EXPEDITION TO SOUTH POLE AMUNDSEN. 703 



The ice in the Bay of Wliaies had just broken up, and we were able 

 to advance considerably farther south than any of our predecessors 

 had done. We found a quiet Hlth^ nook behind a projecting ice 

 cape; from here we couhl transfer our equipment to the Barrier with 

 comparative safety. Another great advantage was that the Barrier 

 at this phice descended very gra(hnilly to the sea ice, so that we had 

 the best possible surface for our sleds. Our first undertaking was 

 to ascend the Barrier in order to get a general survey and to deter- 

 mine a suitable place for the erection of the house which we had 

 brought with us. The supposition that this part of the Barrier rests 

 on land seemed to be confirmed immediately by our surroundings. 

 Instead of the smooth, flat surface which the outer wall of the Bar- 

 rier presents, we here found the surface to be very uneven. We 

 everywhere saw sharp liills and points between which there were 

 pressure cracks and depressions filled with large masses of drift. 

 These features were not of recent date. On the contrary, it w'as 

 easy to see that they w^ere very old and that they must have had 

 their origin at a time which long preceded the period of Ross's visit. 



Originally we hud planned to establish our station several miles 

 from the edge of the Barrier, in order not to subject ourselves to the 

 danger of an unwelcome and involuntary sea trip, which might have 

 occurred had the part of the Barrier on which we erected our house 

 broken off. This precaution, however, was not necessary, as the 

 features wliich we observed on our first examination of the area 

 offered a sutiicient guarantee for the stability of tlie Barrier at this 

 point. 



Tn a small valley, hardly 21 miles from the ship's anchorage, we 

 therefore selected a place for our winter (juarters. It was protected 

 from the wind on all sides. On the next day we began uidoading the 

 ship. We had brought with us nuiterial for house buildi]ig as well as 

 equipment and provisions for nine men for several years. We divided 

 into twogrouj)s — the ship's group and the land group. The first was 

 composed of the commander of the ship, Capt. Nilsen, and the nine 

 men who were to stay on board to take the Fratn out of the ice and 

 to Buenos Aires. The other group consisted of the men who were 

 to occupy the winter quarters and march on to the south. The ship's 

 group had to uidoad everytliing from the shi[) u])on the ice. There 

 the land group took cliarge of the cargo and brought, it to the building 

 site. At first we were rather unaccustomed to work, as we had had 

 little exercise on the long sea voyage. But before long we were all 

 "broken in,' and then the transfer to the site of our home "Fram- 

 heim" went on rapidly; the house grew daily. 



When all the material had been larided our skilled carpenters, Olav 

 Bjaaland and Jorgen Stubberud, began building the house. It was 

 a ready-made house which we had brought with us; nothing hatl to 



