The Spring and Summer of 1894. 423 



" Few or no incidents occurred during this time, 

 except, naturally, the different red-letter days were 

 celebrated with great ceremony." 



May i7th^ we observed with special pomp ; the 

 following description of which I find in my journal : 



"Friday, May iSth. May i?th was celebrated 

 yesterday with all possible festivity. In the morning 

 w r e were awakened with organ music the enlivening 

 strains of the 'College Hornpipe.' After this a 

 splendid breakfast off smoked salmon, ox tongues, 

 etc., etc. The whole ship's company wore bows of 

 ribbon in honour of the day even old ' Suggen ' had 

 one round his tail. The wind whistled, and the 

 Norwegian flag floated on high, fluttering bravely at the 

 masthead. About 1 1 o'clock the company assembled 

 with their banners on the ice on the port side of the 

 ship, and the procession arranged itself in order. First 

 of all came the leader of the expedition with the ' pure ' 

 Norwegian flag ;t after him Sverdrup with the Franis 

 pennant, which, with its ' FRAM ' on a red ground, 

 3 fathoms long, looked splendid. Next came a dog- 

 sledge, with the band (Johansen with the accordion), and 

 Mogstad, as coachman ; after them came the mate, with 

 rifles and harpoons, Henriksen carrying a long harpoon ; 

 then Amundsen and Nordahl, with a red banner. The 



* The anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution. 

 t Without the mark of the " union " with Sweden. 



