Fig.  Page
        Chart of the Immediate Surroundings of the South Pole to
        face 120
        Chart of the Ross Sea ,, 344
        Chart of the Bay of Whales ,, 350
1.  Hypothetical Representation of the Surface Currents in the Northern
Atlantic in April 409
2.  The “Fram’s” Route from June 20 To July 7, 1910 411
3.  Temperature and Salinity in the “Fram’s” Southern Section, June,
1910 412
4.  Temperature and Salinity in the “Fram’s” Northern Section, July,
1910 415
5.  The “Fram’s” Stations in the South Atlantic (June —­ August,
1911) 418
6.  Currents in the South Atlantic (June —­ August, 1911) 419
7.  Salinities and Temperatures at the Surface in the
 South Atlantic (June —­ August, 1911) 420

8.  Temperatures (Centigrade) at a Depth of 400 Metres (218 Fathoms) 423 9.  Temperatures at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911) 426 10.  Salinities at Station 32 (In the Benguela Current, July 22, 1911), and at Station 60 (In the Brazil Current, August 19, 1911) 427 11.  Salinities and Temperatures in the Southern Section (June —­ July, 1911) 429 12.  Salinities and Temperatures in the Northern Section (July —­ August, 1911) 429 13.  Temperatures at one of the “Fram’s” and one of the “Challenger’s” Stations, to the South of the South Equatorial Current 433 14.  Temperatures at one of the “Fram’s” and one of the “Valdivia’s” Stations, in the Benguela Current 435 15.  Temperatures at the “Planet’s” Station 25, And the “Fram’s” Station 39 —­ Both in the Neighbourhood of St. Helena 437 16.  Salinities at the “Planet’s” Station 25 (March 19, 1906), and the “Fram’s” Station 39 (July 29, 1911) 437
        Chart of the Antarctic Region At end of Volume

CHAPTER X

The Start for the Pole

At last we got away, on October 19.  The weather for the past few days had not been altogether reliable; now windy, now calm —­ now snowing, now clear:  regular spring weather, in other words.  That day it continued unsettled; it was misty and thick in the morning, and did not promise well for the day, but by 9.30 there was a light breeze from the east, and at the same time it cleared.

There was no need for a prolonged inquiry into the sentiments of the party. —­ What do you think?  Shall we start?” —­ Yes, of course.  Let’s be jogging on.”  There was only one opinion about it.  Our coursers were harnessed in a jiffy, and with a little nod —­ as much as to say, “See you to-morrow” —­ we were off.  I don’t believe Lindstrom even came out of doors to see us start.  “Such an everyday affair:  what’s the use of making a fuss about it?”

There were five of us —­ Hanssen, Wisting, Hassel, Bjaaland, and myself.  We had four sledges, with thirteen dogs to each.  At the start our sledges were very light, as we were only taking supplies for the trip to 80deg.  S., where all our cases were waiting for us; we could therefore sit on the sledges and flourish our whips with a jaunty air.  I sat astride on Wisting’s sledge, and anyone who had seen us would no doubt have thought a Polar journey looked very inviting.