Hitherto the universal method by which discoveries had been made in the Polar regions was to establish a base at which sufficient food was cached, then to push in any required direction as far as possible, leaving successive caches to be returned to when provisions fell short on the forward journey.  But in 1888, Dr. Fridjof Nansen determined on a bolder method of investigating the interior of Greenland.  He was deposited upon the east coast, where there were no inhabitants, and started to cross Greenland, his life depending upon the success of his journey, since he left no reserves in the rear and it would be useless to return.  He succeeded brilliantly in his attempt, and his exploit was followed up by two successive attempts of Lieutenant Peary in 1892-95, who succeeded in crossing Greenland at much higher latitude even than Nansen.

[Illustration:  CLIMBING THE NORTH POLE]

The success of his bold plan encouraged Dr. Nansen to attempt an even bolder one.  He had become convinced, from the investigations conducted by the international Polar observations of 1882-83, that there was a continuous drift of the ice across the Arctic Ocean from the north-east shore of Siberia.  He was confirmed in this opinion, by the fact that debris from the Jeannette, a ship abandoned in 1881 off the Siberian coast, drifted across to the east coast of Greenland by 1884.  He had a vessel built for him, the now-renowned Fram, especially intended to resist the pressure of the ice.  Hitherto it had been the chief aim of Arctic explorations to avoid besetment, and to try and creep round the land shores.  Dr. Nansen was convinced that he could best attain his ends by boldly disregarding these canons and trusting to the drift of the ice to carry him near to the Pole.  He reckoned that the drift would take some three years, and provisioned the Fram for five.  The results of his venturous voyage confirmed in almost every particular his remarkable plan, though it was much scouted in many quarters when first announced.  The drift of the ice carried him across the Polar Sea within the three years he had fixed upon for the probable duration of his journey; but finding that the drift would not carry him far enough north, he left the Fram with a companion, and advanced straight towards the Pole, reaching in April 1895 farthest north, 86.14 deg., within nearly 200 miles of the Pole.  On his return journey he was lucky enough to come across Mr. F. Jackson, who in the Windward had established himself in 1894 in Franz Josef Land.  The rencontre of the two intrepid explorers forms an apt parallel of the celebrated encounter of Stanley and Livingstone, amidst entirely opposite conditions of climate.