AKSEL S. STEEN. [2nd abC. exp. feam 



southerly latitude in Havne Fjord and Gaase Fjord, whence geographical 

 investigations of the hitherto unknown surrounding districts were made. 



It was in these winter quarters that the magnetic observations 

 were made, and it was soon apparent that the terrestrial-magnetic con- 

 ditions there were of such a nature that it was only with the greatest 

 difficulty that the instruments brought could be employed to obtain obser- 

 vation results that were at all usable. 



There is one circumstance too, that must here be taken into con- 

 sideration. When the 2nd Fram Expedition left Christiania in June, 

 1898, the working-up of the magnetic observations brought back from 

 the Nansen Expedition was begun, but not nearly completed, this not 

 being done until December, 1900. The experience gained in this work 

 as to the most practical employment of the instruments, and the supple- 

 menting that was desirable, was therefore of no avail to the Sverdrup 

 Expedition, a circumstance which is all the more to be regretted since 

 one decided lesson it taught was that an Expedition to the polar regions 

 cannot content itself with a Fox circle for determining inclination, but 

 must in addition in every case have a reliable inclinatorium, with nee- 

 dles for remagnetisation, and if possible an earth inductor also. 



It was therefore anything but an easy task that devolved upon the 

 2nd Fram Expedition's second in command, formerly lieutenant, now 

 captain in the navy, V. Baumann, and the chartographer of the Expe- 

 dition, formerly lieutenant, now cavalry captain, G. Isachsen. These 

 two gentlemen had made in Wilhelmshaven, in 1898, a series of deter- 

 minations of the three magnetic elements with the universal magneto- 

 meter constructed for the first Fram Expedition by Geheimerat von JN^eu- 

 MAYER and E. A. Zschau, the mechanician of the Deutsche Seewarte. 

 They shared the work of magnetic observation during the first two 

 years, while during the last two Captain Baumann undertook it alone. 

 Captain Isachsen being engaged in geographical work. 



Various circumstances, especially the frequent sledge-journeys for 

 the discovery and charting of new land, as also the numerous practical 

 occupations on board, combmed to prevent the collection of such co- 

 pious magnetic observations as might have been desired; while at the 

 same time the above-mentioned difficulties arising from the imperfect 

 capabihties of the instruments under the existing terrestrial-magnetic 

 conditions, must have raised doubts as to the utility of the results ob- 

 tained, and thus have weakened to some extent the interest in a con- 

 tinued repetition of the troublesome work of observation. 



