132 AT THE POLE 



of Framlieim; we continued to reckon our time from 

 this. The observations soon told us that we were not 

 on the absolute Pole, but as close to it as we could hope 

 to get with our instruments. The observations, which 

 have been submitted to Mr. Anton Alexander, will be 

 published, and the result given later in this book. 



On December 17 at noon we had completed our 

 observations, and it is certain that we had done all that 

 could be done. In order if possible to come a few inches 

 nearer to the actual Pole, Hanssen and Bjaaland went 

 out four geographical miles (seven kilometres) in the 

 direction of the newly found meridian. 



Bjaaland astonished me at dinner that day. Speeches 

 had not hitherto been a feature of this journey, but now 

 Bjaaland evidently thought the time had come, and sur- 

 prised us all with a really fine oration. My amazement 

 reached its cuhnination when, at the conclusion of his 

 speech, he produced a cigar-case full of cigars and offered 

 it round. A cigar at the Pole! What do you say to 

 that ? But it did not end there. When the cigars had 

 gone round, there were still four left. I was quite 

 touclied when he handed the case and cigars to me with 

 the words: " Keep this to remind you of the Pole." I 

 have taken good care of the case, and shall preserve it 

 as one of the many happy signs of my comi'ades' devo- 

 tion on this journey. The cigars I shared out after- 

 wards, on Christmas Eve, and they gave us a visible 

 mark of that occasion. 



