250 NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 



had defied the most jDersistent efforts. I chose a small vessel, with the 

 view of being better al^le to pass through the sounds of these regions, 

 Avhich are narrow, shallow, and generally packed with ice. In pre- 

 ferring a small number of members to a larger party, it was — apart 

 from want of space — because, in the event of such a misfortune 

 occurring to us as the loss of our vessel, it would be easier to find 

 means of subsistence for a small than for a greater number of men. 



My undertaking, as soon as it became known, awakened great 

 interest in very wide circles, and several wealthy men came forward 

 and supported the enterprise with donations. It would take too 

 long to name all the persons Avho gave the expedition pecuniary sup- 

 port, but I must in respectful gratitude mention the names of their 

 Majesties King Haakon and King Oscar II. 



The vessel of the Gjoa expedition was built in Hardanger in 1872, 

 and was the only vessel assigned to the trip. She had originally been 

 used in the herring fisheries along the Norwegian coast; later she 

 was sent to Tromso, whence she sailed for many years in the arctic 

 sealing trade. She had weathered many a storm, though not always 

 scathless. After my purchase of her I had a small petroleum motor, 

 of 39 indicated horsepower, put into her, to help us along in calm 

 weather. The ice sheathing, which before only reached a couple of 

 planks under the water line, I had lengthened right dowji to the keel ; 

 stout crossbeams were put into the hold and connected with massive 

 joints to the deck and keelson, and the old hempen rigging was 

 replaced by wire rigging. 



I had chosen my companions by degrees. First in order I must 

 mention the man who sacrificed his life in the service of the expedi- 

 tion, Gustav Juel Wiik. He was born in 1878, at Horten, and thus 

 lived to be somewhat over 27 years of age. From six weeks' study 

 shortly before the dejjarture of the expedition, at the Magnetic 

 Observatory at Potsdam, where he particularly studied the use of 

 self-registering magnetic instruments, he returned with the most 

 excellent testimonials for industry and thoroughness. I had a good 

 opportunity of seeing, during our three years of work together, that 

 these testimonials were not exaggerated, and the magnetic data wo 

 brought back with us I owe, in the first instance, to this young 

 man's painstaking and accurate labor. In addition to his position as 

 assistant in the meteorological observations, he was also the second 

 engineer. 



The second in command of the expedition was Lieut. Godfred 

 Hansen, of the Danish navy, born in Copenhagen in 1875. His light- 

 hearted disposition was of absolute benefit to us, and during the three 

 years — more than three years — that he and I spent together in the 

 little cabin of the G'foa^ 6 by 9 feet, I became more and more attached 

 to him. It was prophesied before our departure from Norway that 



