102 FARTHEST NORTH 



night of the i6tli, east of the North Cape or Magero, we 

 met with sucli a nasty sea, and shipped so much water 

 on deck, that we put into KjoUefjord to adjust our cargo 

 better by shifting the coal and making a few other 

 changes. We worked at this the whole of two days, and 

 made everything clear for the voyage to Novaya Zemlya. 

 I had at first thought of taking on board a fresh supply 

 of coal at Vardo, but as we were already deeply laden, 

 and the Urania was to meet us at Yugor Strait with 

 coal, we thought it best to be contented with what we 

 had already got on board, as we might expect bad weath- 

 er in crossino^ the White Sea and Barents Sea. At ten 

 o'clock in the evening we weighed anchor, and reached 

 Vardo next evening, where we met with a magnificent 

 reception. There was a band of music on the pier, the 

 fjord teemed with boats, flags waved on every hand, and 

 salutes were fired. The people had been waiting for us 

 ever since the pre^'ious evening, we were told — some of 

 them, indeed, coming from Vadso — and they had seized 

 the opportunity to get up a subscription to provide a big 

 drum for the town band, the " North Pole." And here 

 we were entertained at a sumptuous banquet, with 

 speeches, and champagne flowing in streams, ere we 

 bade Norway our last farewell. 



The last thino; that had now to be done for the Fravi 

 was to have her bottom cleaned of mussels and weeds, 

 so that she might be able to make the best spee^l possi- 

 ble. This work was done by di\-ers, who were readily 



