Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/135

 plateau, and then for days they toiled over a flat, wide expanse of snow. The highest elevation which Nansen reached during this journey was nine thousand two hundred and seventy-two feet, and the lowest temperature he experienced was 49° below zero.

The sledges were heavy, and the Lapps grumbled all the time, Ravna especially being very low-spirited. One day he said to Nansen: "I am an old Lapp, and a silly old fool, too. I don't believe we shall ever get to the coast."

Nansen answered: "That is quite true, Ravna. You are a silly old fool."

Ravna's spirits grew lighter when the party reached the highest part of the plateau and began to descend, for then they went along swiftly on their ski, or coasted down the slopes. Sometimes they encountered crevasses and had to pick their way carefully, and once Nansen fell into a deep chasm and had to scramble desperately to get out. When the bare rocks came in view, Ravna was so delighted that he insisted upon carrying a double load. He said that the mountain grasses and the reindeer moss reminded him of his own mountains at home.

At last the travelers reached the sea and encamped in a sheltered valley. Nansen and Sverdrup built a rude boat and embarked for Godthaab, the nearest town on the coast, whence they sent back natives to bring their comrades to town.

The Greenlanders took the two Lapps for women, because of their long tunics of reindeer skin. But Ravna and Balto did not resent this mistake; they were perfectly happy now and at ease. They told the natives about the wonderful things that they had seen during the journey over the inland ice.