262 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



The Duke of the Abruzzi left Christiania on board 

 the Polar Star on 12th June 1899. It was his intention 

 to proceed to Emperor Franz-Josef Land and attempt 

 from there to reach the North Pole. 



The expedition was composed of eleven Italians and 

 nine Norwegians. The ship was a whaler, and had been 

 previously named the Jason. It had been commanded by 

 Captain Evensen, who retained the command by being 

 appointed captain of the Polar Star. 



The second in command of the expedition was Umberto 

 Cagni, captain in the Italian Navy. 



Archangel was reached on 30th June. Here 121 dogs 

 were obtained. They had been brought by Trontheim, 

 who was also employed by Nansen. 



Archangel was left on 13th July ; the first ice was met 

 on the 17th, and Northbrook Island was sighted on the 

 20th July. 



The five huts left by Jackson at Cape Flora were visited, 

 and a depot of provisions for eight months was landed, in 

 addition to five tons of coal. 



Cape Flora was left on 26th July, and an attempt was 

 made to pass to the north through Nightingale Sound, 

 but the passage was blocked by ice. Next an attempt 

 was made to double Cape Mary Harmsworth, but this also 

 ended in failure. 



Nightingale Sound was again entered on the 28th July, 

 but in the evening of this day the ship was surrounded by 

 ice-fields, and had to remain near the northern extremity 

 of Bruce Island three days. On the 1st August an 

 attempt was made to bore the ice, but the ship advanced 

 only about 300 yards. Some channels formed on the 

 3rd and allowed some progress. On the 5th the whaler 

 Capella, with Wellman's party, was sighted near Scott 

 Keltie Island, and Wellman and three of his companions 

 visited the ship. 



