THE WHITE WORLD 



variety of weather-beaten garments that had not been 

 changed since the day of farewell to Sukkertoppen. 



The next morning the members of the expedition took 

 a small steamer for Halifax, and from there went on to New 

 York on board the steamer Portia, a sister ship to the 

 Miranda. Even here ill-luck attended them, for a fog 

 descended, and in the fog the steamer ran into a schooner 

 and completely cut it in two. The captain of the schooner, 

 the steward, and two sailors were lost with the ship; only 

 the mate being rescued by a lifeboat from the steamer. 

 Since that time the Portia herself has met her fate, for 

 later, she ran upon rocks and sank off the coast of Nova 

 Scotia. And so these sister ships, named after Shake- 

 speare's heroines, have both suffered a sea change in much 

 the same manner. Perchance elective affinity has brought 

 them together far down amid the mighty procession of 

 wrecks in the deep waters of the North Atlantic. 



We were nearing home and a few of us were sitting 

 upon the deck of the Portia looking out upon the wrinkled 

 sea. Suddenly it struck me that it would be a pity that 

 so many good fellows already bound together by the ties 

 of common experiences should lose trace of each other 

 when the busy swarming land should be reached. I there- 

 fore suggested that we should organize a club as a link 

 to join all the members of Dr. Cook's Arctic expedition 

 and keep them from entirely losing track of each other. 

 The suggestion was accepted, and that afternoon, in the 

 smoking-room of the Portia the Arctic club was formed, 

 which it was agreed should assemble at an annual dinner 

 sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day. 



From such meetings, confined at first to members of 

 Dr. Cook's expedition, has grown the Arctic Club of to-day, 

 which now embraces in its membership every prominent 

 polar explorer in the United States. It has become a rep- 

 resentative club, the only one of its kind in existence; and 

 now about its board men who have made their names 

 famous in Arctic work are wont to gather, and over the 

 walnuts and wine, recount their strange and exciting experi- 

 ences in the great " White World." 



