24 FAR THE S2' XORTH 



one has surpassed and scarcely any one approached 

 them, unless, perhaps, the Russians on the Siberian 

 coast; but then they have the great advantage of being 

 natives of a country where snow is not uncommon. 



"Friday, December 14th. Yesterday we held a great 

 festivity in honor of the Fram as being the vessel 

 which has attained the highest latitude (the day before 

 yesterday we reached 82° 30' north latitude). 



" The bill of fare at dinner was boiled mackerel, with 

 parsely-butter sauce; pork cutlets and French pease; Nor- 

 wegian wild strawberries, with rice and milk ; Crown malt 

 extract ; afterwards coffee. For supper : new bread and 

 currant cake, etc., etc. Later in the evening, a grand 

 concert. Sweets and preserved pears were handed round. 

 The culminating point of the entertainment was reached 

 when a steaming hot and fragrant bowl of cherry-punch 

 was carried in and served round among general hilarity. 

 Our spirits were already very high, but this gave color to 

 the whole proceedings. The greatest puzzle to most of 

 them was where the ingredients for the punch, and more 

 particularly the alcohol, had come from.* 



" Then followed the toasts. First, a long and festive 

 one to ' The Fraui^ which had now shown what she was 

 capable of. It ran somewhat to this effect: 'There were 

 many wise men who shook their heads when w'e started, 

 and sent us ominous farewell greetings. But their head- 



* We had used for this purpose our pure grape-spirit. 



