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Management Accounting Information For Decision-Making and Strategy Execution Atkinson 6th Edition Test Bank Download

The document contains links to various test banks and solutions manuals for management accounting and other subjects, including the 6th edition of Atkinson's Management Accounting Information for Decision-Making. It also includes true/false questions and answers related to management accounting principles, the role of management accounting in decision-making, and comparisons with financial accounting. Additionally, it discusses the impact of competitive environments on management accounting practices.

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100% found this document useful (6 votes)
136 views56 pages

Management Accounting Information For Decision-Making and Strategy Execution Atkinson 6th Edition Test Bank Download

The document contains links to various test banks and solutions manuals for management accounting and other subjects, including the 6th edition of Atkinson's Management Accounting Information for Decision-Making. It also includes true/false questions and answers related to management accounting principles, the role of management accounting in decision-making, and comparisons with financial accounting. Additionally, it discusses the impact of competitive environments on management accounting practices.

Uploaded by

halsekotakup
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

5) Management accounting information is sometimes predictive and forward looking.


Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6) Management accounting has no prescribed rules about its content, how the content is to be
developed, and how the content is to be presented.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

7) The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board sets cost accounting standards for all
federal government activities.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: Government Accounting Standards Board
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

8) Management accounting measures can provide advance warnings of problems.


Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

9) Information about customer satisfaction is an example of financial information.


Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Information about customer satisfaction is an example of nonfinancial information.
Diff: 1
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

10) Management accounting information can be used for all of the following EXCEPT:
A) calculate the cost of a product or service.
B) evaluate the performance of a company.
C) project materials needs.
2
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
D) evaluate the market price of the stock.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

3
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
11) Which of the following types of information are used in management accounting?
A) financial information
B) nonfinancial information
C) information focused on the long term
D) All of the above are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

12) Management accounting:


A) is both retrospective, providing feedback about past operations, and also prospective,
incorporating forecasts and estimates about future events.
B) is primarily oriented to external stakeholders.
C) must be consistent with rules formulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(FASB).
D) provides information that is generally available only on a quarterly or annual basis.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

13) Which of the following descriptors refer to management accounting information?


A) It is only retrospective, reporting and summarizing in financial terms the results of past
decisions and transactions.
B) It is driven by rules.
C) It is prepared for shareholders.
D) It is oriented to meeting the decision making needs of employees and managers inside the
organization.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

14) Which of the following would be considered management accounting information?


A) Budgeted production for the year 2011.
B) Budgeted Balance Sheet.
C) Analysis of trend in stock prices.
D) Both budgeted production for the year of 2011, and the budgeted balance sheet.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking
4
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
15) Management accounting information includes all of the following EXCEPT:
A) tabulated results of customer satisfaction surveys.
B) the cost of producing a product.
C) the percentage of units produced that is defective.
D) market price of the stock.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

16) Management accounting reports might include information about:


A) customer complaints.
B) net income for the year on budgeted income statement.
C) total assets on budgeted balance sheet.
D) All of the above are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

17) The person MOST likely to use management accounting information is a(n):
A) banker evaluating a credit application.
B) shareholder evaluating a stock investment.
C) governmental taxing authority.
D) assembly department supervisor.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

18) Which of the following is NOT a function of a management accounting system?


A) strategic development
B) financial reporting
C) control
D) product costing
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

5
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
19) Financial accounting:
A) focuses on the future and includes activities such as preparing next year's operating budget.
B) does not need to comply with GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles).
C) is primarily oriented to external stakeholders, such as investors, creditors, regulators and tax
authorities.
D) is prepared for the use of department heads and other employees.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Terms: financial accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

20) The person MOST likely to use ONLY financial accounting information is a:
A) factory shift supervisor.
B) vice president of operations.
C) current shareholder.
D) department manager.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: financial accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

21) Historically, management accounting innovations have been developed by:


A) the International Accounting Standards Board.
B) the Cost Accounting Standards Board.
C) Academic accountants.
D) Managers.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

22) In general, it was not until the 1970s that management accounting systems:
A) were improved because of demands by the FASB and the SEC.
B) stagnated and proved inadequate.
C) started to develop innovations in costing and performance-measurement systems due to
intense pressure from overseas competitors.
D) started to address the decision-making needs of managers.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
23) Financial accounting information:
A) provides a signal that something is wrong.
B) identifies what is wrong.
C) explains what is wrong.
D) simply summarizes information but gives no indication that anything is wrong.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: financial accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

24) The regulatory authority responsible for formulating rules of United States GAAP is:
A) the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
B) the Cost Accounting Standards Board.
C) the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board.
D) the International Accounting Standards Board.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Terms: financial accounting, FASB
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

25) Management accounting information is BEST described as:


A) providing a signal that something is wrong.
B) identifying and helping to explain what is wrong.
C) simply summarizing information, but giving no indication that anything is wrong.
D) measuring overall organizational performance.
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking

7
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
26) Compare and contrast the users and uses of management accounting and financial
accounting.
Answer: Management accounting provides information to internal decision makers of the
business such as line supervisors, division managers and top executives. Its purpose is to help
managers plan, organize, control and make operating decisions by predicting future results and
evaluating performance.

Financial accounting provides information to external decision makers such as investors and
creditors. Its purpose is to present a fair picture of the financial condition of the company for use
by these parties in making investing and credit decisions.
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting, financial accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

27) What is the purpose of management accounting?


Answer: Management accounting gathers short-term and long-term financial and nonfinancial
information to plan, coordinate, motivate, improve, control, and evaluate success factors of an
organization. Management accounting converts data into usable information that supports
planning, organizing, and control decision making.
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 1
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

Objective 2

1) During the history of management accounting, innovations were developed to address the
decision-making needs of managers.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

2) A key element in any organization's strategy is to identify its target customers and to deliver
what those target customers want.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: strategy
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

8
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
3) Management accounting innovations are usually developed by academics.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Management accounting innovations are usually developed by management
accountants in the field.
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

4) The first modern industry to develop and use large quantities of financial statistics to assess
and monitor organizational performance was:
A) steel companies.
B) lumber companies.
C) the railroads.
D) automobile companies.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

5) Which of the following companies is a service company?


A) Lands' End
B) Schwinn Bicycles
C) Orkin Pest Control
D) British Petroleum
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Terms: service companies
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6) Historically, service companies have:


A) operated in less competitive environments than manufacturing companies.
B) enjoyed global customer demand.
C) used management accounting information in much the same way as manufacturing
companies.
D) competed by managing costs to provide the best service at the lowest price.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: service companies
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

9
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
7) The Hawthorne study revealed that:
A) individuals alter their behavior when they know they are being studied.
B) groups alter their behavior when they know they are being studied.
C) People react when they are being measured.
D) All of the above are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information, Hawthorne study
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

8) _______ helped develop the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.


A) Hawthorne
B) Deming.
C) Carnegie
D) Ford
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking

9) Describe the steps in the PDCA cycle.


Answer: The Plan step of the PCDA cycle defines the organization's purpose and selects the
focus and scope of its strategy. The Do step of the PDCA cycle involves the implementation of a
chosen course of action. In this setting, management accounting information gets communicated
to front-line and support employees to inform their daily decisions and work activities. The
check step in the PDCA cycle includes two components — measuring and monitoring ongoing
performance and taking short-term actions based on the measured performance. In the Act step
of the PDCA cycle, managers take actions to lower costs, change resource allocations, improve
the quality, cycle time and flexibility of processes, modify the product mix, change customer
relationships, and redesign and introduce new products.
Diff: 3
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

10
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
10) What role has the increasingly competitive business environment played in the development
of management accounting?
Answer: The competitive environment has changed dramatically. There has been a deregulation
movement in North America and Europe during the 1970s and 1980s that changed the ground
rules under which service companies operate.
In addition, organizations encountered severe competition from overseas companies that offered
high-quality products at low prices. There has been an improvement of operational control
systems such that information is more current and provided more frequently. Employees need
better management accounting information and accurate and timely information to improve the
activities they perform and to make decisions. Employees also want innovations in management
accounting information. Nonfinancial information has become a critical feedback measure.
Finally, the focus of many firms is now on measuring and managing activities.
Diff: 3
Terms: financial accounting, management accounting
Objective: 2
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

Objective 3

1) At the highest level strategic planning involves choosing a strategy that provides the best fit
between the organization's environment and its internal resources in order to achieve the
organization's objectives.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: strategy
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

2) Quality is the degree of conformance between what the customer is promised and what the
customer receives.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: quality
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

3) Government and nonprofit organizations, as well as profit-seeking enterprises, are feeling the
pressures for improved performance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: government and nonprofit organizations
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

11
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
4) Management accounting information allows managers to compare actual and planned costs
and to identify areas and opportunities for process improvement.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

5) Management accounting can provide information on customer satisfaction.


Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6) Planning activities include all of the following EXCEPT:


A) estimate the cost and profit consequences from a course of action.
B) evaluating the quality of the service provided.
C) projecting labor requirements.
D) budgeting.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

7) The most important factor in successful organizations is:


A) weaknesses.
B) competition.
C) strategy.
D) definition of quality.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: strategy
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking

8) A key element of any organization's strategy is identifying:


A) its potential shareholders.
B) its target customers.
C) competitor's products.
D) employee needs.
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Terms: strategy
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking
12
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
9) Explain the role of management accounting in helping an enterprise develop and implement
its strategy.
Answer: The organization needs management accounting information to help implement the
strategy, allocate resources for the strategy, communicate the strategy, and link employees and
operational processes to achieve the strategy. As the strategy gets executed, management
accounting information provides feedback about where it is working and where it is not, and
guides actions to improve the performance from the strategy..
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting, strategy
Objective: 3
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

Objective 4

1) Quality expert, W. Edwards Deming, helped develop and disseminate the plan-do-check-act
(PDCA) cycle.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

2) Many organizations start the planning stage by re-affirming or updating its mission statement.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

3) Operating profit is an example of nonfinancial information.


Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Operating profit is an example of financial information.
Diff: 1
Terms: financial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

4) The check step in the PDCA cycle includes two components — measuring and monitoring
ongoing performance and taking short-term actions based on the measured performance.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

13
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
5) Which of the following best represents the Plan step in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
cycle?
A) Take actions to lower costs, change resource allocations, improve the quality, cycle time and
flexibility of processes, modify the product mix, change customer relationships, and redesign and
introduce new products..
B) Measure and monitor ongoing performance and take short-term actions based on the
measured performance.
C) Define the organization's purpose and select the focus and scope of its strategy. .
D) Implement the chosen course of action.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6) Which of the following best represents the Do step in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?.
A) Take actions to lower costs, change resource allocations, improve the quality, cycle time and
flexibility of processes, modify the product mix, change customer relationships, and redesign and
introduce new products.
B) Measure and monitor ongoing performance and take short-term actions based on the
measured performance.
C) Define the organization's purpose and select the focus and scope of its strategy.
D) Implement the chosen course of action.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

7) Which of the following best represents the Check step in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)
cycle?
A) Take actions to lower costs, change resource allocations, improve the quality, cycle time and
flexibility of processes, modify the product mix, change customer relationships, and redesign and
introduce new products.
B) Measure and monitor ongoing performance and take short-term actions based on the
measured performance.
C) Define the organization's purpose and select the focus and scope of its strategy.
D) Implement the chosen course of action.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

14
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
8) Which of the following best represents the Act step in the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?
A) Take actions to lower costs, change resource allocations, improve the quality, cycle time and
flexibility of processes, modify the product mix, change customer relationships, and redesign and
introduce new products.
B) Measure and monitor ongoing performance and take short-term actions based on the
measured performance.
C) Define the organization's purpose and select the focus and scope of its strategy.
D) Implement the chosen course of action.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: plan-do-check-act cycle
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

9) How the customer is treated at the time of the purchase is an example of the __________
element of the value proposition.
A) functionality and features
B) industry standards
C) quality
D) service
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

10) Managers of service departments need all of the following information EXCEPT:
A) efficiency data on work performance.
B) quality data on work performance.
C) profitability data of the whole company.
D) profitability data of the service department.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

15
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
11) A national company manufactures a line of modern furniture. Information MOST useful to
the employee who assembles the furniture includes:
A) a daily report comparing the actual time it took to assemble a piece of furniture to the
standard time allowed.
B) a monthly report on the proportion of furniture pieces assembled with defects.
C) the number of furniture pieces sold this month.
D) revenue per employee.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

12) A national company manufactures a line of modern furniture. Information MOST useful to
the top executive includes:
A) individual job summaries of materials used.
B) monthly financial reports on the company's profitability by product line.
C) time reports submitted by each employee.
D) scheduled downtime for routine maintenance on machines.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

13) A quarterly report disclosing declining market share information is MOST useful to:
A) a front-line employee.
B) the manager of operations.
C) the chief executive officer.
D) the accounting department.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

14) A weekly report comparing machine time used to available machine time is information
LEAST useful to:
A) a front-line employee.
B) the manager of operations.
C) the chief executive officer.
D) the accounting department.
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking
16
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
15) A daily report on the number of quality units assembled by each employee is information
MOST useful to:
A) a front-line assembly worker.
B) the accounting department.
C) the chief executive officer.
D) the personnel department.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

16) Which of the following would be MOST helpful for a top manager of a company?
A) profitability report of the company
B) information to monitor hourly and daily operations
C) number of customer complaints
D) operating expense summary reported by department
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

17) A law firm would use management accounting information for all of the following decisions
EXCEPT:
A) staffing needs.
B) performance evaluation of staff.
C) budgeted purchases of supplies.
D) location of annual holiday party.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

18) Management accounting can play a critical role in the service industry because of all the
following reasons EXCEPT:
A) firms must be especially sensitive to the timeliness and quality of customer service.
B) many employees have very little contact with customers.
C) customers immediately notice defects and a delay in service.
D) dissatisfied customers may never return.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Terms: management accounting
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

17
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
The following information pertains to three divisions of Marine Industrial Coatings, Inc.
(amounts in millions):

Chemical Retail Paint Industrial


Sales $16,000 $30,000 $120,000
Operating Income $4,000 $6,000 $40,000
Investment $320,000 $660,000 $2,000,000

19) What is the return on investment for the Chemical Division?


A) 1.25%
B) 2.25%
C) 25.0%
D) 50.00%
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: return on investment
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytical skills

20) Which division is more profitable based on ROI?


A) Chemical
B) Retail paint
C) Industrial
D) Both Chemical and Retail paint are more profitable than Industrial.
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Terms: return on investment
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytical skills

21) What is the Return on Sales for the Retail paint division?
A) 2%
B) 4.5%
C) 20%
D) 45%
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: return on sales
Objective: 4
AACSB: Analytical skills

18
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
22) For improving operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction, nonfinancial information
is:
A) critical.
B) moderate.
C) infrequently used.
D) unnecessary.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

23) Nonfinancial information might be used for all of the following EXCEPT:
A) improve product quality.
B) reduce cycle times.
C) satisfy customers' needs.
D) All of the above are used.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking

24) Is financial accounting or management accounting more useful to an operations manager?


Why?
Answer: Management accounting is more useful to an operations manager because management
accounting reports operating results by department or unit rather than for the company as a
whole, it includes financial as well as nonfinancial data such as the number or percent of on-time
deliveries and cycle times, and it includes quantitative as well as qualitative data such as the type
of rework that was needed on defective units. It also provides information to control operations;
it measures and evaluates existing systems to identify problems.
Diff: 3
Terms: financial accounting, management accounting
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

19
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
25) Give two examples of financial information and nonfinancial information.
Answer: Financial information includes amounts that can be expressed in dollar amounts such as
sales, net income, and total assets. It also includes ratios prepared using financial information
such as the percentage increase in sales, return-on-sales, and return-on-investment.

Nonfinancial information includes measures that are not expressed in dollar amounts. For
example, nonfinancial measures of customer satisfaction include the number of repeat customers
or ranked estimates of satisfaction levels. Nonfinancial measures of production quality include
percent of on-time deliveries, the number of defects, and production yield.
Diff: 3
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 4
AACSB: Reflective thinking
MAL: This question is not available in MyAccountingLab.

Objective 5

1) The design and introduction of new measurements and systems must be accompanied by an
analysis of the behavioral and organizational reactions to the measurements.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

2) People react when they are being measured, and they react to the measurements..
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: measurements
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

3) Information is never neutral; just the act of measuring and reporting information affects the
individuals involved.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

20
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
4) The act of simply measuring and reporting information on certain processes:
A) focuses the attention of employees on those processes that are being measured.
B) diverts the employee's attention to other activities that are not being measured.
C) disproves the saying "What gets measured gets managed."
D) has no effect on employee behavior.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

5) Which statement below is FALSE?


A) "What gets measured gets managed."
B) People react to measurements.
C) Employees spend more attention on those variables that are not getting measured.
D) "If I can't measure it, I can't manage it."
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Terms: financial information, nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

6) When a change is introduced, employees tend to:


A) embrace the change.
B) be indifferent to the change.
C) exhibit no change in behavior.
D) resist the change.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

7) The introduction of a new management accounting system is MOST likely to motivate


UNWANTED employee behavior when it is used for:
A) evaluation.
B) planning.
C) decision making.
D) coordinating individual efforts.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Terms: nonfinancial information
Objective: 5
AACSB: Reflective thinking

21
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Other documents randomly have
different content
They were saved! With some difficulty he paddled the kayaks back
to Johansen, who confessed that these were the worst moments he
had ever lived through. Johansen now pulled off Nansen’s wet
clothes, put on the few dry ones they had in reserve, spread the
sleeping-bag upon the ice, and covered Nansen with the sail and
everything he could find to keep out the cold. Next day Nansen was
all right again, and in the evening the journey was continued.
On 14th June great herds of walruses were met, and as meat
and blubber were at a low ebb, a young one was shot. Two days
afterwards, a walrus nearly turned the tables on them. It came up
close beside Nansen’s kayak, threw itself on the edge of it, took hold
farther over the deck with one fore-flipper, and tried to upset the
frail craft. Nansen struck at its head with the paddle, while it in turn
struck at the kayak with its tusks. It was only when the deck was
almost under water that it suddenly disappeared. Nansen was
congratulating himself on his fortunate escape, when he noticed his
legs getting wet, and he had only time to run the kayak on a sunken
ledge of ice when it sank. It was as well that the ice was near at
hand, or the result would have been serious.
In the afternoon of the 17th June, Nansen had ascended a
hummock to have a look at the land beyond. Flocks of auks were
flying to and fro making a confused noise, and as Nansen listened, a
sound suddenly reached his ear, so like the barking of a dog that he
started. He waited for some time, listening intently, till the barking
began again and there was no room for doubt. He shouted to
Johansen that he heard dogs. Johansen started up from the bag
where he lay sleeping, and tumbled out of the tent. He tried to hear
the sound, but could only make out the noise of the birds. Nansen,
however, was convinced that he heard dogs, and he prepared to
make for the land, leaving Johansen to stay behind with the kayaks,
so that there might be no risk of their drifting away again. He had
not gone far when he observed tracks which were probably those of
a dog. Then he again heard the yelping of a dog more distinctly than
ever. It was with a strange mixture of feelings that he made his way
towards land. Suddenly he thought he heard a shout from a human
voice, and he ran up on to a hummock and hallooed with all his
might. Soon he heard another shout, and saw a dark form moving
among the hummocks. It was a dog, and farther off was seen a
man. Nansen approached quickly and waved his hat; the man did
the same. Nansen heard him speak to the dog, and recognised that
the language was English. As he drew nearer, Nansen thought he
recognised Mr. Jackson, whom he had once seen. They extended a
hand to one another, with a hearty “How do you do?” Explanations
quickly followed, and Nansen was led to Jackson’s hut at Cape Flora.
Here he received a royal welcome from the members of the Jackson-
Harmsworth Expedition. Men were immediately sent to Johansen’s
assistance, and his reception at the hut was scarcely less hospitable
than Nansen’s. Their feelings may be imagined when they were able
to throw off their dirty oily rags and have a hot bath, and to be able
to put on clean clothes. To add to Nansen’s delight, Jackson had a
packet of letters for him, and these contained only good news.
It is an interesting fact that Nansen when he arrived at Cape
Flora weighed no less than 22 lb. more than when he left the Fram,
and Johansen weighed 13 lb. more. Bear’s flesh had evidently
agreed with them.
On a comparison of Nansen’s chronometers being made, it was
found that they were not so far out as had been anticipated. They
were about 26 minutes wrong, making a difference of 6½° in
longitude.
The Windward, which was to bring supplies and take home some
of Jackson’s party, arrived on the 26th July. By this time Nansen and
Johansen began to fear that the vessel could not get through the ice
and that they would have to spend another winter in the Arctic
regions. News soon arrived that all was well at home, and that
nothing had been heard of the Fram.
The Windward left Cape Flora on 7th August, and reached Vardo,
in Norway, on the 13th. Nansen and Johansen immediately set out
for the telegraph-station, and soon the news of their arrival spread
over the civilised world.
On the 17th August, Nansen arrived at Hammerfest. On the 20th
August, while still here, he received a telegram from Sverdrup
announcing the arrival of the Fram in Norway. This filled the cup of
rejoicing to overflowing. Next day the Fram was joined in Tromsö
harbour, and again they were all together, well satisfied with their
success.

We may now return to the voyage of the Fram after the


departure of Nansen and Johansen on their sledging expedition. It
then lay in 84° 4′ N. latitude, and 102° E. longitude.
Sverdrup, after carting away a great pressure-ridge from the port
side of the vessel, made various preparations for a sledge-journey
southward, in the event of the Fram being wrecked. Sledges, kayaks,
snow-shoes, and many other articles had to be made, and this work
kept all busy for a considerable time. Sverdrup considers Canadian
snow-shoes superior to Norwegian ones, when it is a question of
hauling heavily loaded sledges over rough ice.
During the summer of 1895 the drift was very slow; the latitude
on 22nd June was 84° 32′, and on 6th September, 84° 43′. The
longitude on these dates was 80° 58′ and 79° 52′ respectively.
During the next three months the drift towards the west was much
greater: on the 30th October the longitude was 70° 50′, on the 1st
December it was 58° 45′, and on the 9th January 1896 it was 41°
41′. The meridian of 60° passing near Cape Fligely, in Franz-Josef
Land, was passed towards the end of November. On the 15th
November the latitude was 85° 55.5′, and on the 9th January 1896
it was down to 84° 57′.
In these high latitudes the change from sunlight during the whole
twenty-four hours to darkness during the same period is very
sudden. On 12th September the sun was above the horizon at
midnight; on 8th October it disappeared at noon—a change from
constant light to constant darkness in twenty-six days.
As early as the beginning of February 1896 numerous lanes of
water were found both to the north and to the south. By this time
they had drifted to the 25th degree of longitude, while the latitude
kept steady at about 84° 50′. On the 15th February the longitude
was 23° 28′, but by the 29th February they had gone back to 27°.
After this date the drift to the west was very slow, but it was more
rapid towards the south. On 16th May the latitude was 83° 45′, and
the longitude 12° 50′.
For some months no animals had been seen, and the appearance
of two bears on 28th February caused some excitement. When
about 150 yards from the ship, they stood for a time, but as it was
still very dark, Sverdrup waited in the expectation that they would
come nearer. Instead of coming nearer, they went off. Pettersen was
asked whether he had something to fry which would smell strongly,
so as to entice the bears back. After the bears had been long out of
sight, Pettersen produced a pan of fried butter and onions. Before
long, the bears were seen coming back, and both were shot by
Sverdrup. It was sixteen months since they last shot a bear, and
during that time they had very little fresh meat.
Soundings were taken several times during the winter, but the
bottom was not reached with a line over 9000 feet in length.
An interesting experiment was made on the 13th April. Scott-
Hansen and Sverdrup took an observation with the theodolite, and
Nordahl an observation with the sextant, on the natural horizon.
According to the theodolite, the latitude was 84° 11.5′, and by the
sextant 84° 13′. It had previously been ascertained that there was a
difference of about two minutes between the artificial and natural
horizons.
As spring advanced, the openings in the ice became larger, and
preparations were made for forcing the Fram ahead as soon as the
opportunity offered. Everything that was on the ice was taken on
board, and on the 18th May the engine was made ready for getting
up steam.
Towards the end of May blasting operations were begun to
release the Fram from the ice, and on 2nd June, Sverdrup and his
crew had the satisfaction of seeing the ship once more free. There
was still, however, too much ice all around for the Fram to make
much use of her freedom. It was not until the 12th June that a
movement could be made, and then only for a short distance. On
the 27th June the Fram was forced ahead about 2 miles. On the 3rd
July 3 miles were made, and on the 7th about 1 mile. On the 8th
July, in latitude 83° 2′, the bottom was reached at 1841 fathoms. On
the 19th July the Fram made about 10 miles, and on the following
day it advanced from 83° 14′ to 82° 39′. Good progress was now
made, and at midnight on the 27th July latitude 81° 32′ had been
reached. During the next fortnight they made little headway, and on
the 9th August the latitude was found 16′ farther north than on 27th
July.
On the 13th August the Fram steered through the last ice-floes
into open water, north of the 80th degree of latitude.

Nansen’s expedition lifted the veil of mystery from a large portion


of the Arctic regions. It proved that no land existed over the long
zigzag route traversed by the Fram from the New Siberian Islands to
a point north of Spitzbergen within 350 miles of the Pole, nor over
the long sledge-route traversed by Nansen and Johansen. It
discovered that the Polar Sea, instead of being shallow as hitherto
supposed, is a deep basin, exceeding in many places 11000 feet.
The Fram drifted very near the route sketched by Nansen before
the expedition set out, and although Nansen had to admit that the
real force which caused the drift was the wind—an opinion
previously formed by De Long from the drift of the Jeannette—this
did not alter the final result.
The drift of the Fram also forcibly proves that the great mass of
ice in the Polar Sea is in a constant state of movement. It was found
that in the sea north of Siberia the prevailing winds were south-
easterly or easterly, and therefore the drift was towards the north-
west or west. On the other hand, to the north of Spitzbergen the
winds are north-easterly, and the drift is to the south-west.
The manner in which the Fram drifted also allows speculations to
be made as to the likelihood of the existence of land to the north of
the Fram’s track. It was found that with a southerly wind the ice
moved easily towards the north. This is in favour of the view that no
land exists within a considerable distance to the north. The depth of
water and the absence of bears during 1895 also favour this view.
There is a greater probability that land may exist north of Greenland
or north of Grinnell Land.[1] The Fram began to drift to the south
when it reached the neighbourhood of 66° E. longitude, or to the
north of Franz-Josef Land. The latitude was then 85° 55.5′. It is
probable, however, that the Fram was now within the direct
influence of the drift which constantly passes down the east coast of
Greenland, and that the drift to the south was not due to land
towards the north or west. More ice is formed in the Polar Sea
during the long winter than is melted during the short summer, and
the surplus must find an outlet into the warmer water of the south.
The ice of the Polar Sea may be compared to the ice of a mighty
glacier: the surplus of both moves on until it finds an outlet, and
moves in the path of least resistance. The chief and almost only
outlet from the Polar Sea is between Greenland and Norway. A
comparatively small amount of ice finds its way through Robeson
Channel or Behring Strait. The drift of the Jeannette proves that
from Behring Strait the set of the ice is towards the west and north-
west. Between the longitude of Behring Strait and the longitude of
the north-east of Greenland there must somewhere be a dividing-
line where it will be easier for the ice to find its way east round the
north of Greenland than westward over the great extent of Polar
Sea. It is probable that the ice from north of latitude 84° and
westward at least as far as 100° W. longitude drifts to the east
round the north of Greenland, if land does not extend farther north
in that direction.
The sledge-journey by Nansen and Johansen was the most
daring ever undertaken. In the case of any other sledge-journey
there was always a base of supplies to fall back upon; in Nansen’s
case there was none. In taking only one companion with him, his
daring amounted to rashness. Had any serious accident happened to
one of them it would have meant the sacrifice of both lives, for it
cannot be supposed for a moment that a comrade could have been
deserted under any circumstances. A party of three would have been
much safer, although it would have involved a larger quantity of
provisions. Two men might struggle on with a disabled companion,
but it would be practically impossible for one to do so.
[1] These remarks were written before the discovery of
Crocker Land and Bradley Land.

CHART OF SVERDRUP’S DISCOVERIES.


CHAPTER XI
SVERDRUP’S EXPEDITION (1898−1902)
A few days after the return of the Fram, Sverdrup was asked by
Nansen whether he wished to go on another expedition to the north.
He then explained that Consul Axel Heiberg and the firm of brewers,
Messrs. Ringnes Brothers, were willing to equip a new Polar
expedition with Sverdrup as the leader. The offer was quickly
accepted.
The route agreed upon was up Smith Sound and through
Robeson Channel, and as far along the north coast of Greenland as
possible before wintering. Sledge-journeys were then to be made to
the northernmost point of Greenland, and as far down the east coast
as could be attained.
The Norwegian Government not only gave the loan of the Fram,
but granted about £1100 for necessary alterations.
It was intended to provision the Fram for two or three years, but
in the end there was enough for five.
The only member of the first expedition to accompany Sverdrup
was Hendriksen. The full party numbered sixteen, and included a
botanist, a zoologist, and a geologist.
The Fram left Christiania on 24th June 1898, and on the 27th it
left Christiansand, a course being set for the south of Greenland,
which was sighted on the 17th July.
On 28th July a stop was made at Egedesminde, where it had
been arranged that the Royal Greenland Trade Service would have
dogs for the expedition. In Sverdrup’s opinion the two indispensable
adjuncts to the carrying out of polar research are ski and dogs, and
for the Eskimo dog he has a great admiration. His experience was
that one man cannot manage more than eight dogs.
Egedesminde was left on the 29th July, and next day Godhavn
was reached. Here, coal, water, and more dogs were taken on
board, and on the 2nd August a course was shaped for Upernavik,
which was reached on the 4th.
Upernavik was left behind on the 5th August, and Melville Bay
was entered on the following day. Here the Fram was detained six
days in the ice, and did not reach open water till the 16th.
The first place visited was Foulke Fiord, where they expected to
obtain large game, but were disappointed. The Fram was next
steered for Littleton Island, where records were deposited. The view
of the ice from the island was not encouraging, but Sverdrup
continued along the coast of Greenland. The ice, however, lay
immovable close in to land, and the Fram was forced to turn back on
the night of 17th August.
When abreast of Littleton Island a course was steered to
Ellesmere Land, and then the coast was followed northwards; but
when north of Cape Sabine the Fram was stopped by impenetrable
ice. To avoid being pressed ashore, it was found necessary to anchor
the Fram in the northern part of Rice Strait. For some time it was
hoped that the ice would drift south and allow a passage to the
north, but ultimately the party were compelled to take up winter
quarters in Rice Strait.
Preparations were soon made for autumn sledging through Hayes
Sound, and before the winter darkness set in it was discovered that
the Sound divided into two fiords, and one of these was penetrated
to its head. The valleys in this region were found to support large
numbers of musk-oxen, but as Sverdrup failed to detect the flavour
of musk either in the flesh or in the milk, he preferred to use the
term “polar oxen.”
A more or less permanent camp was formed on the point of land
where Hayes Sound divides into Beitstadfiord and Jokelfiord. It
received the name of “Fort Juliana.” While Sverdrup was here on 6th
October he met Peary, who was out on a sledge-journey. Peary’s
ship had passed Cape Sabine on 13th August, and on the 15th had
been beset off Cape Hawks, where it had to winter.
Sverdrup’s party passed the winter busily engaged in various
preparations for exploration in the spring. The winter quarters were
not far from Greely’s starvation-camp, but little trace of it could be
found.
On the 18th March 1899 an Eskimo from Inglefield Gulf on his
way to Peary’s ship paid the Fram a visit, and other Eskimo arrived
during the course of the spring.
On the 19th March, when the Eskimo left the ship on his way to
Peary, he was accompanied by Baumann, Sverdrup’s second in
command, and by Hassel, one of the crew, who wished to visit
Peary. The Windward was reached without incident, but at that time
Peary himself was confined to his cabin. In February, during a
sledge-journey, most of his toes were frost-bitten, and had to be
amputated.
On 17th April, Sverdrup with three men left the ship to make an
attempt to cross Ellesmere Land to the west coast. Two days were
taken to reach Fort Juliana, which was left on 20th April. After
leaving this camp, the ice was found very favourable, and a distance
of 38 miles was covered during the first day. At the head of the fiord
Sverdrup decided to continue the journey with Bay the zoologist,
while the other two were to make a survey from the head of the
fiord back to the Fram.
Sverdrup’s route now lay along the bed of a river, but in the
afternoon of the first day rapids were met, and a halt had to be
made so that the country ahead could be examined. By making a
détour round the rapids, across some sand-hills, better travelling
was found, and the ground up to the watershed was covered quickly.
Polar oxen were met in considerable numbers. When attacked,
they form a square with the calves and heifers in the middle, and
the bulls and cows standing in line of defence at equal distances.
Sometimes the fiercest of the bulls form a kind of outpost about 25
yards distant from the square, and make individual attacks. When
once the square has been formed, the animals remain at their posts
until the attack is repulsed or the entire square fallen. They have
developed their strategic reasoning powers to a wonderful extent.
West of the watershed the country became bare of snow, and
progress was arrested by an impassable cañon. After various
endeavours to find a passage for the sledges, Sverdrup decided to
carry provisions for three days, and to take the dogs loose. In two
days they reached a large fiord, which was named “Bay Fiord” after
Sverdrup’s companion. The return journey was made without special
incident.
On 23rd May, Isachsen, the cartographer of the expedition, with
Braskerud, set out to cross the glaciated part of Ellesmere Land. The
west coast was reached on 4th June. They found considerable
difficulty on many occasions in extricating themselves and the dogs
from the crevasses in the glaciers, but the journey was completed
without serious accident. They reached the Fram on 2nd July.
On the 2nd June two expeditions left the ship. One was
composed of Schei the geologist, and the doctor, Johan Svendsen.
The other was composed of Simmons the botanist and Sverdrup.
Both parties travelled together during the first day, and then
separated. On the 6th June, Sverdrup and his companion were at
Fort Juliana, when the other party unexpectedly arrived. The doctor
had taken ill while driving up the fiord. He was made as comfortable
as circumstances would allow. He was snow-blind, and also
complained of pains in his chest. Sverdrup wished to take him back
to the Fram, but he said he would soon get well, and he preferred to
stay where he was. Two days afterwards the doctor was much
better, and helped to harness the dogs and lash the loads when the
rest of the party were setting out on a four-days’ trip to
Beitstadfiord. The doctor said he would stay behind at Fort Juliana
and employ his time in collecting insects and in shooting. They then
parted, little thinking what was about to happen. On their return to
camp they were horrified to find the doctor dead. The body was
removed to the Fram, and then received a seaman’s funeral in Rice
Strait. The doctor’s death was a great blow to the whole party, and
some of the strongest did not recover from it until months
afterwards.
During July the dépôt at Fort Juliana was withdrawn, and
preparations were made to sail north. An attempt was made on the
24th July, but the Fram could not get beyond Pim Island. Next day,
in order to avoid the pressure of the pack, the ship had to retreat to
its winter harbour.
On 4th August another attempt was made to proceed north.
Things went well until the Fram was abreast of Cape Camperdown,
but here the ice compelled them to steer a course more and more to
the east. While in this position, a steamer was seen to issue from
Payer Harbour. Sverdrup at once came to the conclusion that it was
looking for Peary, and would probably have letters from Norway. An
attempt was made to meet each other, but they could not get nearer
than about 5 miles. Then the American ship signalled that she had
letters on board for Sverdrup, and steered off southward. The
farthest point reached by the Fram was about abreast of Cape
Hawks. Here she lay in the ice several days, and at last got free only
a few miles north of Cape Sabine.
Sverdrup now decided to go across to Foulke Fiord. There one of
Peary’s ships was found, and it was ascertained that the Norwegian
mail had been left at Payer Harbour.
Foulke Fiord was left on 12th August, and a course was steered
for Payer Harbour to fetch the mail. It was soon seen, however, that
it was impossible to reach it through such masses of ice as were
encountered. A course was tried farther south, but with no better
result. Then several attempts were made along the Greenland side,
and across towards Payer Harbour, but each ended in failure.
After a good deal of deliberation, it was finally decided to make
for Jones Sound. It was a great disappointment that they were
unable to proceed through Kane Basin towards the north of
Greenland; and the failure to reach their letters very much
depressed the spirits of the party.
A course was now set for the walrus-shoals off Northumberland
Island, where twenty-two of the animals were killed to serve as dog-
food during the winter.
Jones Sound was entered on 24th August. A place of anchorage
was found in a fiord a little west of Cone Island. It was afterwards
named “Fram Fiord.” On the night of 28th August this fiord was left,
and the Fram proceeded west as far as Havnefiord, where a winter
harbour was secured.
After various short trips, Sverdrup with three men set out on 8th
September to put down dépôts of dog-food as far west as possible,
so as to be prepared for long journeys. The water was still open, and
the party went by boat. On the 10th they reached a fiord, afterwards
named “Baadsfiord,” and they formed a dépôt on its eastern side.
They now decided to return to the ship, but found it impossible to
row the boat through a thick layer of snow and slush which had
formed on the surface of the water.
When they saw that there was little chance of being able to take
the boat back to the ship, and that they must wait until ice formed
strong enough to allow them to walk back, they set to work to make
a house, with the boat for a roof. A hole was dug in a mound, and
the boat put on the top with shingle along the sides, and over the
whole was put a layer of snow 2 feet deep.
On 6th October the ice was strong enough to bear, and a start
was made for the Fram. On the way they met a relief party from the
ship, and learned that Braskerud was dead. He had caught a bad
cold in Jones Sound, and had been ill two weeks with a cough and
great difficulty in breathing. It is probable that both he and the
doctor had suffered from pneumonia.
The time for the autumn sledge-journeys had now arrived, and it
was Sverdrup’s intention to make a dépôt at as great a distance to
the west as possible. Various preparations had to be made, but
these were completed in time to let Sverdrup with five men set out
on 13th October. During this trip a double tent was made use of for
the first time, and proved very successful. The inner tent was made
of thin cotton lining material. There was a space of about a foot in
height between the two tents, and a space of 3 or 4 inches between
the vertical walls.
Two days were spent in the house at Baadsfiord, from which they
again set out on 18th October. On the 19th they were stopped by
open water beyond Stormkap, and here formed a dépôt in which
was also placed the most of the meat from two bears which had
been shot on the way. In returning they explored a large fiord
between Baadsfiord and Stormkap, where they shot twenty-six polar
oxen. The fiord received the appropriate name of “Moskusfiord.” It
was a large task to carry all the meat to the ship, but after several
trips it was completed by the 18th of November.
In Sverdrup’s opinion, Eskimo dogs should be fed once every day.
He believes that if well fed and protected from cold in suitable
kennels there is no reason why so many should die during the
winter. He found his dogs in full vigour even at the darkest period of
the year.
The winter passed in making preparations for the spring
journeys. On the 23rd February 1900 four men set out for the
westernmost dépôt, where they were to leave their loads. When
they reached it they found it destroyed by bears, and nearly the
whole of the food eaten. Sverdrup now decided that a man should
remain at the dépôt as long as any sledge-parties were travelling
west of it. Bay at once applied for the post, and was appointed
“Commandant of Bjorneborg.” Here he lived alone for three months.
On the 20th March the great spring expedition started off. On the
17th a party of four had left for the dépôt. The larger party consisted
of six men, who were ultimately to form three parties of two men
each. The dogs numbered fifty-five. The provisions consisted of
bread, butter, sugar, coffee, chocolate, pea-soup, vegetables, figs,
French plums, raisins, nectarines, egg-powder, groats, potatoes,
meat-fat, pemmican, golden syrup, and fish-flour. The dietary
allowed each man per day weighed 2-1/5 lb. The loads amounted to
over 670 lb. each.
At Bjorneborg the provisions for the different parties were
weighed and arranged, and then a start was made westward. The
first fiord west of Bjorneborg was named Gaasefiord, from the
number of geese found in it. When crossing the second fiord, three
walruses were shot, and after feeding the dogs well, the remainder
was left as a dépôt of dog-food. This fiord was named “Hvalrosfiord,”
or “Walrus Fiord.” Next day they reached a sound where huge
masses of ice were grinding round in a tearing current. Sverdrup had
never seen waters so absolutely impossible to navigate as he saw
here. The difficulties which had to be overcome before it could be
passed were so great that it received the name of “Helvedesporten,”
or “Hell Gate.” On one occasion three men, eighteen dogs, and three
sledges with their loads fell into a hole in the snow 12 feet deep, but
by great good fortune no serious damage was done. On another
occasion one of the sledges slipped over a wall of ice into the sea.
The dogs would have been carried with it, but the traces broke. One
of the men, with a rope round his waist, had to be lowered down,
and the load and sledge were ultimately hauled up.
The land at last began to trend to the north-east, and the point
was named “Land’s End.” The whole of the west coast of Ellesmere
Land was subsequently called “King Oscar Land.” Next day a high
mountain crag appeared above the horizon away to the north. It was
named “Store Bjornekap,” or “Great Bear Cape.” Still farther to the
north another cape appeared, and was named “Little Bjornekap,” or
“Little Bear Cape.” Near here a bear was shot, and served as a good
feed for the dogs.
On the 31st March the returning party retraced their steps.
Sverdrup with three others proceeded westward. At the parting a
bottle of brandy was produced, but somewhat to their astonishment
they found it solid, and it had to be poked from the bottle with a
stick. The temperature was 44° below zero.
The party now met loose snow, and during the first day made
only 9 miles; during the second day only 8 miles were covered. In
the evening of the second day they fortunately killed a bear, and
decided to camp for a day or two while the meat lasted, in the hope
of the travelling and weather improving. On this and many other
occasions the liver of the bear was offered to the dogs, but they will
touch it only when excessively hungry. It has been a common belief
that the bear’s liver is poisonous to both men and dogs, but
Sverdrup has eaten it many times without feeling any disagreeable
consequences. He never found it in the least unpalatable when care
had been taken to remove the gall-bag as quickly as possible. The
last of the bear-meat was consumed on the 7th April, and next day a
fresh start was made. A high mountain in the west had been visible
for some time, and Sverdrup formed the opinion that it was not part
of Ellesmere Land. He thought that a sound probably passed north
between Ellesmere Land and this new land, and later exploration
proved that this opinion was correct. The high headland received the
name of “Cape Sydvest,” or “Cape South-West.”
Beyond the headland bare ice was met, and travelling became
much faster. On 16th April, while Sverdrup was standing on a
pressure-ridge scanning the country, he suddenly became aware that
he was looking at land far away in the west. A new plan was at once
formed: Isachsen with Hassel were to visit the new land in the west,
while Sverdrup and Fosheim were to continue to the north along
what was afterwards named “Axel Heiberg Land.”
Isachsen decided to leave behind a small dépôt where he was to
place a letter on his return. During the first day Sverdrup and
Fosheim covered 18 miles. Next day they had strong wind and drift,
and as a consequence went out of their course and found
themselves far inland among some sand-hills, and all the time they
had thought they were driving on the sea-ice. A little farther to the
north they experienced very severe weather, and were compelled to
remain at one camp five days.
On the 2nd May they found themselves in latitude 80° 31½′, and
the coast was trending due north. The tracks of reindeer were seen
on several occasions, but not the animals themselves. There was
now no extra food for the dogs, and it became evident that their
strength was failing. The latitude of 80° 55′ was reached on 5th
May, and here they decided to erect a cairn and then return. It is
remarkable that along the whole of this coast Sverdrup saw nothing
approaching to palæocrystic ice.
As food was getting short, the return journey had to be made
with all possible speed. A short record was found from Isachsen,
who had returned to his dépôt on 28th April. Sverdrup and Fosheim
reached it on 16th May. Before they arrived at Land’s End, a bear
was shot, and was much needed for the dogs. As had been
prearranged, Baumann left a record in a cairn, with a description
and sketch-map of a passage across the land to Goose Fiord.
Sverdrup attempted this passage, but in foggy weather he missed
the way, and found himself suddenly stopped by a high wall of ice,
which entirely cut off the valley. On investigation, however, a tunnel
made by a river was found to lead into the glacier. Rather than drive
all the way back, it was decided to try the tunnel. From the roof
hung gigantic blocks of ice, and along the walls were grotto after
grotto. It was a fairy scene, but fear-inspiring as well as beautiful.
The tunnel led through to the valley on the other side. The
remainder of the journey to Bjorneborg was made without incident.
Bay had now been a hermit three months, and had many
adventures with bears to relate. Sverdrup took him on to the ship,
and left Fosheim at Bjorneborg in Bay’s place.
Before Sverdrup reached the ship a serious fire had taken place
on 27th May. A spark from the galley chimney is supposed to have
set the winter-awning on fire. The flames spread so rapidly that soon
the rigging was on fire, sixteen paraffin-prepared kayaks which were
lying under the awning were totally destroyed, as well as a score of
prepared polar-ox skins and some bear-skins. Several cases of
powder were removed at the last moment. An iron tank containing
50 gallons of spirit could not be moved, but although the heat
melted the tinning on the outside of the tank, the spirit did not catch
fire.
Schei and Peder arrived from their journey on Whitsunday
morning. They had visited North Kent, where they shot some
reindeer; and then went to Buckingham Island and Graham Island.
From there they had visited some fiords in the south of Axel Heiberg
Land.
Isachsen and Hassel returned on board on 19th June. On 16th
April they separated from Sverdrup and Fosheim to explore the land
seen in the west. The weather was foggy, and nothing was seen of
the land till the 20th April, when they found themselves near the ice-
foot. After getting a general view of the land, they returned to Axel
Heiberg Land, where they arrived on 28th April, and left a record as
arranged. They then travelled south round Cape South-West, and
visited some of the fiords in the south-east. The summer was spent
in shooting, dredging, botanising, and in making short trips to places
not far from the ship.
On the 8th August the Fram was able to steam out of its winter
harbour and make its way westward. At the termination of Jones
Sound, Cardigan Strait was entered and the north end reached; but
here fast ice was met. The Fram, however, was able to bore its way
some distance to the west, but was finally stopped by the ice and
drifted back. Later, the Fram became beset, and was not liberated till
the 15th September. Next day they were due west of Graham Island.
A course was now steered for Jones Sound, and a winter harbour
was found in Goose Fiord. The valleys in this neighbourhood were
well stocked with game, and large numbers of polar oxen were shot
for food during the winter.
On the 18th October, Sverdrup and Olsen left the ship, equipped
for ten days. They were to make an attempt to discover a sound
leading north towards Greely Fiord. The following day, a terrific gale
came on, and while sledging, a gust of wind carried Olsen’s sledge
with such violence against a block of ice that Olsen was shot several
yards, and came down on his shoulder. Olsen thought his arm was
dislocated, but Sverdrup hoped it would soon get right again, and
pushed on. The arm, however, became more and more painful, and
they were forced to turn back. The wind and drift were now in their
faces, and Olsen’s sufferings became very acute. They had passed
the previous night at a camp with Baumann and the mate, who were
out shooting, and to this they returned. Olsen was put into the tent,
his clothes taken off, and his arm examined. His companions felt
sure that the shoulder was dislocated, but all their attempts to put it
in again were unavailing. During the night Olsen had no sleep, and
next day the storm was so violent that no move could be made. On
the following day the storm had abated, and Olsen was taken back
to the ship. As soon as Sverdrup arrived on board, some of the
doctor’s books were searched to find out what was to be done with
Olsen’s shoulder. Sverdrup did not dare to give chloroform, but as
the arm was now extremely painful he decided to make Olsen drunk
with brandy. After the patient had taken about half a bottle, an
attempt was made by Fosheim and Simmons to reduce the
dislocation, but they failed. Then Sverdrup and Fosheim tried, and to
their great relief the arm slipped into its socket. Olsen stood the
ordeal well. The pain and excitement had kept him sober, but as
soon as the dislocation was put right he became dead drunk. Next
day he was quite himself again.
Winter preparations, such as covering the skylights and making
kennels for the dogs, were now carried out, and various kinds of
work in preparation for spring were started. New sledges,
odometers, and sleeping-bags had to be made; and many articles
required repairs. Schei was set the task of making a new travelling-
camera, and did it successfully.
Wolves made their appearance during the winter, and two were
caught in a trap, and ultimately grew quite tame.
On the 8th April 1901 the long spring journeys started. Sverdrup
and Schei were to investigate whether the new land discovered
during the previous year was separate from Ellesmere Land.
Isachsen and Hassel were to explore the land in the west. The latter
party had formed a dépôt at Cape South-West earlier in the spring,
and Sverdrup had also formed a dépôt. Baumann and Stolz were to
carry out a surveying expedition.
Sverdrup first explored several of the fiords which run northward
from Baumann Fiord. From Troldfiord they passed over the land, and
reached a large fiord running east and west. A course was made for
the north-west point, from which a waterway was seen extending
northward as far as the eye could reach. To this was given the name
of “Heureka Sound.” In the north was seen a high, bluish-black,
precipitous promontory, which was called “Blaamander,” or “The Blue
Man,” and the course was set on this. Farther north it was decided
that Fosheim and the mate, who were still with Sverdrup, should
follow the east side of the sound, while Sverdrup and Schei should
follow the west side. From this point, far to the north, rose a
mountain crag which appeared like an island. It was later found that
it was not an island, but that large fiords penetrated the land
towards the north and east. From there, Greely Fiord runs north-
east.
Sverdrup and Schei now made for the west coast, which they
followed northward over rough ice and in bad weather. They finally
reached a point which was termed “Smorgrautberget.” From here
they received the impression that a large sea opened out to the
north-west, and that Axel Heiberg Land was separated from Grant
Land by a sound which was named “Fridtjof Nansen Sound.”
On 13th May the return journey was begun. Not far south of the
most northern point reached they found Eskimo ruins. Near
Blaamander they crossed to the east coast. On the journey north,
and also on the way south, they encountered wolves. A pack of
twelve attacked a dog-team, and one of the dogs was severely
bitten before the wolves were driven off. On the return journey
several fiords were explored and examined geologically by Schei,
who was always on the look-out for fossils. The Fram was reached
on 18th June.
Baumann and Stolz had returned on 28th May, Isachsen and
Hassel on 6th June, and Fosheim and the mate on 13th June.
The first two had seen a herd of three deer, and had shot a good
many polar oxen, a bear with two cubs, and two wolves. They
surveyed a large tract in the neighbourhood of Baumann Fiord.
After leaving Sverdrup, Fosheim and the mate made for Greely
Fiord, which they followed eastwards in order to ascertain whether a
fiord or sound cut into the land in a southerly direction. It was
thought possible that such a fiord might communicate with Bay
Fiord.
One running to the south was found, and followed to its head.
Instead of going back the long way they had come, an attempt was
made to cross the land to Heureka Sound, but after driving nearly 12
miles they found the way impassable, and had to return. Part of the
Bay Fiord was explored on the way south, and then they shaped
their course for the Fram.
Isachsen and Hassel reached Cape South-West on their outward
journey on 13th April. They found the cache scattered about in all
directions, but little of the food was missing. It was supposed that
this had been the work of polar oxen.
They left Cape South-West on 14th April with loads of about 550
lb. on each sledge, and reached the new land on the 17th. A sound
was discovered between the new land and North Cornwall, which
was already known. It received the name of “Hendriksen’s Sound.”
They passed through this sound, and reached the south-west point
of what was afterwards named “Amund Ringnes Land,” and followed
the coast northward. On the 23rd April, land was seen in the west
and south-west, and they decided to drive west. They arrived next
day at Nathorst Peninsula, and this new land received the name of
“Ellef Ringnes Land.” The sound between this and the land they had
left was named after Hassel. Towards the west and south-west still
another land was seen, and was called “King Christian’s Land.” The
sound between the two latter was called “Danish Sound,” and they
passed through this and drove north. At the most northern point of
the land, the trend began to be east and then south. They followed
the coast-line until 20th May, when they saw land in the east, which
proved to be “Amund Ringnes Land,” the northern point of which
they reached on 24th May. They then made for Axel Heiberg Land,
and reached Cape South-West on 29th May.
On the new land they had explored they saw reindeer and
ptarmigan, and the tracks of bears, foxes, wolves, and hares. They
reached the Fram on 6th June.
The summer work was now commenced, such as dredging and
botanising, and a trip was made to North Devon.
As summer advanced, the party became anxious about the
prospects of the Fram getting free from Gassefiord, as it was
intended to return to Norway that year. An attempt was made to
bore the ice on 12th August, but it ended in failure. On the 26th the
Fram advanced a thousand yards, but on the 27th it could only make
three ship’s lengths. By 5th September the ship had gone about 10
miles through the ice, but some 6 miles of ice was still between it
and the open water. They had now to give up all hope of getting free
that year, and had to make preparations to spend their fourth polar
night.
Again the winter was passed in hard work for the coming spring.
It was intended, in case a ship might come into Jones Sound in
search of the Fram, to build cairns and leave a record of the
expedition on Cone Island, and on different points in the sound. It
was also intended to send a sledge-expedition to Beechy Island,
partly to correct their chronometers, and partly to look at the dépôts
left there half a century before. Schei and Sverdrup were to go north
and map the tracts west of Greely Fiord.
On 1st April 1902 three parties went off. The patent dog-food
was nearly finished, and they had to carry stockfish instead, which
weighed much heavier. Trusting to being able to obtain bears,
Sverdrup did not take blubber nor meat. No bears were obtained
when expected, and the dogs soon became very weak. It was not
until the 10th April that a bear was seen and shot.
Instead of travelling over the heavy ice towards
Smorgrautberget, Sverdrup kept to the east shore, and then steered
straight across Greely Fiord to Blaafjeld, in the south of Grant Land.
They kept to the east side of a pressure-ridge which stretched
straight across the fiord, and seemed to be the boundary between
the fast ice of the previous year on Greely Fiord and the drift-ice
outside.
When near land, the ice became heavy, and it was with great
difficulty that advance could be made. West of Blaafjeld they passed
into a fiord where a large number of hares were seen. It was the
pairing season, and they were scampering about in all directions.
Sverdrup supposed they had lost their heads from love, and he slyly
remarks that this is a thing which may happen to others besides
hares. The fiord was named “Harefiord.”
On 30th April they set off from the headland on the west side of
the fiord. In the evening they camped near the most westerly
foreland they had seen the previous year from Smorgrautberget.
Next day they reached another fiord and entered it for a short
distance, but as they were anxious to ascertain the extent of land to
the west they did not venture to its head. Next day the land trended
about due north, and when the weather cleared land was seen to
the north-west, and they recognised they were in a bay. A straight
line was made for the part farthest off, which was reached on the
6th May. Sverdrup here ascended a height, and found that he was
on an island separated by a narrow sound from the land in the east.
From a point about 3 miles north of the camp, the land turned to the
north-east. North and west of this land, only sea could be made out.
To the south was Axel Heiberg Land. Sverdrup built a cairn to mark
their farthest north, as he had now decided to return. The latitude
was found to be 81° 40′.
In returning, a course was made across Fridtjof Nansen Sound to
the northern extremity of Axel Heiberg Land. In passing south they
proved that Schei Island was really an island, and not a peninsula.
Some polar oxen were shot and the dogs feasted, and the way south
was covered at a good speed. When Bay Fiord was reached, they
entered it and explored it to its head, where they arrived on 29th
May.
The Fram was reached on 16th June, after an absence of
seventy-seven days.
Isachsen, Fosheim, and Hassel had left the records as arranged,
and had returned to the ship on 18th April; and on the 23rd April,
Baumann, Fosheim, and Raanes started for Beechy Island, which
was reached on 4th May. It is really not an island, but constitutes
the south-west corner of North Devon. The dépôt was found
destroyed. The cutter Mary, which had been left there, was a wreck;
whether the work of Eskimo or seal-catchers could not be said with
certainty. They discovered that Arthur Strait was really a fiord. The
return journey was started on the 6th May, and the Fram was
reached on the 20th May.
On the 12th April, Isachsen and Bay made a trip to North Devon,
and did not return till 21st May. On 25th May, Isachsen and Simmons
set out to examine a bed of coal discovered by Baumann, and
returned on 9th June.
The work of exploration was now over. The usual summer
dredging was begun, and the geologist hunted for fossils. Olsen
managed to fall from a pressure-ridge and dislocate his other
shoulder. This time it was reduced without the assistance of brandy.
On 20th July the Fram, with steam up, began to leave her winter
harbour, but it was not until the 6th August that she entered Jones
Sound. On the 10th the Fram was in Baffin’s Bay, heading for the
Devil’s Thumb. Godhavn was reached on the 17th August, and here
they were well received. They left on the 21st, and although there
was a break-down of the engine, Norway was sighted on 18th
September. Stavanger was reached on the 19th, and soon they
received a most enthusiastic reception wherever they went. The
owners of the expedition incurred expenses to the amount of
£12,014.
This expedition, although it unfortunately was prevented from
carrying out its original plans, did important work. It not only
explored the whole of Jones Sound, but discovered the existence of
large islands extending toward the north. The fact that no
palæocrystic ice was met with in this region makes it highly probable
that land exists still farther to the north.[2]
[2] The discovery of Crocker Land and Bradley Land
proves that this view was correct.
CHAPTER XII
ITALIAN EXPEDITION (1899−1900)
Between the discovery of Franz-Josef Land by the Austro-
Hungarian Expedition and the expedition of the Duke of the Abruzzi
a good deal of exploration had taken place. In 1880 and 1881, Leigh
Smith in his yacht Eira reached Franz-Josef Land without much
difficulty, and surveyed the coast up to Cape Lofley. The Eira, when
leaving for the second time, was crushed by the ice near Cape Flora,
and sank. The crew built a wretched hovel in which they passed the
winter. In the following summer they sailed in their boats to Novaya
Zemlya, where they were taken on board a ship which had been
sent to their assistance.
In 1894, Jackson, in the Windward, built a station at Cape Flora,
on Northbrook Island, and remained there till the autumn of 1897.
He made three expeditions with sledges. In the first two he was
prevented from advancing towards the north by stretches of open
sea. He reached 81° 20′. In the third journey he went towards the
west, making the circuit of Alexander Land. He named the most
westerly point of the group “Cape Mary Harmsworth.” The sea to the
north was called “Queen Victoria Sea.”
In 1898, Wellman in the Fridtjof landed at Cape Tegethoff, and
after making some discoveries in the eastern part of Franz-Josef
Land, returned home next year in the Capella.
The Duke of the Abruzzi left Christiania on board the Polar Star
on 12th June 1899. It was his intention to proceed to Emperor
Franz-Josef Land and attempt from there to reach the North Pole.
The expedition was composed of eleven Italians and nine
Norwegians. The ship was a whaler, and had been previously named
the Jason. It had been commanded by Captain Evensen, who
retained the command by being appointed captain of the Polar Star.
The second in command of the expedition was Umberto Cagni,
captain in the Italian Navy.
Archangel was reached on 30th June. Here 121 dogs were
obtained. They had been brought by Trontheim, who was also
employed by Nansen.
Archangel was left on 13th July; the first ice was met on the
17th, and Northbrook Island was sighted on the 20th July.
The five huts left by Jackson at Cape Flora were visited, and a
dépôt of provisions for eight months was landed, in addition to five
tons of coal.
Cape Flora was left on 26th July, and an attempt was made to
pass to the north through Nightingale Sound, but the passage was
blocked by ice. Next an attempt was made to double Cape Mary
Harmsworth, but this also ended in failure.
Nightingale Sound was again entered on the 28th July, but in the
evening of this day the ship was surrounded by ice-fields, and had to
remain near the northern extremity of Bruce Island three days. On
the 1st August an attempt was made to bore the ice, but the ship
advanced only about 300 yards. Some channels formed on the 3rd
and allowed some progress. On the 5th the whaler Capella, with
Wellman’s party, was sighted near Scott Keltie Island, and Wellman
and three of his companions visited the ship.
From this point the Polar Star had open water until it reached
Maria-Elizabeth Island, but here it was stopped by thick ice ahead
and foggy weather. When the fog cleared, a passage was found to
the east of the island, and the Polar Star advanced rapidly
northwards, and reached 82° 4′ to the north-west of Prince Rudolf
Island. The Alert reached 82° 27′, the Polaris attained 82° 11′, so
that the Polar Star took third place among the ships which had been
navigated towards the Pole. The Fram reached a much higher
latitude, but it was by means of the drift. From the farthest north
reached by the Polar Star the horizon was carefully observed, but no
trace could be found of Petermann Land and King Oscar Land, which
Payer thought he sighted from Cape Fligely. It was found that the
latitude of this cape was 81° 50′ 43″, and not 82° 5′, as given by
Payer.
The Polar Star was now steered towards the south-east to Teplitz
Bay, the most northern bay of Franz-Josef Land, in latitude 81° 47′,
where it went into winter quarters. The bay did not provide a very
safe anchorage, but its position far to the north made it of great
importance for the contemplated sledge-expeditions.
On the 27th August the Polar Star was driven by the pressure of
the ice against the ice fixed to the coast, and heeled over about 13
degrees. When the pressure ceased, she remained in the same
position. On the 7th September the ice pressure again became
severe, and the ship was so seriously damaged that it had to be
abandoned.
Steps were at once taken to have the stores landed, and two
large field-tents were erected on the shore to serve as winter
quarters. Outside these a second tent was formed to cover the two
field-tents, and a third tent covered the whole.
A space between the two inner field-tents was occupied on one
side by the kitchen, and on the other by bags and cases containing
clothing. Between the field-tents and the second tent tins of milk
were built in the form of a wall, and between the second and third
tents were stored the provisions likely to be consumed during the
winter.
After all these preparations had been completed, an attempt was
made to repair the damaged ship, which still kept its position heeled
over in the ice. The water which had leaked into the ship was
pumped out, and as far as possible the damaged parts were repaired
with tarpaulin and boards.
During the winter preparations were made for the long sledge-
journey in the spring. On the 23rd December the Duke of the
Abruzzi went out with some of his party in order to train the dogs to
draw sledges. They drove to the bottom of the bay, and then turned
back. On the return journey a storm came on, and the way was lost.
Instead of keeping on the ice of the bay, they wandered
unknowingly up on the island, and were only made aware of the fact
when two sledges with their dogs, as well as the Duke and Captain
Cagni, fell from the glacier down to the bay, a height of some 23
feet. Fortunately, neither was hurt. Owing to the drifting snow and
the darkness, great difficulty was experienced in regaining the tent.
When it was reached, it was found that several of the party were
frost-bitten. The Duke and Captain Cagni had suffered most. The
circulation in the terminal joints of two of the Duke’s fingers of the
left hand could not be restored.
Christmas and the beginning of the New Year were celebrated
with the utmost enthusiasm. Fireworks consisting of rockets and
fiery fountains, salutes from the small gun, and bonfires of wood
steeped in petroleum, all united to form a striking scene in a land far
removed from civilisation.
With the beginning of the New Year the preparations for the
sledge-journey received most attention. The daily ration was fixed at
2 lb. 12 oz. 9 dr., which was about 3 oz. more than the weight used
by Nares and Greely. It consisted of biscuit, tinned meat, pemmican,
butter, milk, Liebig’s extract, desiccated vegetables, Italian paste,
sugar, salt, coffee, tea, and onions.
The lamps used were made on the Primus system, and the
cooking-stove was that designed by Nansen. The quantity of
petroleum was fixed at 3 oz. 8 dr. for each man daily. The dog’s
ration of pemmican was 1 lb. 1 oz. 10 dr.
The expedition carried flat-bottomed kayaks. These had a
framework of thin rods over which canvas was stretched. Their
greatest length was 11 ft. 7 in., their width 2 ft. 6 in., and their
height 11 in. They were provided with a small sail, a pump to empty
out water, and a pair of oars with their rowlocks.
The sledges were 11 ft. 5 in. long, 1 ft. 6 in. wide, and 6½
inches high. The runners were slightly convex, so as to turn easily;
they were shod with white metal, and wooden runners were
strapped beneath them. The foremost ends of the runners were
joined by a bow, to which the trace was attached, and no nails were
used. Each sledge was provided with a small steel rope, with as
many rings as there were dogs to tie them to, at a distance of 4½
feet from each other.
On 18th January 1900 the Duke had nearly all the first joint of
the middle finger of his left hand amputated, and ten days later a
part of the fourth finger. This rendered him quite unable to take any
part in the sledge-expedition, and Captain Cagni was given the
command of it.
This expedition set out on 19th February. As open water reached
the mouth of the bay, it was found necessary to haul the sledges
overland to a point north of Cape Germania. With thirteen sledges
drawn by 108 dogs, the ice-pack was reached on the 21st February.
During the first night on the ice the temperature reached 45.4° F.
below zero, and on 23rd February it reached 61.6° F. below zero.
Many of the party were frost-bitten, and few could sleep. This
extreme temperature was more than they could stand, and Captain
Cagni wisely decided to return to Teplitz Bay, which was reached on
the night of the 23rd.
The expedition left again on the 11th March. During the interval
various alterations had been made. It was found necessary to
diminish the loads so as to avoid damage to the sledges when
crossing the broken and difficult ice near the island. The allowance
of petroleum was increased to 6 oz. 5 dr. for each man. Cagni had
also observed that it would be necessary to always send forward at
least two men to prepare the way for the sledges. He therefore
decided to take an additional man.
The expedition consisted of three detachments. One was
composed of four men, and the other two of three men each. The
four men were to accompany the party twelve days, and then
return. The provisions were so divided that this party carried the
whole of the rations for the ten men during the twelve days, and
also the rations for their own return. The second detachment carried
the rations to last the remainder other twelve days and their own
return. According to this arrangement, the third or advance party
would not begin on their own rations until the twenty-fifth day, when
the second detachment would return.
The entire camp equipment and the clothing for the three
detachments amounted to 978 lb. 13 oz. 8 dr., or nearly 100 lb. per
man. The weight to be carried amounted to the remarkable total of
6718 lb. 9 oz. 13 dr., or almost exactly 3 tons. Twelve sledges were
used, so that the average weight for each was 5 cwt. The dogs
numbered 103.
On the second departure the expedition was able to travel out of
the bay without having first to drag the sledges overland. On the
first day the temperature was 27.4° F. below zero. An auxiliary
detachment accompanied the party two days.
At first, Captain Cagni set out towards the west, so as to get
away from land, but on the second day he tended a little east of
north, so as to allow for the probable drift towards the west. During
the night of the 13th March the temperature fell to 45.4° F. below
zero. On the 12th an advance of 7 miles was made; on the 13th,
about 10 miles; but on the 14th the ice-axes had frequently to be
used to make a road, and only 3½ miles were covered.
For some days the temperature kept remarkably low. On the
morning of the 16th it reached 58° F. below zero. On the 19th it rose
to 16.6° F. below zero, but on the 21st it again fell to 36.4° F. below
zero.
On the 21st March, Cagni decided to take three men with him in
the third or advance detachment. He found it necessary to send two
men forward to prepare the way for the sledges. With three men in
the detachment, only one would be left to look after the most of the
dogs and sledges. He therefore decided to send back three men in
the first detachment, instead of four. To meet the extra rations
required for the additional man, he intended to send back the first
detachment two days, and the second detachment four days earlier
than originally intended.
The first detachment, composed of Lieutenant Querini, the guide
Ollier, and the engineer Stökken, was sent back on the 23rd March.
At this time the expedition was about 45 miles distant from the
island which had been seen two days previously. Nothing more was
ever heard of this detachment. The Duke came to the conclusion
that an accident must have happened. It is quite possible, however,
if not probable, that the party was drifted so far out of the proper
course that the island could not be reached before all the food had
been consumed. It will be seen that the third detachment failed to
make headway against this drift, and was saved only by giving up
the attempt to reach Prince Rudolf Island, and by making its way
towards the islands in the south.
Some of the dogs caused a great deal of trouble. One had
deserted on two occasions. It was a fine, strong animal, and it would

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