426 Chapter VII. 



occasion in a right festive manner, where we partook of 

 a splendid dinner, preluded by a lovely valse. The 

 menu was as follows : Minced fish with curried lobster, 

 melted butter and potatoes ; music ; pork cutlets, with 

 green peas, potatoes, mango chutney, and Worcester 

 sauce ; music ; apricots and custard, with cream ; much 

 music. After this a siesta ; then coffee, currants, figs, 

 cakes ; and the photographer stood cigars. Great 

 enthusiasm, then more siesta. After supper the violinist, 

 Mogstad, gave a recital, when refreshments were served 

 in the shape of figs, sweetmeats, apricots, and ginger- 

 bread (honey cakes). On the whole a charming and 

 very successful Seventeenth of May, especially consider- 

 ing that we had passed the 8 1 st degree of latitude. 



"Monday, May 28th. Ugh, I am tired of these 

 endless, white plains cannot even be bothered snow- 

 shoeing over them, not to mention that the lanes 

 stop one on every hand. Day and night I pace up 

 and down the deck, along the ice by the ship's 

 sides, revolving the most elaborate scientific problems. 

 For the past few days it is especially the shifting of 

 the Pole that has fascinated me. I am beset by the 

 idea that the tidal wave, along with the unequal distri- 

 bution of land and sea, must have a disturbing effect on 

 the situation of the earth's axis. When such an idea 

 gets into one's head, it is no easy matter to get it out 

 again. After pondering over it for several days, I 

 have finally discovered that the influence of the moon 



