84 FARTHEST NORTH 



land, the Frani stood out towards the blue sea, to get 

 its first roll in the long, heaving swell. They stood up 

 in the boat and watched us for long. 



We bore along the coast in good weather, past 

 Christiansand. The next evening, June 27th, we w^ere 

 off the Naze. I sat up and chatted with Scott- Hansen 

 till late in the night. He acted as captain on the trip 

 from Christiania to Trondhjem, where Sverdrup was to 

 join, after having accompanied his family to Steenkioer. 

 As we sat there in the chart-house and let the hours slip 

 by while we pushed on in the ever-increasing swell, all at 

 once a sea burst open the door and poured in. We 

 rushed out on deck. The ship rolled like a log, the seas 

 broke in over the rails on both sides, and one by one up 

 came all the crew. I feared most lest the slender davits 

 which supported the long-boats should give way, and the 

 boats themselves should go overboard, perhaps carrying 

 away with them a lot of the rigging. Then twenty-five 

 empty paraffin casks which were lashed on deck broke 

 loose, washed backward and forward, and gradually filled 

 with water; so that the outlook was not altogether 

 agreeable. But it was worst of all when the piles of 

 reserve timber, spars, and planks began the same dance, 

 and threatened to break the props under the boats. It 

 was an anxious hour. Sea-sick, I stood on the bridge,, 

 occupying myself in alternately making libations to Nep- 

 tune and trembling for the safety of the boats and the 

 men, who were trying to make snug what they could for- 



