iculties overcome. But proud must every child of our century be
when he gazes on this proof that private enterprise can in our day
accomplish what world-empires in former times were unable to carry
into execution. We touched at Port Said for a few hours on the 5th
February, after which we continued our voyage to Naples, the first
European port we were to visit.

At Aden and in Egypt I had received several letters and telegrams
informing me that great preparations were being made at Naples for
our reception, and that repeated inquiries had been addressed to the
Swedish consul-general regarding the day of our arrival, questions
which naturally it was not so easy to answer, as our vessel, with
its weak steam-power, was very dependent on wind and weather. It was
hoped that the _Vega_ might be signalled from the Straits of
Messina, but we did not come to the entrance to the Straits until
after sunset. I therefore ordered the _Vega_ to lie to there for
some hours, while Lieut. Bove and I rowed ashore to send off
telegrams announcing our arrival in Europe to Sweden, Naples, Rome,
and other places. The shore, however, was farther off than we had
calculated, and it was quite dark before it was reached. It was not
without difficulty that in these circumstances we could get to land
through the breakers in the open road quite unknown to us, and then,
in coal-black darkness, find our way through thickets of prickly
bushes to the railway which here runs along the coast. We had then
to go along the railway for a considerable distance before we
reached a station from which our telegrams could be despatched.
Scarcely had we entered the station when we were surrounded by
suspicious railway and coast-guard men, and we considered ourselves
fortunate that they had not observed us on the way thither, for they
would certainly have taken us for smugglers, whom the coast-guard
have the right to salute with sharp shot. Even now we were
overwhelmed with questions in a loud and commanding tone, but when
they saw to what high personages our telegrams were addressed, and
were informed by their countryman Bove, who wore his uniform, to
what vessel we belonged, they became very obliging. One of them
accompanied us back to our boat, after providing us with excellent
torches which spread abundant light around our footsteps. They were
much needed, for we were now compelled to share the astonishment of
our guide that in the darkness we had succeeded in m