The South Pole; an account of the Norwegian Antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-12 — Volume 1 and Volume 2

It is a geographical book. We have thus taken observations as near to the Pole as was humanly possible with the instruments at our disposal. We had a sextant and artificial horizon calculated for a radius of 8 kilometres. On December 17 we were ready to go. We raised on the spot a little circular tent, and planted above it the Norwegian flag and the Fram’s pennant. The Norwegian camp at the South Pole was given the name of 'Polheim'. The distance from our winter quarters to the Pole was about 870 English miles, so that we had covered on an average 15 1/2 miles a day. We began the return journey on December 17. The weather was unusually favourable, and this made our return considerably easier than the march to the Pole. We arrived at 'Framheim', our winter quarters, in January, 1912, with two sledges and eleven dogs, all well. On the homeward journey we covered an average of 22 1/2 miles a day. The principal result —­ besides the attainment of the Pole —­ is the determination of the extent and character of the Ross Barrier. Next to this, the discovery of a connection between South Victoria Land and, probably, King Edward VII. Land through their continuation in huge mountain-ranges, which run to the south-east and were seen as far south as lat. 88deg. 8’, but which in all probability are continued right across the Antarctic Continent. We gave the name of 'Queen Maud’s Mountains' to the whole range of these newly discovered mountains, about 530 miles in length.