NANS EN'S MEMORABLE VOYAGE IN THE "FRAM" 371 



came into a moving sea, tried the sea-faring capacities of every one 

 on board. 



She was fitted with engines and a screw, and was rigged as a 

 three-masted fore-and-aft schooner. Electric light was laid on all 

 over her, the power being generated by a windmill when the engine 

 was not working. Every available crevice was utilized for the 

 storing of coals and provisions. 



By the middle of June, 1893, the thirteen men who formed the 

 expedition had succeeded in finding a place for everything, though 

 not without some difficulty, for the quantity of the stores which had 

 to be packed was enormous. By a delay in delivery, just as they 

 were congratulating themselves that everything was stowed away, 

 a shipment of dog biscuits arrived. The ship was full already, but 

 the biscuits had to be stored somewhere, so one of the men wriggled 

 right up into the bows, and between the beams and the ribs he 

 packed away the troublesome late arrivals. Everything was at last 

 on board and stored, and on June 24, 1893, the "Fram" started on 

 her memorable journey. 



It is not here proposed to give in full detail the story of this 

 memorable voyage, but to confine ourselves to its more salient 

 points, avoiding the repetition of many features of Arctic life given 

 in former chapters. It must suffice then to say that the route lay 

 up the coast of Norway and from North Cape through the Arctic 

 Ocean until Chabarowa, in the Yugor Straits, was reached on July 

 29th. Here thirty-four Siberian sledge dogs were obtained, the 

 boilers cleaned and other preparations made, and the "Fram" put 

 to sea again, reaching the Kara Sea on August 4th. 



Here ice and adverse winds caused delay, and the men occu- 

 pied themselves in hunting, game being plentiful. The result was 

 the gathering of an abundant supply of fresh meat, consisting of 

 reindeer, seal and duck. A bear was also shot and a large quantity 

 of walrus meat obtained, though in shooting the latter Nansen 

 lost his favorite rifle, which dropped overboard and could not be 

 recovered. 



