MESSAGES AT POLHEIM 133 



When this festival dinner at the Pole was ended, we 

 began our preparations for departure. First we set up 

 the little tent we had brought with us in case we should 

 be compelled to divide into two parties. It had been 

 made by our able sailmaker, Ronne, and was of very 

 thin windproof gabardine. Its drab colour made it 

 easily visible against the white surface. Another pole 

 was lashed to the tent-pole, making its total height 

 about 13 feet. On the top of this a little Norwegian 

 flag was lashed fast, and underneath it a pennant, on 

 which " Fram " was painted. The tent was well secured 

 with guy-ropes on all sides. Inside the tent, in a little 

 bag, I left a letter, addressed to H.M. the King, giving 

 information of what he had . accomplished. The way 

 home was a long one, and so many things might happen 

 to make it impossible for us to give an account of our 

 expedition. Besides this letter, I wrote a short epistle 

 to Captain Scott, who, I assumed, would be the first to 

 find the tent. Other things we left there were a sextant 

 with a glass horizon, a hypsometer case, three reindeer- 

 skin foot-bags, some kamiks and mits. 



When everything had been laid inside, we went into 

 the tent, one by one, to write our names on a tablet we 

 had fastened to the tent-pole. On this occasion we 

 received the congratulations of our companions on the 

 successful result, for the following messages were written 

 on a couple of strips of leather, sewed to the tent: 

 " Good luck," and " Welcome to 90°." These good 



