LETTERS FROM THE ANDREE PARTY. 405 



we arrived, but was so damaged by the winter storms tbat it was on 

 the verge of collapsing. But one must remember that it was only 

 calculated to remain for one summer. With the aid of tackle and 

 buttresses it was soon fixed, and June 14 we brought the balloon from 

 the Yirgo to the balloon house. On the 16th the balloon was stretched 

 out on the floor, which had been covered with thick coarse felt. The 

 Yirgo left Danes' Island on the 16th. And now we had our hands full 

 to make the balloon tight and to inflate it. To make it tight we had to 

 varnish all the seams on the outside as well as the inside. In order to 

 varnish the inside the balloon is partly inflated with air by a large 

 bellows, and the workmen crawl in through the lower opening. Sve- 

 denborg, Fraenkel, Machuron, and myself take turns in the super- 

 intending of the inside varnishing. The interior of the balloon is a very 

 strange sight. It looks like a low vault of stone masonry. * * * 

 There we were, eight men, each with a pot of varnish and a brush, and 

 varnished every seam of the upper half of the balloon. The varnish 

 makes the air very bad, and after some time one begins to feel a pain 

 in one's eyes, as of onions. 



"On Saturday, the 17th, at 7 o'clock in the morning, the hydrogen 

 apparatus was started and put in connection with the balloon, and at 

 12 o'clock, midnight, between the 22d and 23d, it was inflated. Then 

 it had to be tested as to its tightness and the principal holes fixed. 

 This was done by a new method invented by Mr. Stake. It is simply to 

 allow the few particles of hydrogen suli^hide, which are always jiro- 

 duced with the hydrogen, to accompany the hydrogen into the balloon. 

 If pieces of muslin saturated with a solution of acetate of lead are i)ut 

 on the balloon, the smallest leakage may be discovered by the escaping 

 hydrogen suliDhide, which causes the muslin to turn black. This 

 method proved to be very practical, and we discovered several small 

 holes which could be fixed. During these operations one walks around 

 on top of the balloon, which only yields imperceptibly. * " * * 



"After these preparations we have succeeded in getting the balloon in 

 pretty good shape; at all events much better than last year. It loses 

 daily about 45 kilos (a fraction over 99 pounds) in carrying capacity; 

 but as we have possibilities of throwing out 1,700 kilos (about 3,748 

 pounds) of ballast, we will easily float for more than a month. 



"We do not intend to start until we get favorable wind, to avoid 

 being pushed right back to Spitzbergen by contrary winds. If we get 

 the right wind we ought to be able to go some distance in these thirty 

 days. With a fairly strong wind we will make from 10 to 20 knots an 

 hour, and will reach the Pole, or a point near to it, in from thirty to 

 sixty hours. Once having reached the northernmost point, we don't 

 care where the wind carries us. Of course we would rather land in 

 Alaska near the Mackenzie River, where we would very likely meet 

 American whalers, who are favorably disposed toward the expedition. 

 It would really be a glorious thing to succeed so well. But even if we 



