THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD 593 



replied with a ninefold Norwegian hurrah. We dropped 

 our anchor, and the next moment the Otaria was boarded 

 by the Fi'ani s sturdy crew. 



The meeting which followed I shall not attempt to 

 describe. I don't think any of us knew anything clearly, 

 except that we were all together again — we were in Nor- 

 way — and the expedition had fulfilled its task. 



Then we set off together southward along the Nor- 

 wegian coast. First came the tug Haalogalaiui, char- 

 tered by the government ; then the Fram, heavy and 

 slow, but so much the surer; and last the elegant Otaria, 

 with my wife and me on board — which was to take us to 

 Trondhjem. What a blessed sensation it was to sit in 

 peace at last, and see others take the lead and pick out 

 the way ! 



Wherever we passed, the heart of the Norwegian peo- 

 ple went out to us, from the steamers crowded with holi- 

 day-making townsfolk, and from the poorest fishing-boat 

 that lay alone among the skerries. It seemed as if old 

 Mother Norway were proud of us, as if she pressed us in 

 a close and warm embrace, and thanked us for what we 

 had done. And what was it, after all ? We had only 

 done our duty ; we had simply accomplished the task we 

 had undertaken ; and it was we who owed her thanks for 

 the right to sail under her flag. I remember one morn- 

 ing in particular. It was in Brbnosund — the morning 

 was still gray and chill when I was called up — there were 

 so many people who wanted to greet us. I was half 



II. -38 



