The next move was to examine plans of boats which were “in position” (so far as jargon goes I became a perfect shipping man!), and to find out if the holds were big enough to take our wing cases and propellers, or if they could get protected positions on deck. The crossing of the Bay of Biscay had also to be taken into consideration.
At last there was a suitable boat on the market, namely, the S. S. “Vaga,” in charge of Captain Eriksen. The boat was “due Liverpool,” at a suitable date, and belonged to the Norwegian-Russian Shipping Company. They took the freight without haggling, and showed extreme willingness to assist us in every respect.
In the middle of January Dietrichson went to Marina di Pisa and made a trial flight with N 24. Omdal went to Pisa after he had spent some time at the Rolls-Royce Factory. Dietrichson returned home in the middle of February, but Omdal remained behind to make a wider study of the machines, and to accompany them and all our belongings, on the S. S. “Vaga,” on the voyage to Norway. I myself went down to Marina di Pisa in February and made a trial flight with N 25. Just before the end of my stay there Amundsen returned from America and joined me. And thus our lengthy conferences by correspondence came to an end, and matters could at last be arranged by word of mouth.
DISEMBARKING FROM THE Sjoliv AT KING’S BAY
Following a speedy journey home, word went round that our extensive outfit should be sent at once by the different suppliers to Tromsö. In the days which followed cases and crates bearing our address could be seen being transported to us on most of Northern Europe’s routes of communication; goods even came from over the Atlantic, while Oslo, Bergen, and Trondhjem were the critical points. The Storthing consented to supply the means to allow the naval boat “Fram” to be placed at our disposal, and thus a large quantity of the goods arriving at Oslo was re-directed to Horten so that we could save the extra carriage. I learned in those days to set great value on the telephone, regarding it as a marvelous institution. Indeed I felt I had not valued it sufficiently, for the Oslo exchange appeared to be working day and night. Roald Amundsen, for instance, would ring me before eight o’clock in the morning to give me the day’s orders. At that hour Amundsen had already breakfasted and was ready to begin his day, whereas I had hardly finished with the night.
MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION AFTER THEIR FIRST DINNER ASHORE
OUR FIRST SOLID CAMP