Farthest North, Vol. II: Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896Nansen, Fridtjof
History
Farthest North, Vol. II: Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896
Nansen, Fridtjof
"Fram" Expedition (1893-1896); Arctic regions
One of the first things we did when we came to Mr. Jackson's station
was of course to make a close comparison of our watches with his
chronometer; and Mr. Armitage was also kind enough to take careful
time-observations for me. It now appears that we had not been so far
out, after all. We had put our watches about 26 minutes wrong, making
a difference of about 6 1/2° in longitude. A protracted comparison
undertaken by Mr. Armitage also showed that the escapement of our
watches was very nearly what we had assumed. With the help of this
information I was now enabled to work out our longitude observations
pretty correctly; and one of the first tasks I here set about, now
that we once more had access to paper, writing and drawing materials,
and all that we had longed for so much during the winter, was to
prepare a sketch-map of Franz Josef Land, as our observations led me to
conclude that it must actually be. Mr. Jackson very kindly allowed me
to consult the map he had made of that part of the land which he had
explored. This enabled me to dispense with the labor of reckoning out
my own observations in these localities. Furthermore, I have to thank
Mr. Jackson for aid in every possible way, with navigation-tables,
nautical almanac, [79] scales, and all sorts of drawing material.
It is by a comparison of Payer's map, Jackson's map, and my own
observations that I have made out the sketch-map reproduced on page
599. I have altered Payer's and Jackson's map only at places where my
observations differ essentially from theirs. I make no pretence to give
more than a provisional sketch; I had not even time to work out my own
observations with absolute accuracy. When this has been done, and if I
can gain access to all Payer's material, no doubt a considerably more
trustworthy map can be produced. The only importance which I claim for
the accompanying map is that it shows roughly how what we have hitherto
called Franz Josef Land is cut up into innumerable small islands,
without any continuous and extensive mass of land. Much of Payer's
map I found to coincide well enough with our observations. But the
enigma over which we had pondered the whole winter still remained
unsolved. Where was Dove Glacier and the whole northern part of
Wilczek Land? Where were the islands which Payer had named Braun
Island, Hoffmann Island, and Freeden Island? The last might, no
doubt, be identified with the southernmost island of Hvidtenland
(White Land), but the others had completely disappeared. I pondered
for a long time over the question how such a mistake could have
crept into a map by such a man as Payer--an experienced topographer,
whose maps, as a rule, bear the stamp of great accuracy and care,
and a polar traveller for whose ability I have always entertained
a high respect. I examined his account of his voyage, and there
I found that he expressly mentions that during the time he was
coasting along this Dove Glacier he had a great deal of fog, which
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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