FAREWELL TO NORWAY ill 



own eyes what might be the condition of the ice to the 

 eastward. It was 28 miles thither. A quantity of ice 

 was drifting through the strait from the east, and, as 

 there was a northerly breeze, we at once turned our 

 course northward to get under the lee of the north shore, 

 where the water was more open. I had the rather thank- 

 less task of acting as helmsman and engineer at one and 

 the same time. The boat went on like a little hero and 

 made about six knots. Everything looked bright. But, 

 alas ! good fortune seldom lasts long, especialh' when one 

 has to do with petroleum launches. A defect in the cir- 

 culation-pump soon stopped the engine, and we could 

 only go for short distances at a time, till we reached the 

 north shore, where, after two hours' hard work, I ^ot the 

 engines so far in order as to be able to continue our jour- 

 ney to the northeast through the sound between the drift- 

 ing floes. We got on pretty well, except for an interrup- 

 tion every now and then when the engine took it into its 

 head to come to a standstill. It caused a good deal of 

 merriment when the staUvart Peter turned the crank to 

 set her off again and the engine gave a start so as nearly 

 to pull his arms out of joint and upset him head over 

 heels in the boat. Every now and then a flock of long- 

 tailed duck [Harelda glacialis) or other birds came whiz- 

 zing by us, one or two of them invariably falling to our 

 guns. 



We had kept along the Vaigats shore, but now crossed 

 over towards the south side of the strait. When about 



