326 THE VOYAGE OF THE " FRAM 



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we been troubled with animals or insects of any kind 

 whatever; but when we were in Buenos Aires for the 

 first time, at least half a million flies came aboard to 

 look at the vessel. I hoped they would go ashore when 

 the Fram sailed; but no, they followed us, until by 

 degrees they passed peacefully away on fly-paper. 



Well, flies are one thing, but we had something else 

 that was worse — namely, rats — our horror and dread, 

 and for the future our deadly enemies. The first signs 

 of them I found in my bunk and on the table in the 

 fore-saloon; they were certainly not particular. What 

 I said on that occasion had better not be printed, 

 though no expression could be strong enough to give 

 vent to one's annoyance at such a discovery. We set 

 traps, but what was the use of that, when the cargo 

 consisted exclusively of provisions? 



One morning, as Ronne was sitting at work making 

 sails, he observed a " shadow " flying past his feet, and, 

 according to his account, into the fore-saloon. The 

 cook came roaring: " There's a rat in the fore-saloon !" 

 Then there was a lively scene; the door was shut, and 

 all hands started hunting. All the cabins were emptied 

 and rummaged, the piano, too; everything was turned 

 upside down, but the rat had vanished into thin air. 



About a fortnight later I noticed a corpse-like smell 

 in Hassel's cabin, which was empty. On closer snifl^ng 

 and examination it turned out to be the dead rat, a big 

 black one, inifortunately a male rat. The poor brute, 



