186 THENORTHPOLE 



Nature herself participated in our Christmas cele- 

 brations by providing an aurora of considerable bril- 

 liancy. While the races on the ice-foot were in progress, 

 the northern sky was filled with streamers and lances 

 of pale white light. These phenomena of the northern 

 sky are not, contrary to the common belief, especially 

 frequent in these most northerly latitudes. It is always 

 a pity to destroy a pleasant popular illusion; but I have 

 seen auroras of a greater beauty in Maine than I 

 have ever seen beyond the Arctic Circle. 



Between the races and the dinner hour, which was at 

 four o'clock, I gave a concert on the seolian in my cabin, 

 choosing the merriest music in the rack. Then we 

 separated to "dress for dinner." This ceremony con- 

 sisted in putting on clean flannel shirts and neckties. 

 The doctor was even so ambitious as to don a linen 

 collar. 



Percy, the steward, wore a chef's cap and a large 

 white apron in honor of the occasion, and he laid the 

 table with a fine linen cloth and our best silver. The 

 wall of the mess room was decorated with the American 

 flag. We had musk-ox meat, an English plum pudding, 

 sponge cake covered with chocolate, and at each plate 

 was a package containing nuts, cakes, and candies, 

 with a card attached: "A Merry Christmas, from Mrs. 

 Peary." 



After dinner came the dice-throwing contests, and 

 the wrestling and pulling contests in the forecastle. 

 The celebration ended with a graphophone concert, 

 given by Percy. 



But perhaps the most interesting part of our day was 

 the distribution of prizes to the winners in the various 



