenty OF wood to build fires
at night. And then il had TO he
done" That is the keynote TO il Ali
Whatsoever thy hand fndeth to do.
do II with thy might" would be the
BIBLICAL equivalent. The thing was
there 10 he done. and he lust did II as
matter Of course
Indeed, TO listen to Captain Amund-
sen talk, one might think that nothing
IN the world could be easier than 70 do
what he has done. It seems merely a
case OF taking one step at time. doing
Your duty day by day, and not worry
ing about the outcome.
A certain history professor used to
tell his students. In order TO study
history you must have plenty of mag
ination. but don't ina CINE your facts
In order 10 realize just what the Gjoa
trip meant it Is necessary to get the
plain facts and then to think about
them until they become real to the
imagination It VIII not take long
TO convince most OF US that for people
Of less resolute mold il will be best
10 keep away from the polar regions.
Amundsen's Two Feats.
To the popular mind Amundsen will
probably always be known as the dis
coverer of the Northwest Passage. be-
cause that IS something more readily
comprehensive to the landlubber. 1t
Is characteristic Of Amundsen. how
er, that his main object was not the
4 leat Of navigation. which. though bril-
liant had no practical Importance His
ann was 10 TX exactly the location of
The magnetic pole and thereby render
the seamen a practical service. The
spectacular element Of his undertaking
was Of no Importance to him.
Amundsen says that he has always
been deeply interested in the working
OF the magnetic needle On his previ-
Gus polar trips he las often felt the
difficulty OF navigating in the neigh
borhood OF the pole. and the desire to
DO something TO remedy this trouble
grew on him. He studied the action of
the magnetic instruments under Pro-
fessor Neumayer OF Germany and took
his practical training mainly on the
Antarctic expedition OF the Belgica.
where he went along as mate He had
already been to sea for some time. and
had his papers as captain. He was Of
Tered position with the Peary expe-
ditiOn. but his own plans were then
already matured and he preferred to
go his own way.
ROAD Amundsen is the son of sea.
captain Of an adventurous disposition.
He married a young lady who was
considered to be a little bit above him
in social position, for the lines are
drawn closely in the small towns of
Norway. The captain was engaged in
the coolie trade in the East Indies 1t
happened once that there was a rnutiny
among the coolies and one Of them
was elected TO kill the captain This
fellow had managed to sneak I'D on
deck and came behind the captain, who
turned however. just in time to save
his life, but not quickly enough to
escape a frightfui cash across his face.
Tie fell in a pool Of blood. but before
he tainted he called out to the mate
cOolie swung from the yardarm. while
The young wife was busy sewing up
her husbands face. She had a child
so arms with her on the trip. tt would
be interesting il this had been the
now famous Roald Amundsen. but ii
was one Of his brothers. which spoils
the story Still il is significant as
showing what kind OF people he came
from.
When ROAD Amundsen had made up
his mind to make a trip to the Arctic
regions he bent all his energy TO
preparation. He was very fond OF the
hardy winter sports of his native land
and was a very good skisman. He
took an especial delight in long trips
alone or with one or two companions,
and on at least one occasion he came
very near losing his life in a snow
storm crossing the mountains
He had been one of the convivial
spirits among the students of Chris
tiania. and though never drinking to
excess, he mad taken a glass with the
rest After he had made up his mind
to this expedition he reflected that the
time might come when II would be
desirable TO be independent OF all
craving for the luxuries of life. and he