Chapter II
Preparations and Equipment
Table of Contents Foolhardy as the scheme appeared to some, it received powerful support from the Norwegian Government and the King of Norway. A bill was laid before the Storthing for a grant of £11,250 (200,000 kroner), or two-thirds of the estimated cost. The remaining third I hoped to be able to raise from private sources, as I had already received promises of support from many quarters.
On June 30, 1890, the amount demanded was voted by the Storthing, which thereby expressed its wish that the expedition should be a Norwegian one. In January, 1891, Mr. Thomas Fearnley, Consul Axel Heiberg, and Mr. Ellef Ringnes set to work to collect the further sum required, and in a few days the amount was subscribed.
His Majesty King Oscar gave £1125 (20,000 kroner), while private individuals in Norway gave as follows:
£ s. d. Consul Axel Heiberg 562 10 0 Ditto (later) 393 15 0 Mr. Anton Chr. Houen 1125 0 0 Mr. A. Dick, Hövik 281 5 0 Ditto (later) 393 15 0 Mr. Thomas Fearnley (merchant) 281 5 0 Ditto (later) 56 5 0 Messrs. Ringnes & Co. (brewers) 281 5 0 Ditto (later) 56 5 0 Mr. A. S. Kjösterud (merchant), Drammen 281 5 0 Ditto (later) 56 5 0 Mr. E. Sundt (merchant), Bergen 281 5 0 Consul Westye Egeberg 562 10 0 Mr. Halver Schou 281 5 0 Baron Harald Wedel Jarlsberg and C. Iövenskiold, Minister of State 562 10 0 Consul Nicolay H. Knudtzon, Christiansund 281 5 0
Among foreign contributors may be mentioned the Royal Geographical Society of London, which showed its sympathy with the undertaking by subscribing £300 sterling. Baron Oscar Dickson provided at his own cost the electric installation (dynamo accumulators, and conductors).
As the work of equipment proceeded, it appeared that the first estimate was not sufficient. This was especially due to the ship, which was estimated to cost £8437 10s. (150,000 kroner), but which came to nearly double that sum. Where so much was at stake, I did not think it right to study the cost too much, if it seemed that a little extra outlay could insure the successful result of the expedition. The three gentlemen who had taken the lead in the first collection, Mr. Thomas Fearnley, Consul Axel Heiberg, and Mr. Ellef Ringnes, undertook at my request to constitute themselves the committee of the expedition and to take charge of its pecuniary affairs. In order to cover a portion of the deficiency, they, together with certain members of the Council of the Geographical Society, set on foot another private subscription all over the country, while the same society at a later period headed a national subscription. By these means about £956 5s. was collected in all. I had further to petition the Norwegian Storthing for an additional sum of £4500, when our national assembly again gave proof of its sympathy with the undertaking by granting the amount named (June 9, 1890).
Finally Consul Axel Heiberg and Mr. Dick subscribed an additional £337 10s. each, while I myself made up the deficiency that still remained on the eve of our departure.
Statement of Accounts of the Expedition on its Setting Out, 1893.
Income. Kroner ore. State Grant 280,000 0 H.M. The King, and original private subscribers 105,000 0 Private subscription of the Geographical Society 12,781 23 National subscription 2,287 23 Interest accrued 9,729 78 Guaranteed by private individuals 5,400 0 Deficit covered by A. Heiberg and A. Dick 12,000 0 Ditto F. Nansen 5,400 0 Geographical Society, London (£300) . H. Simon, Manchester (£100) . A Norwegian in Riga (1000 roubles) and others . 9,278 62 Total 444,339 36
1 Expenditure. Kroner ore. Wages account 46,440 0 Life insurance premiums of married participators 5,361 90 Instruments account 12,978 68 Ship account 271,927 8 Provisions account 39,172 98 Expenses account 10,612 38 Equipment account 57,846 34 Total 444,339 36
It will be evident from the plan above expounded that the most important point in the equipment of our expedition was the building of the ship that was to carry us through the dreaded ice regions. The construction of this vessel was accordingly carried out with greater care, probably, than has been devoted to any ship that has hitherto ploughed the Arctic waters. I found in the well-known shipbuilder, Colin Archer, a man who thoroughly understood the task I set him, and who concentrated all his skill, foresight, and rare thoroughness upon the work. We must gratefully recognize that the success of the expedition was in no small degree due to this man.
Colin Archer
If we turn our attention to the long list of former expeditions and to their equipments, it cannot but strike us that scarcely a single vessel had been built specially for the purpose-in fact, the majority of explorers have not even provided themselves with vessels which were originally intended for ice navigation. This is the more surprising when we remember the sums of money that have been lavished on the equipment of some of these expeditions. The fact is, they have generally been in such a hurry to set out that there has been no time to devote to a more careful equipment. In many cases, indeed, preparations were not begun until a few months before the expedition sailed. The present expedition, however, could not be equipped in so short...
