a higher latitude in Ross Sea than had been reached by anyone during the previous fifty years, and they were the first to land on the south- polar continent. In 1898-1900 Carsten Borchgrevink was the first to winter there, and the first to ascend the Ross Barrier. In 1907 Nansen launched the idea of a new expedition to the North Pole. His plan was to start with a ship farther to the east than the Fram in 1893. This idea was taken up by Amundsen, who decided to sail the Fram round America and enter Bering Strait; but immediately after Amund- sen had started to equip his expedition news arrived that Peary had reached the North Pole, and he therefore abandoned this plan for the time being. Instead, he sailed the Fram towards the south, after having cabled Scott, who had fitted out a South Pole expedition, of his change of plan. Amundsen started from the Ross Barrier and marched with his well-equipped ski-ing expedition towards the Pole. On December 14, 1911 Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag at the South Pole, on the great plateau which he called Haakon the VII Plateau. In 1918 Amundsen at last set out again for the North Pole. As the Fram was considered too old for the purpose, he had a new ship, the Maud, built for the expedition. Amundsen encountered great difficulties in the ice north of Siberia and was obliged to pass two winters in those ice regi- 198