The Ely miner., 1912-03-15

ways in misty weather.
On the 1st of December we left this
broken glacier with holes and creVices
without number, with it's height OF
9,1OO feet. Before us, looking, in the
mist and snowdrifts, like frozen sea,
appeared light, sloping ice plateau
filled with small hummocks.
The walk over this frozen sea was
not pleasant. The ground under us
was quite hollow and it sounded as
though we were walking on the bot
toms of empty barrels. AS it was, a
man fell through, then couple of
dogs We could not use our skis on
this polished ice. Sledges had the best
of it.
The place has the name of the
Devils Dancing Room" This part of
our march was the most unpleasant.
On December 9Th we got our greatest
height, according to the hypsometer
and aneroid, 10,750 feet, at 81 degrees
4 minutes south. On December 8th we
came out of the bad weather. Once
again the sun smiled on us. Once
again we could get an observation.
Dead reckoning and observation We're
exactly alike-S8 degrees SO minutes
1876 seconds south.
Before us lay an absolutely plain
plateau, only here and there marked
with tiny sastrugie.
In the afternoon we passed SO de-
grees % minutes (Shackleton's fur
thest south was 88 degrees 25 minutes
l,l;o loC{
depot, No. 10. From SO degrees
% minutes the plateau began to slope
down very gently and smoothly to-
wards the other side
On December 9 we reached sc de-
grees 80 minutes; on December 10
SO degrees Sc minutes; December IL
80 degrees Is minutes; December u
SO degrees 80 minutes; December 13
SO degrees 40 minutes.
Up to this time the observations
and dead reckoning agreed remarkably
well, and we made out that we ought
to be at the pole on December IA in
the afternoon.
That day was beautiful one, a
light breeze from southeast, tempera.
ture minus % Celsius (9.4 degrees be-
low zero Fahrenheit), and the ground
and sledging were perfect. The day
went along as usual, and at 3 P. M
we made a halt
According to our reckoning we had
reached our destination. All of us
gathered around the colors-a beau
tiful silk flag-all hands taking hold
of it, planting it. The vast plateau Oh
which the pole is standing has the
name of king Haakon VII Plateau"
1t is vast plain, alike in all direc-
tions; mile after mile during the night
We circled around the camp.
In the fine weather we spent the
following day taking series of OBJ
servations from 6 A. M to P. NJ.
The result gave us 80 degrees 55
minutes
In order to observe the pole as
closely as possible we travelled, as near
south as possible, the remaining 8 kilO
meters.
On December 16 we camped 1t was
an excellent opportunity, as there was
8 brilliant sun. Four of us took OBJ
servations every hour of the days
twenty-four hours. The exact resu:J
will be the matter of a profsssionsa
private report.
This much is certain-that we oh,
served the pole as closely as it is III
human power to do it with the instru-
ments we had-a sextant and an artk
fetal horizon.
On December 18th everything was
in order on the spot. We fastened to
the ground a little tent we had
brought along, Norwegian flag and
the Fran pendant on the top of it.
The Norwegian home at the South
Pole was called "Polheim." The dis
tance from our winter quarters to the
pole was about 1,400 kilometers. The
average march day was % kilo-
meters.
We started on the return trip Dec.
ember II. Usually favorably weather
made our way home considerably easi-
er than the journey to the pole. We
arrived at our winter quarters, Fran.
heim," January 25, 1912, with two
sledges and eleven dogs, all well.
The daily average speed on the re-
turn trip was SO kilometers; the low.
est temperature was minus 81 Celsius
(23.8 degrees below zero Fahrenheit),
The highest minus degrees Celsius,
(23 degrees above zero Fahrenheit.
The expedition to King Edward VII
Land under the command of Lieuten.
ant Prestud has given excellent re-
suits. Scott's discoveries have been
and the survey OF the Bay
Of Whales and of the Barrier done By
he Prestud party are of great inter
est A good geological collection from
King Edward VII and South Victoria
land is being brought home.
The Fran arrived at the Bay oj
Whales January g. She had been dc,
ayed by the Roaring Forties" op
lvraount of the easterly winds.
On January 16 the Japanese en-
,edition arrived at the Bay of Whales
md landed on the barrier near OUT
winter quarters. We left the Bay q:
Whales on January 80. 1t was a lonz
'oyage, with contrary winds. All ar4
yell Roal0 Amundsen.
sssssssssssssss
Murder Mystery At crary.
n 0lyo A L.