GREENLAND BY THE POLAR SEA 



two lovely warm Christmas cakes into the drawer, sweetly 

 fragrant with delicious ingredients, bristling with raisins and 

 citron. She cuts a couple of thick slices for me, saying in her 

 gentle voice : "There you are, my boy; eat as much as you 

 like !" As I raise the delicious cake to my mouth, I wake up 

 to all our misery. 



My comrades are lying asleep, the wind is whipping the 

 drifting snow around our tent, and an exhausted dog is lying 

 out in the drifts, whimpering pitifully. 



Four o'clock in the morning. 



There is hardly any wind now, but the snow is falling more 

 heavily and our little camp is quite wrapped up in a white 

 thickness. Again I awake from a mocking dream, and as com- 

 pensation we make coffee from the old grounds and distribute 

 half a rye biscuit to each man. The coffee pours like a warm 

 wave through our bodies, and with pipes between our lips we 

 meet the day in good spirits. It will all come right in the end ! 

 It was from our own free choice that we left the comforts of 

 home ; but how keenly we shall appreciate it all when once we 

 return ! 



Half -past six o'clock. 



Half an hour ago a gleam of sun penetrated the canvas. 

 We immediately arose from the different postures in which we 

 had attempted to rest, and gave vent to our jubilation. The 

 teapot was put on, and a sixth of a ration, exactly a mouthful 

 of pemmican for each, was distributed together with one of the 

 small biscuits. The horizon is yet hazy, but above our heads 

 the blue sky is breaking through, and we may hope for travel- 

 ling weather towards noon. There is once more a fresh note in 

 our voices, and bright prospects for the coming day. 



CAMP 13 

 (800 metres above sea-level. Distance, 35 kilometres). 



August 19th. — Thanks to the excellent going, we are now 

 35 kilometres away from our bad weather camp. The snow was 

 so firm after the storm that we required neither skis nor snow- 

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