428 FARTHEST NORTH 



books that are in constant circulation, such as Gjcst 

 Baardscns Liv og Levnct, etc., are in a very bad state. 

 We have also a saddlers' and sail-makers' workshop, a pho- 

 tographic studio, etc. The manufacture of diaries, how- 

 ever, is the most extensive — every man on board works at 

 that. In fine, there is nothinor between heaven and earth 

 that we cannot turn out — excepting constant fair winds. 



" Our workshops can be highly recommended ; they 

 turn out good solid work. We have lately had a notable 

 addition to our industries, the firm ' Nansen & Amund- 

 sen ' having established a music-factory. The cardboard 

 plates of the organ had suffered greatly from wear and 

 damp, so that we had been deplorably short of music dur- 

 ing the winter. But yesterday I set to work in earnest 

 to manufacture a plate of zinc. It answers admirably, 

 and now we shall go ahead with music sacred and pro- 

 fane, especially waltzes, and these halls shall once more 

 resound with the pealing tones of the organ, to our great 

 comfort and edification. When a waltz is struck up it 

 breathes fresh life into many of the inmates of the Frani. 



" I complain of the wearing monotony of our sur- 

 roundings ; but in reality I am unjust. The last few 

 days, dazzling sunshine over the snow-hills ; to-day, snow- 

 storm and wind, the Frain enveloped in a whirl of foam- 

 ing white snow. Soon the sun appears again, and the 

 waste around gleams as before. 



" Here, too, there is sentiment in nature. How often, 

 when least thinking of it, do I find myself pause, spell- 



