132 Chapter IV. 



companions tried the dogs on shore. Eight [this should 

 be ten] were harnessed to a sledge on which three 

 persons took their places. Nansen expressed his satis- 

 faction with the dogs, and thanked Trontheim for the 

 good selection he had made, and for the excellent 

 condition the animals were in. When the dogs were 

 taken over and brought on board,* Trontheim applied 

 to Nansen for a certificate of the exact and scrupulous 

 way in which he had fulfilled his contract. Nansen's 

 answer was : ' No ; a certificate is not enough. Your 



O 



duty has been done with absolute conscientiousness, 

 and you have thereby rendered a great service to the 

 expedition. I am commissioned to present you with a 

 gold medal from our king in recognition of the great 

 help you have given us.' With these words Nansen 

 handed to Trontheim a very large gold medal with a 

 crown on it. On the obverse is the following inscrip- 

 tion : 'Oscar II., King of Norway and Sweden. For 

 the Welfare of the Brother-Nations.' And on the 

 reverse : ' Reward for valuable service, A. I. Tront- 

 heim.' Along with this Nansen also gave Trontheim a 

 written testimonial as to the admirable manner in which 

 he had carried out his commission, mentioning that 

 for this he had been rewarded with a medal." 



" Nansen determined to weigh anchor during the 



* It will be observed that there is some slip of memory here it was 

 the evening before. 



