APPENDIX 



REPORT OF CAPTAIN OTTO SVERDRUP 



ON 



THE DRIFTING OF THE " FRAM " FROM MARCH 14, 1895 



CHAPTER I 



March 15 to June 22, 1895 



As far back as February 26th Dr. Nansen had officially in- 

 formed the crew that after he left the ship I was to be chief 

 officer of the expedition, and Lieutenant Scott-Hansen second 

 in command. Before starting, he handed me a letter, or set of 

 instructions, which have been mentioned earlier in the volume.* 



The day after that on which the postscript to my instruc- 

 tions is dated — i.e., on Thursday, March 14th, at 11.30 A.M. — 

 Dr. Nansen and Johansen left the Fraiii and set forth on their 

 sledge expedition. We gave them a parting salute with flag, 

 pennant, and guns. Scott-Hansen, Henriksen, and Pettersen 

 accompanied them as far as the first camping-place, 7 or 8 miles 

 from the vessel, and returned the next day at 2.30 P.M. 



In the morning they had helped to harness the dogs and 

 put them to the three sledges. In the team of the last sledge 

 there were " Barnet " and "Pan," who all the time had been 

 mortal enemies. f They began to fight, and Henriksen had to 



* Vide pp. 91-98, Vol. II. 



t Little " Barnet," who weighed only 38 pounds, and was one of the 

 smallest of the dogs, was a regular fighter, and, as a rule, the aggressor. 



