glishman had commenced the quest of the north-east passage and
had perished with all his men, and during the following centuries
numberless other expeditions had tried to solve the problem, but always
in vain; now it was solved by Swedes. The vessel glided out into the
Pacific Ocean without a leak; not a man had been lost and not one had
been seriously ill. It was one of the most fortunate and most brilliant
Polar voyages that had ever been achieved.

Yokohama was the first port, where the _Vega_ was welcomed with immense
jubilation, and then the homeward journey _via_ the Suez Canal and
Gibraltar became a continuous triumphal procession.

NANSEN

From many signs around the northern cap of the world a young Norwegian,
Fridtjof Nansen, came to the conclusion that a constant current must
flow from the neighbourhood of Behring Strait to the east coast of
Greenland.

Nansen resolved to make use of this current. Others had gone up from the
Atlantic side and been driven back by the current. He would start from
the opposite side and get the help of the current. Others had feared and
avoided the pack-ice. He would make for it and allow himself to be
caught in it. Others had sailed in unsuitable vessels which had been
crushed like nut-shells among the floes. He would build a vessel with
sides sloping inwards which would afford no hold to the ice. The more
the ice pressed the more surely would this ship be lifted up out of the
water and be borne safely on the ice with the current.

The progress would be slow, no doubt, but the expedition would see
regions of the world never before visited, and would have opportunities
of investigating the depth of the sea, the weather and winds. To reach
the small point called the North Pole was in Nansen's opinion of minor
importance.

[Illustration: PLATE XXXIX. THE "FRAM."]

Among the many who wished to go with him he chose the best twelve. The
vessel was christened the _Fram_ (Plate XXXIX.), and the captain was
named Sverdrup. He had been with Nansen before on an expedition when
they crossed the inland ice of Greenland from coast to coast. They took
provisions for five years and were excellently equipped.

The first thing was to reach the New Siberia Islands. To those the
_Vega_ had shown the way, and the _Fram_ had only to follow in her
track. Just to the west of them a course was steered northwards, and
soon the vessel was set fast in the ice and was lifted satisfactorily on
to