ARCTIC FESTIVITIES 93 



below zero was aiu'thing but comfortable. 1 found that by 

 great exertion I could move m)'self, and by doing this a little 

 at a time, I gradually got on my hands and knees and crawled 

 back to the house. As the whole distance was up-hill and 

 every movement painful, 1 was obliged to make frequent 

 stops to rest. At last I reached my room and had just 

 strength enough left to drag myself upon the bed. I noticed by 

 the clock that I had been absent thirty-five minutes. On ex- 

 amination it was found that I was cut and bruised all over, 

 but the doctor declared that I was not seriously hurt ; but even 

 now I have not entirely recovered from the effects of the fall. 

 The day before yesterday was spent in decorating the in- 

 terior of our Arctic home for the Christmas and New- Year 

 festivities. In the large room the ceiling was draped with red 

 mosquito- netting furnished by Mr. Gibson. Dr. Cook and 

 Astrup devised wire candelabra and wire candle-holders, 

 which were placed in all the corners and along the walls. 

 Two large silk United States flags were crossed at one end of 

 the room, and a silk sledge-flag given to Mr. Peary by a friend 

 in Washington was put up on the opposite wall. I gave 

 the boys new cretonne for curtains for their bunks. In my 

 room I replaced the portieres, made of silk flags, with 

 which the boys had decorated their room, by portieres made 

 of canopy lace, and decorated the photographs of our dear 

 ones at home, which were grouped on the wall beside the bed, 

 with red, white, and blue ribbons. This occupied us all the 

 greater part of the day. About nine o'clock in the evening 



