344 
THE NANSEN POLAR PJXPEDnTON 
380 fathoms, below which it is again cold. This ma_y,' possibly, 
be owing to the Gulf stream. There was a great dearth of organic 
life, none whatever being found in the greater ocean depths, and 
no signs of animal life in the higher latitudes, excepting an occa- 
sional migratory bird, so that the idea of organic life prevailing 
in the upper regions about the Pole is erroneous. 
While many contend that Nansen’s theory of a Polar current 
flowing across the Pole on to the east coast of Greenland seems 
to have been correct, there are strong arguments against it, and 
Sverdrup, who was in command of the Fram when she made 
her most northerly record, seems to tliink that there is no regular 
current, hut that the movements of the ice masses are mainly 
governed by the winds. On the other hand, from a look at the 
chart showing the entire drift of the Fram, there would seem to 
be a reasonable probability that if the Fram had taken the course 
originally intended h}'' Nansen, viz., had gone farther to the east- 
ward and entered the ice-fields to the northeast of the New Sibe- 
rian islands instead of the nortliwest, she might have drifted 
farther north, if not over the Pole itself. However that may be, 
it is said that Dr Nansen himself has stated that should he 
undertake another expedition in that direction it would not be 
by means of a ship, but with sleds, kayaks, and dogs, with Franz 
Josef land as a starting-point, and depending mainl}^ on the re- 
sources of the regions about him for subsistence. 
"Wdiatever may be thought of the wisdom and usefulness of 
such exi)editions, all must admire the superior courage of these 
two Norwegians, and especially Dr Nansen, who, fully appreci- 
ating the full extent of the deadly perils they were to encounter, 
had also the sagacity and ability to foresee and prepare for almost 
the minutest details of their undertaking. The fact of these 
men, after having passed tlirough the terrible rigors of two Arctic 
winters, stejiping over the side of their sheltering ship into the 
unknown wastes of this high latitude, with no exj)ectation of 
rejoining her there, and marching Avith their dogs straight into 
the terrible north, required an amount of splendid courage im- 
possible to exc'el ; and that they were able to live through fifteen 
months of these conditions shows a physical superiority as great 
as their daring, in Avhich, no doubt, their Avell-knoAvn abilities as 
sportsmen and athletes Avas a very important factor. 
