254 Chapter VI. 



wind, and the windmill, which has been ready for several 

 days, has been tried at last and works splendidly. 

 \Ve have beautiful electric light to-day, though the wind 

 has not been specially strong (5-8 m. (16-26 feet) per 

 second). Electric lamps are a grand institution. \Yhat 

 a strong influence light has on one's spirits ! There 

 was a noticeable brightening-up at the dinner table to- 

 day ; the light acted on our spirits like a draught of 

 o-ood wine. And how festive the saloon looks ! \Ye 



O 



felt it quite a great occasion drank Oscar Dickson's 

 health, and voted him the best of good fellows. 



"\Yonderful moonshine this evening, light as day ; and 

 alone with it aurora borealis, yellow and strange in the 



O ' 



white moonlight ; a larafe rinof round the moon all this 



o o o 



over the great stretch of white, shining ice, here and 

 there in our neighbourhood piled up high by the 

 pressure. And in the midst of this silent silvery ice- 

 world the windmill sweeps round its dark wings against 

 the deep blue sky and the aurora. A strange contrast : 

 civilization making a sudden incursion into this frozen 

 ghostly world. 



"To-morrow is the Frani s birthday. How manv 



- 1 * 



memories it recalls of the launch day a year ago." 



"Thursday, October 26th. 164 fathoms (300111.) of 

 water when the soundings were taken this morning. 

 \Ye are moving quickly north due north says Peter. 

 It does look as if things were going better. Great cele- 

 bration of the day, beginning' with target-shooting. 



