364 APPENDIX I 



partly rotten, as were some of the beams, while the Imlng was here 

 fairly good. 



The masts and main-topmast were somewhat attacked by decay, 

 while the rest of the spars were good. 



During and after the examination all the panelling and insulation 

 was removed, the parts attacked by fungus or decay were also re- 

 moved, and the woodwork coated with carbolineum or tar. The masts 

 and various stores and fittings were taken ashore at the same time. 



It was found that the rest of the vessel — that is, the whole of 

 the lower part of the hull right up to the cabin deck — was per- 

 fectly sound, and as good as new. Nor was there any sign of 

 strain anywhere. It is difficult to imagine any better proof of the 

 excellence of the vessel's construction; after two protracted ex- 

 peditions to the most northern regions to which any ship has ever 

 penetrated, where the vessel was often exposed to the severest ice- 

 pressure, and in spite of her being (in 1907) fifteen years old, the 

 examination showed that her actual hull, the part of the ship that 

 has to resist the heavy strain of water and ice, was in just as good 

 condition as when she was new. 



The vessel was then left in this state until, as already men- 

 tioned, Roald Amundsen and her builder, Colin Archer, came 

 down to the dockyard on June 1, 1908, and with the necessary 

 assistance made an examination of her. 



After some correspondence and verbal conferences between 

 Roald Amundsen and the dockyard, the latter, on March 9, 1909, 

 made a tender for the repairs and alterations to the Fram. The 

 repairs consisted of making good the damage to the topsides 

 referred to above. 



The alterations were due in the first instance to the circum- 

 stance that the steam-engine and boiler (the latter had had its 

 flues burnt out on Sverdrup's expedition) were to be replaced by 

 an oil-motor; as a consequence of this the coal-bunkers would 

 disappear, while, on the other hand, a large number of oil-tanks, 

 capable of containing about 90 tons of oil, were to be put in. 



