268 PREPARING FOR WINTER 



depot in order and bring in everything we required. 

 Wisting had charge of the whole outfit, and was 

 responsible that nothing was touched without per- 

 mission. Bjaaland and Stubberud were to look after 

 the pent-house and the passage round the hut. Lind- 

 strom was occupied in the kitchen the hardest and 

 most thankless work on an expedition like this. No 

 one says anything so long as the food is good; but let 

 the cook be unlucky and burn the soup one day, and 

 he will hear something. Lindstrom had the excellent 

 disposition of a man who is never put out; whatever 

 people might say, it was " all the same " to him. 



On April 19 we saw the sun for the last time, since 

 it then went below our horizon the ridge to the north. 

 It was intensely red, and surrounded by a sea of flame, 

 which did not disappear altogether until the 21st, Now 

 everything was well. As far as the hut was concerned, 

 it could not be better; but the pent-house, which it 

 was originally intended to use as a workroom, soon 

 proved too small, dark, and cold, besides which all 

 the traffic went through that room, so that work would 

 be constantly interrupted or stopped altogether at 

 times. Except this dark hole we had no workroom, 

 and we had a lot of work to do. Of course, we might 

 use our living-room, but then we should be in each 

 other's way all day long; nor would it be a good plan 

 to give up the only room where we could sometimes 

 find peace and comfort to be a workshop. I know it 



