VII.] "LA REINE HORTENSE." 91 



javik had become populous with new arrivals. First of all, 

 there was my old friend, the " Reine Hortmse" the Em- 

 peror's yacht, a magnificent screw corvette of 1,100 tons. 

 I had last parted with her three years ago in the Baltic, after 

 she had towed me for eighty miles on our way from Bomar- 

 sund to Stockholm. Then there were two English screw 

 steamers, of about 700 tons each, taken up by the French 

 Government as tenders to the yacht; not to mention a 

 Spanish brig, and one or two other foreigners, which, toge- 

 ther with the frigate, the barque, and the vessels we had 

 found here on our first arrival, made the usually deserted 

 bay look quite lively. Until this year no steamers had ever 

 cockneyfied its secluded waters. 



This morning, directly after breakfast, I went on board 

 the " Reine Hortense " to pay my respects to Prince Napo- 

 leon ; and H. I. H. has just done me the honour of coming 

 to inspect the " Foam." When I was first presented to him 

 at the Geysirs, he asked me what my plans might be ; and 

 on my mentioning my resolution of sailing to the North, he 

 most kindly proposed that I should come with him West to 

 Greenland instead. My anxiety, however, to. reach, if it 

 were possible, Jan Mayen and Spitzbergen, prevented my 

 accepting this most tempting offer ; but in the meantime, 

 H.I.H. has, it seems, himself determined to come to Jan 

 Mayen, and he is kind enough to say that if I can get ready 

 for a start by six o'clock tomorrow morning, the "Reine 

 Hortense" shall take me in tow. To profit by this proposal 

 would of course entail the giving up my plan of riding 

 across the interior of Iceland, which I should be very loth 

 to do ; at the same time, the season is so far advanced, the 

 mischances of our first start from England have thrown us 

 so far behind in our programme, that it would seem almost 

 a pity to neglect such an opportunity of overrunning the 

 time that has been lost ; and after all, these Polar islands, 

 which so few have visited, are what I am chiefly bent on 

 seeing. Before I close this letter the thing will have been 

 settled one way or another ; for I am to have the honour of 



