Our first advance on the Barrier was full of excitement and suspense.  So many questions presented themselves:  What will be the nature of the region we have to cross?  How will the sleds behave?  Will our equipment meet the requirements of the situation?  Have we the proper hauling power?  If we were to accomplish our object, everything had to be of the best.  Our equipment was substantially different from that of our English competitors.  We placed our whole trust on Eskimo dogs and skis, while the English, as a result of their own experience, had abandoned dogs as well as skis, but, on the other hand, were well equipped with motor-sleds and ponies.

We advanced rapidly on the smooth, white snow plain.  On February 14th we reached 80 deg.  S. We had thus covered ninety-nine miles.  We established a depot here mainly of 1,300 pounds of provisions which we intended to use on our main advance to the south in the spring.  The return journey occupied two days; on the first we covered forty miles and on the second fifty-seven miles.  When we reached our station the Fram had already left.  The bay was lonely and deserted; only seals and penguins were in possession of the place.

The first excursion to the south, although brief, was of great importance to us.  We now knew definitely that our equipment and our pulling power were eminently suited to the demands upon them.  In their selection no mistake had been made.  It was now for us to make use of everything to the best advantage.

Our sojourn at the station was only a short one.  On February 22d we were ready again to carry supplies to a more southern depot.  We intended to push this depot as far south as possible.  On this occasion our expedition consisted of eight men, seven sleds, and forty-two dogs.  Only the cook remained at “Framheim.”

On February 27th, we passed the depot which we had established at 80 deg.  S.; we found everything in the best of order.  On March 4th we reached the eighty-first parallel and deposited there 1,150 pounds of provisions.  Three men returned from here to the station while the five others continued toward the south and reached the eighty-second parallel on March 8th, depositing there 1,375 pounds of provisions.  We then returned, and on March 22d were again at home.  Before the winter began we made another excursion to the depot in 80 deg.  S., and added to our supplies there 2,400 pounds of fresh salt meat and 440 pounds of other provisions.  On April 11th we returned from this excursion; this ended all of our work connected with the establishment of depots.  Up to that date we had carried out 6,700 pounds of provisions and had distributed these in three repositories.