Putnam patriot., 1912-03-15

later. The Winter was spent in chang
 ing our whole outfit, which on the de
 pot trips was found to De too clumsy
 and solid for the smooth surface of
 the Barrier. Besides this, as much
 scientific work as possible was done.
 and some astonishing meteorological
 observations were taken. Open Water All Winter. There was very little snow. and
 there was open water close by throughout the Winter. For the same | reason higher temperature had been expected, but it remained very low. In five months there were observed temperatures between minus 50 and 60
 degrees Celsius, (5s and 7e degrees be- low zero Fahrenheit), the lowest tenn
 perature on the 18th of August being minus 59 degrees Celsius. It was then calm. On the 1st of August the temperature was minus 5S degrees Celsius, and there were meters of
 wind. The mean temperature for the year was minus 26 degrees Celsius l (l4.S below zero Fahrenheit) l had expected hurricane after hur- | ricane. but 1 observed only two mod crate storms and many excellent au-
 roras-austrails in all directions. The sanitary conditions were of the
 best all the Winter and when the sun
 returned on the 24th of August he met
 the men sound in mind and body ready to set about the task that had | to be solved.
 Already. the day before. we had
 brought our sledges to the starting
 place for our march toward the south l Only in the beginning of September ! did the temperature rise to such an
 extent that there was any question of
 setting out.
 First Start for the Pole.
 On the Sth of September eight men. with seven sledges, ninety dogs, and | provisions for four months started l The ground was perfect. The temper ature was not bad The next day 1t appeared that we had started too ear | ly, as the temperature of the follow ing days fell and was kept steady be- tween minus 50 and 50 Celsius (5S de- l grees and 76 degrees) below Fahren- l heit zero. Personally we did not suf- l fer at all from this cold. Our good | furs protected us. But with our dogs | it was a different matter. It could easily be seen that they shrunk from | day to day, and we understood pretty soon that they could not stand the
 long run to our depot at so degrees
 south
 | We agreed on returning and to wait 1 for the arrival of Spring. The provi- i sions were cached, and off we went
 for the hut. With the exception of
 the loss of few dogs and a couple
 of frozen heels everything was all | right.
 Only in the middle of October | Spring came in earnest. Seals and
 birds appeared. The temperature was | steady between minus 20 and 30 Gel sius (4 degrees and 22 degrees below zero Fahrenheit)
 l The original plan that all of us
 should go toward the south had been 1 changed. Five men had to do this | work, while the other three were to
 start for the east and visit King Ed | ward VII. Land.
 |
 included in our programme, but, ow-
 ing to the fact that the English had not reached it, at least this Summer, 1 as was their intention, we agreed that l the best thing to do was to make this ! trip.
 On Oct 20 the southern party start.
 ed-five men, four sledges, fifty-two
 dogs, and provisions for four months 1 everything in excellent order. The Journey to the Pole. 1 We had made up our minds to take
 the first part of the trip as easily as
 possible, in order to give ourselves and ! the dogs a rational training, and on | the 23d we made our depot in so de ! grees south We went right ahead.
 In spite of the dense fog an error of two to three kilometers happened l only once in a while, but we were caught by the flagmarks, and found
 these on our way without difficulty. 1 Having rested and fed the dogs on 1 all the seal meat they were able to
 eat, we started again on the 26th. with the temperature steadily be- tween minus 20 and 30 Celsius (4 de- 1 grees and 22 degrees below zero Fah- | renheit).
 l From the start 1t was the intention not to drive more than 30 kilometers day, but it appeared that this was too 1 little for our strong, willing animals. | At 80 degrees south we began to l build snow cairns of mans height. | in order to have marks on our return 1 trip. On the 31st we reached the de- | pot at S1 degrees, and stopped there one day, and fed the dogs on as much | pemmican as they wanted. | We reached the depot at 82 de- | grees on the 5th of November, where l the dogs for the last time got all they wanted to eat On the Sth, southward | again, with daily march of 50 kilo- l meters.
 In order to tighten our heavy sledges | we established depots at each degree
 of south latitude.
 ! Like a Pleasure Trip. The trip from S2 degrees to S3 de- l grees became pleasure trip-excel- I lent ground, fine sledging, and an even 1 temperature. Everything went like l dance.
 On the 9th we sighted South Vic | toria Land and the continuation of | the mountain range which Sir Ernest | Shaekleton mentioned in his chart as | running toward the southeast from ! the Beardmore Glacier, and on the { same day we reached 83 degrees and !, established here Depot No. 4. On the
 .11th we made the interesting discov-
 cry that the Ross Barrier terminated