Evening star., 1925-07-13
to land by launch from the steamer

to land by launch from the steamer
Farm
There were no sealers or coal ships
available in Advent Bay or any where
else, and the only means offered, as we
ascertained by wireless, was an old 35
foot motor sloop at Green Harbor,
which we agreed to charter for at
least three weeks. We therefore left
Advent Bay for Green Harbor by the
Forsete. cargo steamer, which by a
lucky chance was to call at our des-
tination-three hours steaming.
'At Green Harbor we found our
sloop on small slipway undergoing
repairs. Even to a landsman like my
self it was perfectly obvious that this
frail craft would never survive even
a moderate gale. but l was deter
mined to follow in the Heimdals track
and get the use of he- wireless. Our
first oah would necessarily be Kings
Bay, thence to Dane Island and far
ther north to and along the ice bar
rier.
Was Foolhardy Enterprise.
II have no hesitation in saying that
if ever there was a foolhardy enter
prise 1t was this. People at Advent
Bay ;sld Green Harbor thought us
crazy, but there was no other way
L IleIls Tie HdNlUS D66n IldOe
what was euphemistically called sea
worthy the news came that Amund=
sen had returned, which made 1t all
the more urgent for us to go to Kings
Bay forthwith. We sailed June 19 at
1870 pm.
THE distance from Green Harbor
to Kings Bay is roughly 100 miles,
our course being outside Prince
Charles foreland, passage by the in
ner sound being blocked by solid ice
At about 6 knots an hour, 1 reckoned
we would do this in about 16 hours,
but instead 1t took 81 hours. First of
all our drinking water was found to
be foul, SO we had to moor to an ice
berg, from which we took a fresh sup
ply from a pool on the top Of 1t. Year
old ice, of course, is quite sweet.
THE mouth of the ice fjord was full
of foes, large and small, and we got
some buffetings from them while nos
ing our course through. Then we got
out into the open Arctic Ocean and
headed due north. In a heavy swell
out boat was tossed about like a cork,
and four times that night the motor
broke down. Our crew worked hero
ica1ly, but when he limped into Kings
Bay the next forenoon we found
our connection bearings were burnt
through and our boat was temporarily
out or commission.
Hands Were Tied.
Next came the great problem how
to get off such news as could gather
in chats with Amundsen, Ellsworth
and their companions. OF course, they
were perfectly friendly; indeed. we
were a happy party together. but by
the terms of. their contract their
mouths were sealed. Amundsen re-
peatedly expressed genuine regret at
being thus tied.
Hundreds of kilograms to Amund-
sen, besides the official story, kept
operators both at Kings Bay and
Green Harbor busy for days through
out the "a hours. Here was /, with a
real story and no possible chance of
getting my stuff away. Our boat was
still useless, otherwise we would have
sent her back to Green Harbor with
the messages.
Suddenly a ray of hope. The re-
lief aviators were going up for prac-
tice spin, and 1t was arranged they
should go to Green Harbor. These
young officers were fine sportsmen,
thoroughly good fellows and entirely
in sympathy with my plight. They
could not, of course, undertake to de-
liver my messages at the radio sta
ton, but I arranged that they should
drop a parcel addressed to the pro-
prietors of our boat. This parcel con-
tanned my messages with a letter ask
ing him to deliver them to the radio.
II was overjoyed when the airmen
went up, but my hopes were dashed