Then hurrah for our home in the spring.”
The menu for Christmas Eve was:—
- 1. Oxtail Soup.
- 2. Fish Pudding.
- 3. Reindeer-steak and Green Peas. French Beans, Potatoes, and Huckleberry Jelly.
- 4. Cloudberries and Cream.
- 5. Cake and Marzipan.
- 6. Beer.
The Nansen lads knew how to live. But this night they had no supper; they simply could not manage it. Indeed, it was all they could do to get through an extra dessert, consisting of pineapple preserve, honey-cakes, vanilla biscuits, cocoa macaroons, figs, raisins, almonds, etc.
The banquet was held in their cosey saloon, which was lighted with electric lights; and in the evening they had organ recitals, songs, and many other recreations. Yes, there was merriment galore on the Fram, frozen in though she was in the Polar sea.
If it had not been for the noise of the ice-pressures they might indeed have imagined themselves to be in the very middle of civilization. In their inmost hearts they longed for a pressure,—a pressure of the hand from dear ones at home. A long time must elapse before that could be.
Then came New Year’s Eve, with a brilliant aurora shining overhead, and still each one on board felt that irrepressible longing in his heart.
Nansen read out on this occasion the last salutation he had received from Norway. It was a telegram from Professor Moltke Moe at Tromsö:—
“Luck on the way,
Sun on the sea,