552 FARTHEST NORTH 



the coldest birthday I have had yet. A sumptuous 

 dinner: i. Fish - pudding. 2. Sausages and tongue, 

 with potatoes, haricot beans, and pease. 3. Preserved 

 strawberries, with rice and cream ; Crown extract of 

 malt. Then, to every one's surprise, our doctor began 

 to take out of the pocket of the overcoat he always 

 wears remarkable-looking little glasses — medicine-glass- 

 es, measuring -glasses, test-glasses ^ — one for each man, 

 and lastly a whole bottle of Lysholmer liqueur — real na- 

 tive Lysholmer — which awakened general enthusiasm. 

 Two drams of that per man was not so bad, besides 

 a quarter of a bottle of extract of malt. Coffee after 

 dinner, with a surprise in the shape of apple - cake, 

 baked by our excellent cook, Pettersen, formerly smith 

 and engineer. Then I had to produce my cigars, 

 which were also much enjoyed ; and of course we 

 kept holiday all the afternoon. At supper there was 

 another surprise — a large birthday cake from the same 

 baker, with the inscription ' T. L. M. D.' (Til lykke 

 med dagen, the Norwegian equivalent for ' Wishing a 

 happy birthday'), ' 10.10.94.' In the evening came pine- 

 apples, figs, and sweets. Many a worse birthday might 

 be spent in lower latitudes than 81". The evening is 

 passing with all kinds of merriment ; every one is in 

 good spirits; the saloon resounds with laughter — how 

 many a merry meeting it has been the scene of ! 



" But when one has said good - night and sits here 

 alone, sadness comes ; and if one goes on deck there are 



