rom Siberia. [16] With great courtesy Von Toll
replied that he thought he himself could arrange this for me, as he
was just on the point of undertaking his second scientific expedition
to Siberia and the New Siberian Islands. He proposed to send the
dogs to Khabarova, on Yugor Strait. On his journey through Tiumen in
January, 1893, by the help of an English merchant named Wardroper,
who resided there, he engaged Alexander Ivanovitch Trontheim to
undertake the purchase of thirty Ostiak dogs and their conveyance to
Yugor Strait. But Von Toll was not content with this. Mr. Nikolai
Kelch having offered to bear the expense, my friend procured the
East Siberian dogs, which are acknowledged to be better draught
dogs than those of West Siberia (Ostiak dogs), and Johan Torgersen,
a Norwegian, undertook to deliver them at the mouth of the Olenek,
where it was arranged that we should touch.

Von Toll, moreover, thought it would be important to establish some
depots of provisions on the New Siberian Islands, in case the Fram
should meet with disaster and the expedition should be obliged to
return home that way. On Von Toll's mentioning this, Kelch at once
expressed himself willing to bear the cost, as he wished us in that
event to meet with Siberian hospitality even on the New Siberian
Islands. As it was difficult to find trustworthy agents to carry out a
task involving so much responsibility, Von Toll determined to establish
the depots himself, and in May, 1893, he set out on an adventurous
and highly interesting journey from the mainland over the ice to the
New Siberian Islands, where, besides laying down three depots for us,
[17] he made some very important geological researches.

Another important matter, I thought, was to have a cargo of coal
sent out as far as possible on our route, so that when we broke off
all connection with the rest of the world we should have on board the
Fram as much coal as she could carry. I therefore joyfully accepted an
offer from an Englishman, who was to accompany us with his steam-yacht
to Novaya Zemlya or the Kara Sea and give us 100 tons of coal on
parting company. As our departure was drawing nigh I learnt, however,
that other arrangements had been made. It being now too late to take
any other measures, I chartered the sloop Urania, of Broenoesund, in
Nordland, to bring a cargo of coals to Khabarova, on the Yugor Strait.

No sooner did the plan of my expedition become known than petitions
p