1 1 6 Chapter IV. 



dreadfully entangled in it that we had to take the whole 

 thing to pieces to get it clear once more. So we had to 

 endure the humiliation of rowing back to our proud ship, 

 for whose fleshpots we had long been an-hungerecl. 



The nett result of the day was : tolerably good news 

 about the Kara Sea ; forty birds, principally geese and 

 long-tailed ducks ; one seal ; and a disabled boat. 

 Amundsen and I, however, soon put this in complete 

 repair again but in so doing I fear I forfeited for ever 

 and a day the esteem of the Russians and Samoyedes in 

 these parts. Some of them had been on board in the 

 morning and seen me hard at work in the boat in my 

 shirt sleeves, face and bare arms dirty with oil and other 

 messes. They went on shore afterwards to Trontheim, 



J 



and said that I could not possibly be a great person, 

 slaving away like any other workman on board, and 

 looking worse than a common rough. Trontheim, 

 unfortunately, knew of nothing that could be said in my 

 excuse ; there is no fighting against facts. 



In the evening some of us went on shore to try the 

 dogs. Trontheim picked out ten of them, and harnessed 

 them to a Samoyecle sledge. No sooner were we ready 

 and I had taken my seat, than the team caught sight of 

 a wretched strange dog that had come near, and oft 

 clashed dogs, sledge, and my valuable person after the 

 poor creature. There was a tremendous uproar ; all the 

 ten tumbled over each other like wild wolves, biting and 

 tearing wherever they could catch hold ; blood ran in 



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