150 NEW LAXD. 



Stolz, who had long been practising photography on his own 

 account, was now constituted photographer to the expedition, his 

 first duty being the portraiture of all the dogs, and some of the 

 nearer surroundings of the ship. He was duly provided with the 

 plates necessary for the spring season. 



Before starting all the dogs which were to go with us were 

 weighed by Isachsen and Hassel. The heaviest weighed a good 

 92 Ibs. ; the lightest 57 Ibs. Full-grown he-dogs generally average 

 about 77 to 79 Ibs. They were not as plump now as on our first 

 trip, which, short as it had been, had taken it out of them con- 

 siderably. The weather on that occasion had been particularly 

 rough, and food at such times seems to have little effect on them. 

 "We simply crammed them during the interval on board, and were 

 able to notice an improvement in them every day. 



Easter occurred during this interval, but we had no time in 

 which to take particular notice of it, and on both Maundy Thurs- 

 day and Good Friday our work went the even tenor of its way ; 

 the only outward difference being in the extra food. It had 

 been my intention to break up before Easter, but I was not 

 well myself, and as an incredible number of small things cropped 

 up which had to be attended to, we had every reason for post- 

 ponement until after Easter. 



All the instruments for use on the journey were regulated as 

 accurately as it was in our power to do so. This year there 

 were four different expeditions to be provided for, so I had to be 

 content with only a pocket sextant with a glass horizon. Isachsen 

 and Fosheim had each their travelling theodolite, while Baumann 

 took the ship's sextant with a quicksilver horizon. 



On Easter Monday, April 8, we were at last ready to set out, 

 and about ten o'clock we left the ' Fram.' The weather was 

 cold, but still and brilliantly clear, and the snow was good 

 going, if not exactly as fast as we had sometimes had it across 

 the neck. We were able to drive in peace the whole way without 

 getting mixed up with a single stone. South-west of Storsjoen, 

 not far from Aamot * so we called the place where the river 



* The name of many Norwegian peasant properties, and consequently also often 

 a family name. It means the meeting of two streams or rivers. 



