CHAPTER XXXIX 
THE PARRY ARCHIPELAGO— SVERDRUP 
The very important voyage of Captain Sverdrup may 
be looked upon as a sequel to the voyage of Nansen. 
The same generous patrons of Arctic enterprise, Axel 
Heiberg and the brothers Ringnes, resolved to equip 
another Arctic expedition and, by the advice of Nansen, 
the command was offered to Sverdrup, the selection of 
the route being left to the commander. 
Sverdrup accepted ; the Fram was lent by the Govern- 
ment, and a crew of sixteen selected. Victor Braumann, 
a first lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Navy, aged 
28, was Sverdrup's second. The cartographer was a 
lieutenant of cavalry named Gunnerius Ingvald Isachsen, 
and the mate Olaf Roanes of the Lofoten Islands. A 
Swede named Simmons went as botanist, Edward Buy 
as biologist, and Schei as geologist. 
The Fram sailed from Laurvik (where Colin Archer 
had made some repairs) on the 25th June 1898, obtained 
dogs at Lievely, and proceeded to Smith Channel, where 
she was stopped by impenetrable ice just north of Cape 
Sabine. On August 18th she anchored in Rice Strait, 
which became her winter quarters. A visit was received 
from an Arctic Highlander named Kolotangva. Excellent 
exploring work was done during the spring of 1899. 
Sverdrup himself crossed an isthmus rich in musk oxen 
and other game, and discovered the western shore of 
Ellesmere Island. Isachsen was on the inland ice, and 
Schei did some excellent geological work. 
In the summer Sverdrup found the ice in Sir 
Thomas Smith's Channel closely packed, and therefore 
resolved to attempt discoveries up the channel named 
by Baffin after Sir Francis Jones, taking with him an 
abundant supply of walrus meat. Jones Sound had 
previously been visited by whalers, and in August 1851 
Captain Austin had entered it with the Pioneer and 
Intrepid and proceeded up it until he was stopped by 
