A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 285 



expected. They left Cuxhaven at the end of July, just 

 four-and-twenty hours before the port was closed by 

 the authorities. Thence they went to Aalborg, where 

 they took on board a cargo of cement and machinery. 

 They had under their convoy three tug-boats which 

 had been bought by the Russian Government from a 

 Hamburo; firm for service on the Yenesei. These were 

 manned by German crews and flew the German flag. 

 This was the explanation of the rumour that German 

 torpedo-boat destroyers had captured two merchantmen 

 on the Norwegian coast. The " destroyers " were the 

 three tugs, which followed the larger vessels to the 

 Yenesei. However, at Tromsoe, when the expedition 

 put into that port, the German consul claimed all three 

 crews. They were required at once for military service 

 — all, that is, except seven of the officers and engineers, 

 who were over the age limit. New crews had to be 

 found at a day's notice, and then the vessels had pro- 

 ceeded safely to the Kara Sea. They reached the 

 mouth of the Yenesei on 1st September. Here, in the 

 harbour of Dickson Island, they found the explorer, 

 Captain Swerdrup, in his ship, the Eclipse. He had 

 come out to look for two Russian expeditions which 

 had been lost in the Kara Sea, and was now fast 

 aground himself. The English expedition spent two 

 days in salving his ship, and he then proceeded along 

 the coast to the north-east. Now that the expedition 

 had reached Russian waters, there was some technical 

 difficulty with the remaining Germans on the tug-boats. 

 As soon as they entered the river, the ships became the 

 property of the Russian Government, and the Russian 



