Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/123

 companions for this journey, but he at length succeeded in securing the services of three Norwegians and two Lapps. The Norwegians were Otto Sverdrup, a retired ship captain, Oluf Dietrichson, a lieutenant in the army, and Kristian Kristiansen Trana, a peasant. The Lapps were named Balto and Ravna. Balto was a good-looking young man, who spoke a little English; he was a sea Lapp and lived in a town. Ravna was a mountain Lapp, forty-five years of age. He was short, and had long, black hair hanging over his shoulders. Ravna's home was on the mountains, where he lived in a skin tent and took care of herds of reindeer.

Nansen made sure that all these five men were skillful ski-löbners, for he thought that, when they reached the inland ice of Greenland, the journey would be rapid and easy on ski.

Then Nansen arranged with the captain of a sealing