of discovering traces of her if she had perished would thus, they
thought, be double, for while one vessel followed on her track, the
other would, as it were, precede her.

Erik, who had been the originator of this plan, had often asked himself
which of the vessels he had better join, and he had finally concluded to
attach himself to the second.

The "Nordenskiold," he said to himself, would follow the same course as
the "Vega." It was therefore necessary that she should be equally
successful in making the first part of the voyage, and double Cape
Tchelynskin, but they might not be able to do this, since it had only
been accomplished once. Besides, the last news which they had received
from the "Vega," she was only two or three hundred leagues from
Behring's Straits; therefore they would have a better chance of meeting
her. The "Nordenskiold" might follow her for many months without
overtaking her. But the other vessel could hardly fail to meet her, if
she was still in existence.

The principal thing in Erik's eyes was to reach the "Vega" as quickly as
possible, in order to meet Patrick O'Donoghan without delay.

The doctor and Mr. Bredejord warmly approved of his motives when he
explained them to them.

The work of preparing the "Alaska" was pushed on as rapidly as possible.
Her provisions, equipments, and the clothing, were all carefully chosen,
for they profited by the experience of former Arctic explorers. Her crew
were all experienced seamen, who had been inured to cold by frequent
fishing voyages to Iceland and Greenland. Lastly, the captain chosen by
the committee, was an officer of the Swedish marines, then in the
employment of a maritime company, and well known on account of his
voyages to the Arctic Ocean; his name was Lieutenant Marsilas. He chose
for his first lieutenant Erik himself, who seemed designed for the
position by the energy he had displayed in the service of the
expedition, and who was also qualified by his diploma. The second and
third officers were tried seamen, Mr. Bosewitz and Mr. Kjellguist.

The "Alaska" carried some explosive material in order to break the ice,
if it should be necessary, and abundant provisions of an anti-scorbutic
character, in order to preserve the officers and crew from the common
Arctic maladies. The vessel was furnished with a heater, in order to
preserve an even temperature, and also with a portable observatory
called a "raven's nest," which they could hoist to