136 Magnus Andersen — Nonvay and the Vikings. 



we ought to be able to. I had confidence in the Viking. We 

 got the ship fitted out and towed her around the coast to 

 Bergen April 1. Finally, we were off for America. 



We had been out two weeks before we found what she could 

 really do in heavy weather and how she could steer, encounter- 

 ing then a heavy gale which lasted thirty hours. Up to that time 

 there wasn't a man aboard that took so much as his boots off; 

 but after we found that the ship steered in all kinds of seas, that 

 the rudder on the side worked finely, confidence in our ship 

 gradually stole upon us, and after that we took it as easy on 

 board of that ship as on any other; we undressed' and went 

 to bed, and I really was ashamed of myself for not believing in 

 history. We were out six weeks altogether, forty-four days from 

 Bergen to New London. The last four weeks we had a favor- 

 able passage, encountering some gales during that time, none of 

 them, however, lasting so long as the first one. We did not 

 mind that, because, as I said before, we had obtained confidence 

 in our vessel, and my opinion is that really not fifty per cent 

 of our seafaring class use as safe vessels as the Viking. I would 

 not hesitate to take that ship across the Atlantic any time of 

 the year when I have a cover for it. We had only a canvas one. 

 For eight or nine days the thermometer was down to zero, but 

 we were well dressed and fed and we were not troubled. 



On arriving on this side we had a series of astonishments in 

 the receptions tendered us. I was astonished also that every- 

 body seemed to want to make the trip a kind of demonstration 

 against Columbus's discovery of America,. That was something 

 new to me. I tried at banquets and receptions to explain that 

 we didn't wish it that way. During the construction it was pro- 

 posed to the committee in charge of the ship that we call it the 

 Leif Erickson, but we finally decided not to, as we did not want 

 Americans to think us demonstrating ; the Norwegian is modest. 

 But after we found that the newspapers had taken the case up 

 on this line, we knew there was no use of further discussion. 

 When I get home and they ask me how this came about, I will 

 simply tell them that the American newspapers did it. 



I feel very grateful to the American people for the reception 

 they have given us and it will be very gratifying to me to carry 

 home their good wishes. I hope that we have made the im- 

 pression we wished to make, that we had an old ship of the 

 Vikings of long ago and that we have sailors at the present day. 



