BIRKKI.AND. THF. XORWKGIAN AURORA POLARIS EXPEDITION, 1902 1903. 



Fig. I. 

 Postvappus C. I. Haetta. 



We then left the road with the cairns, to go up towards Lodikken on the wild mountain, having 

 then 5 kilometres to reach the hut. But the storm increased with frightful rapidity. The guide had to 

 lead the reindeer, or they would not face the wind; and it was impossible to sit in the pulk, as at that 

 height from the ground we were pelted with bits of ice and even small stones, which did not reach 

 our face when we were on our feet. 



We worked our way on; but while the storm increased, our strength 

 diminished. 



At last the vappus cried that we should have to turn back, but the next 

 moment said, "No, we must go on. We can't have more than 2 kilometres to 

 go, and perhaps it will be more difficult to go down than up." 



So on we went. Progress was very slow, and I felt that I was approaching 

 a critical state of weariness. Immediately after, Helland-Hansen's nose and chin 

 were frost-bitten, but nothing could be done. Fortunately the affected parts 

 were soon covered with a protecting mask of ice, beneath which they gradually 

 thawed, whereupon the ice was removed. 



Later on we were all more or less frost-bitten in the exposed parts of our 

 face, the vappus in particular, a large part of his face being white with frost-bite. 

 It was not long before some of the reindeer lay flat down, and the vnpptis 

 thereupon threw himself upon a pulk, declaring that he could go no farther, and 

 could not find the way. "You must go on by yourselves, and keep the wind 

 in your face," he said. 



Under these circumstances there was no question of continuing our way; the only thing to be done 

 was to make what arrangements we could, and get into our sleeping-bags as quickly as possible. We 

 agreed, however, to try and build a barricade with the pulks and our baggage, and behind it to put up 

 a little low tent upon a piece of hard snow. 



While thus engaged, Helland-Hansen 

 got his hands frost-bitten. It was done in 

 a few minutes. We then got into our 

 sleeping-bags with all possible speed, Lows 

 being the last, as he had been the toughest, 

 and was the least exhausted. 



The twenty hours we lay thus were 

 a dismal time for us. We passed it partly 

 in lying and thinking our own thoughts, 

 partly in struggle, first Helland-Hansen's 

 desperate and vain attempts to bring life 

 into his fingers, and then our endeavours 

 to prevent our being buried in the snow; 



Fig. 2. A "Raide" of Reindeer. 



for wherever there was a little shelter from 



the wind, the snow would heap itself up into a thick, compact drift, in which you sat as in a vice if 



you let it grow. 



After the long night, it at last began to grow light; but the wind was almost as strong. The vappus 

 had lain all the time in his Finn furs under a pulk. I shouted to him from my bag until at last he 

 heard and crawled up to me. I said we must try to get down to Gargia again, and asked him to take 

 all the baggage and instruments off the pulks. His only answer was that he was so fearfully cold; and 

 nothing was done until Lows crept out of his bag, and set things going. Lows was the one who had 



