The San Francisco call., 1906-10-12
zplorer Tells Of Charm
Of the Arctic Silence.

pictures. but the merry smile which
every now and then wrinkled has race
and the twinkle of the narrow eyes
opened a line of investigation which
should like 10 pursue at leisure
EARLIER EXPERIENCES.
Il have always had an itching for
DoIar trips. he said Ever since my
friend Eivfnd Astrup, went with Peary
sixteen wears ago. Then there was
Nansen's trip across Greenland, which
fred my blood. But there was my
mother. and. of course, / cousd not go
AGAINST her wishes. so / took my bach
elor's degree and began the stuqy OF
medicine when she was dead Ieit
free to 90 out and so ! shipped on
sealing vessel
~emarl<able in hot young blood sub
hitting TO an indoor life because OF
i mothers wish. and there was no
mention Of the fact that the sealing
business. as il is carried on from Nor
way. is about the most unpleasant
business a young man from d rehheo
home can engage in. The story OF
Roald Amundsen is chlefly reflar haO4e
for its omissions
7 went with the Belgica as first
mate on her Antarctic expedition ne
continued. L have always been inter-
ested in the location OF the magnetic
pole ] am not scientist, but L have
felt the practical importance OF the
exact location of the pole on my own
trims. Yes. I suppose 1 am the first
who has ever set out with the view
Of finding the pole. All others have
been in quest of the Northwest Pass
age. while I may say ! took il in only
because it was really easier, having
come so far, 10 go on than 10 turn
back.
Il prepared for the trip and planned
for ii for several years, and I first
put all my own money into it, because
then / felt there could be no going
back. 1 had enough TO buy the ship,
and then / appealed to friends for the
rest"
LURE OF THE ARCTIC.
and do you feel satisfied with the
results Of your trip, Captain Amund~.
SEM? $
yes" said the captain, serenely. =
must be. When I lectured to the Geos.
graphical Society in Christiania in 1902,
telling about my plans, I drew a line
on the map where / wanted to go, and
il VIII not be necessary TO draw an
other. I have gone over it, Nansen
was present at my lecture. and gave
me great encouragement 1t was
owing to his help that l could go at
all"
While the captain talked I was try
ing TO think what ii would mean to
be shut out absolutely from civilized
life for three years and a half. 1
knew that he had been as gay as any
Of the young students in the gay cap
ital OF Christiania.
What did you miss most on your
trip. captain
Miss? i missed absolutely nothing
The town life? Not for one instant
AS far as that is concerned, I should
not care il I could go back tomorrow.
There is something about the solitude,
the great. beautiful calm which draws
one more than anything else in the
world. I can't explain what the
charm is" The great explorer was
struggling to clothe in appropriate
words the deep poetic feeling in his
heart for the solitude Of the Arctic
ice fields but he is a man made more
for action than for words. Neverthe-
less, his enthusiasm could not help
communicating itself TO his hearer.
I believe il is the silence more than
all Quarrels and chickering's" said the
explorer after a pause.
No TIME FOR QUARRELs.
Unless you quarrel among your
selves"
No; that I can say we never did, ,"
said Amundsen emphatically; there
has never been cross word said be-
tween US during all this time
IT is an open secret that in this fact
also the Gjoa expedition is different
from any other Arctic expedition.
We were too busy to quarrel even
II we had wanted to, for we took OBJ
servations from early morning till late
at night every day during the nineteen
months we spent in the immediate
neighborhood Of the pole. I wanted to
be sure that I had taken as many as
were necessary TO the exact location of
the pole, and IL is always safe to have
more than you need. II is considered
sufficient TO have observations extend
ing over d year, and we were there
nineteen months. We had self-regis-
tering instruments and we took photo
graphs Of all the results obtained.
NO, I must confess that I did not
miss even my friends, not even the
presence Of white women AS 1 said.
we were too busy, and then one finds so
much pleasure in the society of the
EsQuimaUx. They are some of the very
incest people I ever saw. I should not
mind living with them always"
Which little touch Of humanness was
just what was needed to complete the
picture Of the man. His fndomfta bic
courage and true northern grit are
TOO well shown by his achievements to
require further demonstration. His
modesty shines forth in every word he
says, while his kindness of heart is