NO. 1.] THE FRAM. 13 



be said to have justified the expectations of her designers, and the confidence 

 placed in her by her adventurous crew. She had, it is true, carried them 

 home safely and in good health after a 3 year's cruise. But if, on exami- 

 nation, there should be found evident signs of weakness or straining, showing 

 that she had not, nevertheless, escaped altogether uninjured from the clutches 

 of the ice, there would still be good reason to doubt what the result might 

 have been, had the voyage been protracted over a much longer period. On 

 this point a good opportunity has been afforded of forming an opinion. After 

 a year's rest it was decided to add a superstructure in the shape of a spar 

 deck in order to make her fit for her second expedition, and while uuder- 

 going this alteration, she was carefully surveyed both outside and in the hold; 

 but with the single exception mentioned below not the smallest sign 

 of straining could be discovered in any part of the vessel. Her butts and 

 scarphs were as close and firm as the day she was launched, and the pitch 

 or putty in the seams showed no indication of a movement or disturbance 

 of the parts having taken place. The exception alluded to refers to one of 

 the bolts in the U shaped mounting described above which had started, show- 

 ing that her ,,Achilles' heel" had been exposed to a severe blow. This was 

 the only fastening that had to be renewed. It may, therefore, confidently be 

 asserted that the Fram has withstood the ordeal she has passed through, 

 even better than the most sanguine could have ventured to hope, and there 

 seems little reason to doubt that she would have come triumphantly out of 

 even more severe trials than those to which she had been exposed. Professor 

 Nansen has expressed the opinion that the vessel has never even when 

 most severely pinched - - been tried approximately to the limit of her power 

 of resistance, and, assuming this view to be correct, it would seem that her 

 scantlings might have been considerably reduced without incurring the risk 

 of a collapse, while it may at the same time be taken as a proof that the 

 design and system of construction adopted is a good and efficient one. 



The Fram had a slight leak when she left the stocks arising, possibly, 

 from some augerhole which had been overlooked, or, more probably, from 

 some part of the caulking having been carelessly done. No perceptible change 

 took place in the leakage before she was frozen fast. When, at the end of 

 three years, she was finally released from her icy imprisonment, it was found 

 that she made more water than before, and she continued to do so till she 



