Though Nansen met with discouragements on every side, he continued to plan for the trip. At length a wealthy Danish gentleman gave him enough money to equip an expedition. It was not easy for Nansen to find 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. [Illustration: A HERD 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 vessel to carry him and his companions to the Arctic ocean. After collecting tents, clothing, food, sleeping bags, and scientific instruments, the party proceeded to Iceland, where the captain of the sealing vessel had promised to call for them. On June 3, 1888, the sealing vessel, the _Jason_, arrived off the coast of Iceland, and Nansen and his companions were taken aboard. The _Jason_ headed directly for Denmark strait, where seals abound, and in a short time the ship was among the ice floes. Every one on board was watching eagerly for seals, and at last a large number of the quiet creatures were seen lying like black dots on the floes. On board the _Jason_ there was great excitement. The men flew about, making sure that rifles were clean and in good order and that cartridge boxes were filled. Then the hunters rushed to the boats and the capture began. One hundred and eighty-seven seals were shot that day. The sealers thought this a small number, but Nansen, who had never hunted seals before, thought it a very good day’s sport. Sealing vessels, in their efforts to make large hauls, usually push steadily on through the ice, until they are in the midst of crowds of seals. The force of the ice against the ship is often so great as to throw the sailors off their feet. When the vessel is well in among the seals the engines are stopped, and the men are ordered to start out in the small boats. There are three or four oarsmen with one shooter in each boat. Away they go in different directions, each boat trying to secure the greatest number it can carry and to return first to the ship. The seals lie all around on the edges of the ice floes, and at first pay no attention to the boats. They lift their heads and see the boats coming from a long distance away; then, ignorant of their danger, they lower their heads again and lie quiet.