Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 6).djvu/612

Round the saloon six cabins are placed—four single cabins for Captain Sverdrup, Lieutenant Hansen, Doctor Blessing, and myself; and besides these, two cabins with four or five men in each. These cabins are so placed that they surround the saloon and protect it against the outer walls of the ship, thus making it nice and warm. The walls and roof are also made very thick, and consist of many heat-isolating layers, with reindeer hair, felt, and cork dust in between. Special care is taken in this respect, not only to keep in the heat but also to avoid the moisture, which is so easily condensed on the cold walls of every ship in the Polar night, and which has been of great annoyance during most Arctic expeditions. This I hope we shall to a great extent avoid.

For this purpose, and also in order to get good air in the saloon and cabins, special attention is paid to the ventilation. The cold, fresh air from outside is taken in through a heating apparatus, which I have specially constructed for the purpose, and which is heated by mineral oil. After having circulated in the rooms the air is again sucked out by another ventilator. From the English firm, Robert Boyle and Son, I have got two extra ventilators—one downcast ventilator and one upcast—by help of which I can improve upon the ventilation if necessary and make it quite perfect. A good ventilation is certainly a most important thing during an Arctic expedition, but heat is also good. If therefore we should not have fuel enough and it should be too cold to sleep in our cabins, it is so arranged that we can, all of us, live and sleep in the saloon only. We shall then shut We shall then shut the doors of the cabins closely; to go into the open air we have to pass through four thick doors, and thus we need not let in more cold air than we like. It will certainly not be difficult for us to keep up the warmth in this way, even without any fuel on the fireplace; for many people to live together in a small room with thick walls gives too much heat.

In order to obtain a pleasant place for promenading, the deck of the Fram will be sheltered by a huge tent in the winter. This will also add to the snugness. Upon the whole, I think we shall possess cosy and comfortable winter quarters. Our saloon we have made as home-like as we have been able. The first Norwegian artists have decorated our walls with beautiful pictures of our home. Everyone has in his cabin pictures of his dear ones. The saloon as well as the cabins is lighted with electric light, the walls and roof are painted white, and at night when all lamps are burning it really looks quite festive, reminding you of home and happiness, and certainly not of the Polar solitude. We have also plenty of books of all kinds—thanks to several friends of the expedition—and games in any variety, and also an organ and other musical instruments. We can thus get musical entertainment, reading, and if this is no longer satisfying we can play at chess, dominoes, halma, cards, at pleasure. I believe the winter will not be felt as very long, though the night may last six months.

Of provisions we have plenty and in great variety; much more so, I believe, than most previous expeditions in the Arctic. Variety of food is the most important thing in order to avoid scurvy, which has destroyed so many well-equipped expeditions. We have, of course, tinned meat in all possible forms: boiled, roast, and corned beef, ditto mutton, rabbits, collops, Oxford sausages, cutlets, pork, ham, bacon, etc.; tinned fish and roe in various forms; tinned