THE NEW YEAR, i6'<^j 59 



Amundsen, apparently, also realized that something was 

 amiss. He says he was the first who came uj) with 

 his bag. He had not understood, or had forgotten, in 

 the confusion, the order about going out through the 

 starboard door ; lie groped his way out on the j^ort side 

 and fell in the dark over the edge of the half -deck. 

 'Well, that did not matter,' he said; 'he was quite used 

 to that kind of thing;' but having pulled himself togeth- 

 er after the fall, and as he was lying there on his back, 

 he dared not move, for it seemed to him as if tent and 

 all were coming down on him, and it thundered and 

 crashed against the gunwale and the hull as if the last 

 hour had come. It finally dawned on him why he 

 ought to have gone out on the starboard and not on the 

 port side. 



" All that could possibly be thought to be of any use 

 was taken out. The mate was seen draoQrino- alone a 

 big bag of clothes with a heavy bundle of cups fastened 

 outside it. Later he was stalking about with all sorts 

 of things, such as mittens, knives, cups, etc., fastened to 

 his clothes and dangling about him, so that the rattling 

 noise could be heard afar off. He is himself to the last. 



" In the evening the men all started eating their stock 

 of cakes, sweetmeats, and such -like, smoked tobacco, 

 and enjoyed themselves in the most animated fashion. 

 They evidently thought it was uncertain when they 

 should next have such a time on board the Frani, and 

 therefore they thought it was best to avail themselves 



