NANS EN'S MEMORABLE VOYAGE IN THE "FRAM" 387 



specks. There was evidently a whaler in the neighborhood, he told 

 himself, and redoubled his efforts. As he approached the two specks 

 became clearer, until he saw distinctly that one was a man and the 

 other a dog. 



The man noticed him and waved his hat, to which Nansen 

 replied by waving his ; as they came nearer, he heard the man speak 

 to his dog in English. 



"How do you do ?" he said to Nansen when they met. 



"How do you do?" Nansen answered, as they shook hands. 

 "Are you wintering near here?" 



"Yes; our camp is over there. Won't you come across?" the 

 other replied. "I think we can find room for you, if you will." 



Nansen, never dreaming but that he was recognized, assented, 

 although he wondered why the man did not ask him about the 

 "Fram." Presently his companion looked at him closely and said: 

 "Are you Nansen?" 



"Of course I am," the explorer answered, and at once both his 

 hands were clasped in a hearty grasp as his companion quickly 

 expressed his congratulations. 



"I was not certain," he explained. "When I saw you in Lon- 

 don you were a fair man with light hair, but now your face and hair 

 are black, and for the moment I did not know you. My name is 

 Jackson." 



Nansen had forgotten that his face and hair were still begrimed 

 with the dirt and grease of months of travel, and that his own 

 family might have been forgiven for not recognizing in the un- 

 kempt, travel-stained, long-haired man, the smart, well-set-up 

 Norwegian doctor. Now, however, that he was known, he listened 

 with great interest to the information that his companion was able 

 to give him. 



This was to the effect that he was the leader of a party, known 

 as the Jackson-Harmsworth expedition, which had left England 

 for Franz Josef Land in 1894, its purpose being to make a thorough 



