CHAPTER IV. 



FAREWELL TO NORWAY. 



I FELT in a strange mood as I sat up the last night 

 writing letters and telegrams. We had bidden farewell 

 to our excellent pilot, Johan Hagensen, who had piloted 

 us from Bergen, and now we were only the thirteen 

 members of the expedition, together with my secretary, 

 Christofersen, who had accompanied us so far, and was 

 to go on with us as far as Yugor Strait. Everything 

 was so calm and still, save for the scraping of the pen 

 that was sending off a farewell to friends at home. 



All the men were asleep below. 



The last telegram was written, and I sent my secre- 

 tary ashore with it. It was 3 o'clock in the morning 

 when he returned, and I called Sverdrup up and one or 

 two others. We weighed anchor, and stood out of the 

 harbour in the silence of the morning. The town still 

 lay wrapped in sleep, everything looked so peaceful and 

 lovely all around, with the exception of a little stir of 

 awakening toil on board one single steamer in the 

 harbour. A sleepy fisherman stuck his head up out of 



