THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD 533 



where we had to turn and make for Franz Josef Land, 

 W^e were, however, obliged to stop for the winter some- 

 where north here, and are now on our route to Spitz- 

 bergen, 



" ' I congratulate you most heartily. You have made 

 a good trip of it, and I am awfully glad to be the first 

 person to congratulate you on your return/ 



" Once more he seized my hand and shook it heartily. 

 I could not have been welcomed more warmly ; that hand- 

 shake was more than a mere form. In his hospitable 

 English manner, he said at once that he had ' plenty of 

 room' for us, and that he was expecting his ship every 

 day. By ' plenty of room' I discovered afterwards that he 

 meant that there were still a few square feet on the floor 

 of their hut that were not occupied at night by himself 

 and his sleeping companions. But 'heart-room makes 

 house-room,' and of the former there was no lack. As 

 soon as I could li'et a word in, I asked how thinors were 

 getting on at home, and he was able to give me the 

 welcome intelligence that my wife and child had both 

 been in the best of health when he left two years 

 ago. Then came Norway's turn, and Norwegian poli- 

 tics ; but he knew nothing about that, and I took it as 

 a sign that they must be all right too. He now asked if 

 we could not go out at once and fetch Johansen and our 

 belongings ; but I thought that our kayaks would be too 

 heavy for us to drag over this packed-up ice alone, and 

 that if he had men enough it would certainly be better to 



