160 FROM MADEIRA TO THE BARRIER 



once. The decorations did honour to him who had 

 carried them out and to those who had given us the 

 greater part of them Mrs. Schroer, and the proprietor 

 of the Oyster Cellar at Christiania, Mr. Ditlev-Hansen. 



Then we took our seats round the table, which 

 groaned beneath Lindstrom's masterpieces in the 

 culinary art. I slipped behind the curtain of my 

 cabin for an instant, and set the gramophone going. 

 Herold sang us " Glade Jul." 



The song did not fail of its effect; it was difficult to 

 see in the subdued light, but I fancy that among the 

 band of hardy men that sat round the table there was 

 scarcely one who had not a tear in the corner of his 

 eye. The thoughts of all took the same direction, I am 

 certain they flew homeward to the old country in the 

 North, and we could wish nothing better than that those 

 we had left behind should be as well off as ourselves. 

 The melancholy feeling soon gave way to gaiety and 

 laughter; in the course of the dinner the first mate 

 fired off a topical song written by himself, which had 

 an immense success. In each verse the little weak- 

 nesses of someone present were exhibited in more or 

 less strong relief, and in between there were marginal 

 remarks in prose. Both in text and performance the 

 author fully attained the object of his work that of 

 thoroughly exercising our risible muscles. 



In the after-cabin a well-furnished coffee-table was 

 set out, on which there was a large assortment of Lind- 



