Thefirstoperationwastheerectionofawoodenshed，thematerialsforwhichtheyhadbroughtwiththem，asaprotectionfromthewind。Itwasaworkwhichentailedsomelossoftime，afterwhichthegasapparatushadtobegotintoorder，sothat，inspiteofallefforts，itwasthe27thofJulybeforetheballoonwasinflatedandinreadiness。
AmemberofanadvancepartyofaneclipseexpeditionarrivinginSpitzbergenatthisperiod，andpayingavisittoAndreeforthepurposeoftakinghimletters，wrote:——\"Wewatchedhimdealouttheletterstohismen。Theyareallvolunteersandincludesevenseacaptains，alawyer，andotherpeoplesomefortyinall。Andreechaffedeachmantowhomhegavealetter，andallwereasmerryascricketsoverthebusiness……
Wespentourtimeinwatchingpreparations。Thevaseline（forsoakingtheguideropes）caughtfireto—day，but，luckilynoropewasinthepot。\"
Butthewindasyetwascontrary，anddayafterdaypassedwithoutanyshifttoafavourablequarter，untilthecaptainoftheshipwhichhadconveyedthemwascompelledtobringmatterstoanissuebysayingthattheymustreturnhomewithoutdelayifhewastoavoidgettingfrozeninforthewinter。Theballoonhadnowremainedinflatedfortwenty—onedays，andDr。
Ekholm，calculatingthattheleakageofgasamountedtonearly1percent。perday，becamedistrustfulofthecapabilityofsuchavesseltocopewithsuchavoyageashadbeenaimedat。