310 NEW LAND. 



all the way an almost uninterrupted fight had taken place. 

 In some places the bear had been up on a small hummock to rest, 

 but it had always gone on again in the direction of Jones Sound. 

 No dogs were to be found, and the two men were obliged to turn 

 back. 



Schei now began to be afraid that he was really going to lose 

 his dog, and I was very much of the same opinion. It would be 

 very annoying to lose the full-grown dog, which was an exceed- 

 ingly good draught animal, and the puppy promised to be the 

 same ; in fact, it would be a quite considerable loss, and we 

 forthwith started off to look for them again. 



Monday went by and we saw nothing of them, nor by Tuesday 

 morning had the situation changed ; but later in the day they 

 both turned up, safe and sound, though ravenously hungry and 

 tired out. 



We had hoped very sincerely that we should be spared any 

 more cases of illness that winter ; but we were doomed to disap- 

 pointment. A couple of days before Christmas Simmons was 

 obliged to take to his berth. There he stayed for several 

 weeks with high fever, and became very weak in consequence. 

 That we were quite unable to make out what was wrong with 

 him was not matter for surprise, considering that on the first 

 ' Fram ' expedition we had had an exactly similar case which had 

 baffled even the doctor himself. 



Christmas Eve this year fell on a Sunday. At twelve o'clock 

 we had ' inolje,' and a dram by way of accompaniment. Afterwards 

 both the cabins were decorated with flags and pennons, and, dressed 

 in our best, we all that is to say, all who were on their legs 

 assembled at a five o'clock dinner. 



Out of consideration for our new steward, the bill-of-fare was 

 this time rather simpler than usual. It consisted of ' fiskegratin,' 

 a baked compound of fish-flour, eggs, and butter; saddle-of- 

 beef, green peas, asparagus, stewed cloudberries and rice, 

 followed by coffee, curapoa, and cakes, and finally by the punch- 

 bowl. 



This year also each man had presents, some of which had 

 been brought with us from friends at home. Like last year, they 



