272 THE EASTERN SLEDGE JOURNEY 



up, and just beyond the nearest cape lay the Kainan 

 Maru, with the ensign of the Rising Sun at the peak. 

 Banzai ! We had come in time. Although it was 

 rather late in the evening, Nilsen and I decided to pay 

 her a visit, and if possible to see the leader of the expedi- 

 tion. We were received at the gangway by a young, 

 smiling fellow, who beamed still more when I produced 

 the only Japanese word I knew: Oheio — Good-day. 

 There the conversation came to a full stop, but soon 

 a number of the inquisitive sons of Nippon came up, and 

 some of them understood a little English. We did not 

 get very far, however. We found out that the Kainan 

 Maru had been on a cruise in the direction of King 

 Edward VII. Land ; but we could not ascertain whether 

 any landing had been attempted or not. 



As the leader of the expedition and the captain of the 

 ship had turned in, we did not want to disturb them by 

 prolonging our visit; but we did not escape before the 

 genial first officer had offered us a glass of wine and 

 a cigar in the chart -house. With an invitation to come 

 again next day, and permission to take some photo- 

 graphs, we returned to the Fram; but nothing came of 

 the projected second \'isit to our Japanese friends. Both 

 ships put out to sea in a gale that sprang up during the 

 night, and before we had another opportunity of going on 

 board tlie Kainan Maru the southern party had returned. 



The days immediately preceding the departure of the 

 expedition for the north fell about the middle of the 



