344 FARTHEST NORTH 



There are no further particulars given of this day in 

 the diary; but when I think of it, how clearly it all comes 

 back to me ! There was a peculiar elevation of mood 

 on board that was not at all common among us. Every 

 man's inmost thoughts were with those at home; but his 

 comrades were not to know that, and so there was more 

 joking and laughing than usual. All the lamps and lights 

 we had on board were lit, and every corner of the saloon 

 and cabins was brilliantly illuminated. The bill of fare 

 for the day, of course, surpassed any previous one — 

 food was the chief thing we had to hold festival with. 

 The dinner was a very fine one indeed ; so was the 

 supper, and after it piles of Christmas cakes came on 

 the table; Juell had been busy making them for several 

 weeks. After that we enjoyed a glass of toddy and a 

 cigar, smoking in the saloon being, of course, allowed. 

 The culminating point of the festival came when two 

 boxes with Christmas presents were produced. The one 

 was from Hansen's mother, the other from his fiancee — 

 Miss Fougner. It was touching to see the childlike 

 pleasure with which each man received his gift — it might 

 be a pipe or a knife or some little knickknack — he 

 felt that it was like a message from home. After this 

 there were speeches ; and then the Framsjaa appeared, 

 with an illustrated supplement, selections from which 

 are given. The drawings are the work of the famous 

 Arctic draughtsman, Huttetu. Here are two verses from 

 the poem for the day : 



