CHAPTER II 



PLAN AND PREPARATIONS 



" The deity of success is a woman, and she insists on being won, not 

 courted. You've got to seize her and bear her off, instead of standing 

 under her window with a mandolin." REX BEACH. 



" THE North Pole is reached." 



In a flash the news spread over the world. The goal 

 of which so many had dreamed, for which so many had 

 laboured and suffered and sacrificed their lives, was 

 attained. It was in September, 1909, that the news 

 reached us. 



At the same instant I saw quite clearly that the 

 original plan of the F 'ram's third voyage the explora- 

 tion of the North Polar basin hung in the balance. 

 If the expedition was to be saved, it was necessary to 

 act quickly and without hesitation. Just as rapidly as 

 the message had travelled over the cables I decided on 

 my change of front to turn to the right-about, and 

 face to the South. 



It was true that I had announced in my plan that 

 the F ram's third voyage would be in every way a scien- 

 tific expedition, and would have nothing to do with 



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