410 MODERN VIKINGS IN THE ARCTIC SEAS 



spirits. The chimney from the galley rose above this awning, and 

 one day a spark fell upon it. At once the canvas burst into flame. 



On the first alarm, the mate, who was in charge, gave his atten- 

 tion to the removal of the oil and explosives; but while these were 

 being dragged out of danger the flames spread rapidly from the 

 awning to the rigging, reaching the mainsail, which also became 

 ignited. Then the fire reached the kayaks, the coverings of which 

 were all saturated with grease. The blaze that followed set all the 

 spare wood alight. The iron tank, full of spirits, was thus sur- 

 rounded by flames. It was impossible to beat them back, and the 

 men realized that if the tank burst and the spirits caught fire, the 

 ship was doomed. With despairing energy they attacked the fire 

 with buckets of water, and, despite the primitive nature of the 

 weapon, they succeeded in subduing the flames before irreparable 

 damage was done. The tank, fortunately, withstood the heat, 

 though it was badly warped. The kayaks were destroyed, as well 

 as all the spare wood, the rigging and sails on the mainmast, the 

 awning and some stores on the lower deck, where the flames also 

 penetrated. But the ship was saved. 



On October 13, 1900, the news was brought to the ship that the 

 hopes of discovering new land were likely to be realized. A party 

 who had been far out to the west had seen in the distance what 

 appeared to be land at a place where none was shown on the maps. 

 Five days later, with a picked band, Captain Sverdrup was hasten- 

 ing to the place indicated. As the winter \vas near at hand, they 

 could not do more than verify the news. In the distance they saw 

 what appeared to be new land, but it was impossible to proceed with 

 the survey of this before the spring. 



On April 8, 1901, Sverdrup and his picked companions set out 

 again to explore the new territory. After pushing on as far as the 

 outer limit of the coast, they came upon what appeared to be a large 

 bay, one hundred miles wide, with broad and deep fiords penetrating 

 the land on its eastern side. The land they had descried lay on the 



