INTRODUCTION. 



'"THE EXPEDITION of which the results are here given, is the third of a series which the author, 

 with the aid of the Norwegian State, the University and the Scientific Society in Christiania, 

 and private persons, got together and led, with the object of investigating the aurora borealis and magnetic 

 disturbances in the polar regions. 



1, The first expedition, in February and March, 1897, was a failure, partly owing to unfortunate 

 circumstances, but chiefly to a lack of experience. The idea was to make it a reconnoitring expedition, 

 in order that we might gather knowledge and prepare for a larger expedition; but it was also our special 

 aim to find out whether the northern lights could, as frequently asserted, come right down to the tops 

 of the mountains in the district between Bossekop and Kautokeino on the Finland border of Norway, 

 and to make atmospheric-electric and magnetic measurements high up on the mountains during the 

 occurrence of aurora. 



The expedition has not been described before, because it was such a sad adventure; but now that 

 time has drawn a veil of melancholy oblivion over the misfortune that befell us, I will briefly relate 

 some of our experiences. An acquaintance with these may be of some interest to those who may think 

 at some future time of making investigations in the winter on the mountains in the far north. 



Besides myself, there were two excellent students, B. HELLAND-HANSEN and K. Lows, who shared 

 in the investigations. They had offered themselves as assistants solely out of interest in the matters 

 to be dealt with. 



We set off from Christiania on the and February, and by the 8th were ready to ascend the 

 mountain from the well-known polar station Bossekop in Finmark. We had procured reindeer to take us 

 and our traps, and a first-class guide in the old Finn "postvappus" (postman), CLEMET ISAKSEN H^ETTA. 



After a quick run in brilliant moonlight, we arrived at the mountain hut of Gargia, 25 kilometres 

 south of Bossekop. 



The reindeer, each with its pulk, were fastened together in a line one behind another, called a 

 "raide", and the pace, especially down-hill, was something tremendous. 



The next morning, the gth February, there was a little wind, but we all got ready for the start, 

 both those who were going to Kautokeino, those who were returning to Bossekop, and we who were 

 going up to Lodikken Hut on Beskades, 16 kilometres from Gargia. The temperature that day was 



o /- 



-25 C. 



When we got up on to Beskades, the snow was drifting a little, but not at first in any alarming 

 degree; and we went on up the comparatively gently sloping mountain, passing cairn after cairn on the 

 Kautokeino road, up which we went at a walking pace for a distance of about 10 kilometres. The 

 wind howled a good deal in the old, weather-beaten guide-posts with their outstretched arms, that showed 

 that day both where the wind came from and where the road went to, as we passed them one by one; 

 but we did not interpret it as a warning. The storm increased, however, and we asked the vappus several 

 times if it were safe to proceed, and whether he was sure of the way, to which he answered "Yes". 



Birkeland, The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition, 1902 1903. 



