46 PLAN AND PREPARATIONS 



much unpleasantness and many unnecessary worries can 

 be avoided. Besides which, a good understanding in 

 this quarter gives an example to the whole ship. It 

 was a great relief to me when Captain Nilsen came 

 home in January, 1910, and was able to help which he 

 did with a good will, a capability, and a reliability that I 

 have no words to commend. 



The following was the plan of the Fram's southern 

 voyage: Departure from Norway at latest before the 

 middle of August. Madeira was to be the first and 

 only place of call. From there a course was to be made 

 on the best route for a sailing-ship for the Fram cannot 

 be regarded as anything else southward through the 

 Atlantic, and then to the east, passing to the south of 

 the Cape of Good Hope and Australia, and finally 

 pushing through the pack and into Ross Sea about 

 New Year, 1911. 



As a base of operations I had chosen the most 

 southerly point we could reach with the vessel the Bay 

 of Whales in the great Antarctic Barrier. We hoped to 

 arrive here about January 15. After having landed the 

 selected shore party about ten men with materials 

 for a house, equipment, and provisions for two years, 

 the Fram was to go out again and up to Buenos Aires, in 

 order to carry out from there an oceanographical voyage 

 across the Atlantic to the coast of Africa and back. 

 In October she was to return to the Bay of Whales and 

 take off the shore party. So much, but no more, could 



