PRELIMINARY CRUISE 95 



completing our water-supply. When this was done, we 

 lost no time in getting away. As we passed the war- 

 ships lying in the harbour they manned ship, and the 

 bands played the National Anthem. Outside Vealos 

 we had the pleasure of waving a last farewell to a man 

 to whom the expedition will always owe a debt of grati- 

 tude, Captain Christian Blom, Superintendent of the 

 dockyard, who had supervised the extensive repairs to 

 the Fram with unrelaxing interest and obligingness. He 

 slipped past us in his sailing-boat; I do not remember 

 if he got a cheer. If he did not, it was a mistake. 



Now we were on our way to the South, as the heading 

 of this chapter announces, though not yet in earnest. 

 We had an additional task before us: the oceano- 

 graphical cruise in the Atlantic. This necessitated 

 a considerable detour on the way. The scientific 

 results of this cruise will be dealt with by specialists 

 in due course; if it is briefly referred to here, this 

 is chiefly for the sake of continuity. After consultation 

 with Professor Nansen, the plan was to begin investiga- 

 tions in the region to the south of Ireland, and thence 

 to work our way westward as far as time and circum- 

 stances permitted. The work was to be resumed on 

 the homeward voyage in the direction of the North of 

 Scotland. For various reasons this programme after- 

 wards had to be considerably reduced. 



For the first few days after leaving Norway we were 

 favoured with the most splendid summer weather. The 



