Dr. William S. Bruce at camp

Dr. William S. Bruce at camp

A chance encounter with the Prince of Monaco at Tromsö in 1898, on the return of Andrew Coats's steam-yacht "Blencathra" to that port after a sporting trip in the Barents Sea, led to Dr. William Bruce's invitation to join the Prince's yacht "Princesse Alice" both on an immediate reconnaissance voyage, and on a longer hydrographical survey expedition to Spitzbergen, planned for the following year. During the expedition the ship foundered on a submerged rock in Red Bay, and Bruce was given the task of establishing this emergency camp ashore. Eventually, after many unsuccessful attempts over a period of several days, the holed ship was refloated, and was able to return to Tromsö for temporary repairs, before proceeding homewards to Havre.

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