Farther North Than Nansen; Being the Voyage of the Polar Star

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ... little lower than what it usually is on this island; but we did not suffer at all from it, and the following day, when it. rose to 280, we thought it was warm. Concerning the personnel of our train, I had reserved to myself the right to choose my men, and to assign to them their respective posts according to the necessity of the moment. And, purposely, I had not made any arrangements beforehand, firstly, lest I should occasion jealousies, which are always injurious to the good understanding that should exist among the members of an expedition; secondly, because it was impossible to know beforehand who would be best fitted for the various posts; and thirdly, because, if I deemed it necessary to make a change in the disposition of the men, any who should have to return might not have reason to feel he was unjustly treated, where all desired, with equal ardour, to accompany the group that advanced the furthest. This hope had been manifested all through the winter, and with all the greater eagerness now that we were actually en route. With the approval of H.R.H. I had decided to take with me to the end of our journey one guide and one seaman. But in order to leave myself an entire liberty of choice as to the selection of men for the various groups (which had had to be arranged at the outset so as to adjust the right proportion of food and labour), I had assigned the two seamen to a group with Lieutenant Querini; the two elder guides to my group; and the two younger ones, with the engineer Stokken to Dr. Cavalli's group: Captain Evensen, with two Norwegian seamen, to the reserve group, which was to accompany us for two days. To these latter three men we only allotted a small quantity of change of clothing, it being understood that, save for...