Despatches from Annapolis were received by the Stavanger station, which repeated them to the “Fram.” This was also done free of charge. The Norwegian telegraph authorities also showed their goodwill to the expedition by instructing Vardeo Radio Station to receive despatches from North Russian and North Siberian stations and repeat same to the “Fram,” which hardly could have got them direct. I must also mention the help the radio station in Green Harbour gave us by assisting in receiving messages and forecasts during the critical days just before the start. The Geophysical Institute at Tromsö, which is the central station for the weather-forecastings for North Norway, sent from its radio station, three times daily, the Norwegian observation material. The institute in Tromsö also deserves thanks for all the assistance it has given to the expedition by sending out weather forecasts from the moment the trip was planned, and whilst we made our preparations in the winter 1924–5. It was a great help to be able to sometimes consult the nearest meteorological neighbors in the south, who had many years’ experience in the Arctic Sea’s meteorological readings. I will specially mention a telegram we received from Director Krogness a few days before the start which informed us that his analysis suggested that a period of _stable_ weather conditions was now approaching. This was of great assistance when the starting day had to be fixed. When the whole apparatus was in working order we could receive meteorological despatches from nearly all the stations. The network of stations is closest in Europe, so close that we often saved work by making a choice of stations. Asia and America have not such a close net, but even here it is possible to draw a weather chart which is largely correct. [Illustration: THE COURSE OF THE SHIPS ON WATCH, “FRAM” AND “HOBBY,” DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXPEDITION The dotted area indicates the pack ice.] Furthermore, in the English, French and Norwegian despatches there were a certain number of observations from ships in the Atlantic, which in themselves formed a bridge between the American and European stations. The whole station system therefore formed an almost complete circle round the polar regions, with the exception of Northeast Siberia, where telegraphic communications are still bad, and this of course makes a wide gap. [Illustration: THE DOTTED AREA, ABOUT 12,000 SQUARE MILES, SHOWS THE TERRITORY EXPLORED BY THE FLIGHT EXPEDITION] The point now was (with the assistance of this net of stations round the Arctic regions) to control an account of conditions moving inside the polar area, and thereby draw conclusions as to what the weather might be like along the flight route. With this in view the weather chart for the whole region was drawn twice a day. Besides this, two charts were prepared daily showing the reports of the European net of stations, so that the weather conditions were being calculated every six hours.