Ziegler Polar Expedition 



4i7 



Photo by W. S. Champ 



Embarking the Siberian Ponies at 

 Solombala, Siberia 



cates immense fields of ice north or lots 

 of open water. Let us hope for the 

 latter. 



Everything aboard has been pleasant 

 and harmonious. Men are in splendid 

 condition and happy, though impatient 

 to get north . The horses and dogs are in 

 particularly good form and we are par- 



ticularly thankful for the coal we took 

 on at Vardo, for we feel we shall need 

 every ounce of it, as we look at the long 

 unbroken mass* of ice. 



Yours sincerely, 



Anthony Fiala. 



The Amerika has been entirely refit- 

 ted the past year — new decks, new rig- 

 ging, new boilers, new engines. She 

 makes 8 knots au hour without any 

 help from the wind and rides very easily 

 in spite of her tremendous cargo. The 

 dogs and ponies were taken aboard at 

 Solombala, near Archangel, and seemed 

 in splendid condition. 



The expedition left Vardo in excel- 

 lent spirits and excellent condition. 

 Most important of all, the men and crew 

 had had a chance of working together 

 for several months before the actual 

 start, and it was the unanimous opinion 

 of all that harmony and good-will would 

 continue. 



The Amerika left Trondhjem June 

 23, Tromsb June 27, Archangel July 4, 

 and Vardo July 10. 



At every port and wherever the ex- 

 pedition or any members of the party 

 went the}' were received with great 

 courtesy and everything was done by the 

 officials and people to help the work of 

 the expedition. This courteous treat- 

 ment was much appreciated by all, and 

 acknowledgment of this kindness to 

 them is gratefully made by Mr Ziegler. 

 Special thanks are due to Professor H. 

 Geelmuyden, the distinguished observa- 

 torist at the University of Christiania, 

 for loaning the expedition a 20-cen. alt. 

 azimuth circle by Repsold. 



