Farewell to Norway. 1 1 1 



have the boiler put in order first, while sundry pipes and 

 valves in the engine wanted seeing to. As it would take 

 several days to do this, Sverdrup, Peter Henriksen, and 

 I set out next morning in our little petroleum launch to 

 the eastern opening of the Yugor. Strait, to see with our 

 own eyes what might be the condition of the ice to the 

 eastward. It was 28 miles thither. A quantity of 

 ice was drifting through the strait from the east, and, as 

 there was a northerly breeze, we at once turned our 

 course northwards to get under the lee of the north shore 

 where the water was more open. I had the rather 

 thankless task of acting as helmsman and engineer at 

 one and the same time. The boat went on like a little 

 hero and made about six knots. Everything looked 

 bright. But alas ! good fortune seldom lasts long, 

 especially when one has to do with petroleum launches. 

 A defect in the circulation pump soon stopped the engine, 

 and we could only go for short distances at a time, till 

 we reached the north shore, where, after two hours' hard 

 work, I got the engines so far in order as to be able to 

 continue our journey to the north-east through the sound 

 between the drifting floes. We got on pretty well, 

 except for an interruption every now and then when the 

 engine took it into its head to come to a standstill. It 

 caused a ^ood deal of merriment when the stalwart Peter 



o 



turned the crank to set her off again, and the engine 

 gave a start, so as nearly to pull his arms out of joint, 

 and upset him head over heels in the boat. Every now 



