THE WINTER NIGHT 349 



4. Cloudberries with cream ; 



5. Cake and marchpane (a welcome present from the baker 



to the expedition ; we blessed that man). 



And along with all this that Ringnes bock -beer which 

 is so famous in our part of the world. Was this the sort 

 of dinner for men who are to be hardened ao^ainst the 

 horrors of the Arctic night ? 



" Every one had eaten so much that supper had to be 

 skipped altogether. Later in the evening coffee was 

 served, with pineapple preserve, gingerbread, vanilla- 

 cakes, cocoanut macaroons, and various other cakes, all 

 the work of our excellent cook, Juell; and we ended up 

 with figs, almonds, and raisins. 



" Now let us have the breakfast, just to complete the 

 day: coffee, freshly baked bread, beautiful Danish butter, 

 Christmas cake, Cheddar cheese, clove -cheese, tongue, 

 corned-beef, and marmalade. And if any one thinks that 

 this is a specially good breakfast because it is Christ- 

 mas-day he is wrong. It is just what we have always, 

 with the addition of the cake, which is not part of the 

 every-day diet. 



" Add now to this good cheer our strongly built, safe 

 house, our comfortable saloon, lighted up with the large 

 petroleum lamp and several smaller ones (when we have 

 no electric light), constant gayety, card-playing, and books 

 in any quantity, with or without illustrations, good and 

 entertaining reading, and then a good, sound sleep — 

 what more could one wish t 



