Ill 
of the two pendulums. We met with no land in the North Polar Basin, 
and thus the ordinary conditions for making pendulum observations did not 
exist. But Scorr-Hansen thought that the strong ship frozen firmly into 
the drifting ice, or the ice itself, might possibly afford a sufficiently solid 
base for the pendulum apparatus, and decided to make some observations 
as an experiment. Thus the first series of pendulum observations, which, 
to my knowledge, have ever been made over the sea, were made over the 
deep North Polar Basin. We had some doubt as to the value of the 
observations taken under such extraordinary circumstances; but thanks to 
Prof. Scutotz’s able elaboration and discussion of the material, it now 
appears that these observations afford perhaps some of the most important 
results of the expedition. 
I desire here to convey my hearty thanks to the contributors to this 
volume, and to Prof. G. Neumayer, Prof. Ap. Scumimt, and Colonel 
VON STERNECK, for their valuable assistance and contributions. 
GoptTHAs, LysaKer. January, 1901. 
FRIDTJOF NANSEN. 
