bom, bom,
With tales of bears and all their wile,
Kvirre virre vip, bom, bom.

"Now suddenly a bear they see,
Kvirre virre vip, bom, bom,
Before whom all the dogs do flee,
Kvirre virre vip, bom, bom;
Kennelman, like a deer, runs fast,
Kvirre virre vip, bom, bom,
Harpooner slow comes in the last,
Kvirre virre vip, bom, bom,"

and so on.

Among the announcements are--

"Instruction in Fencing.

"In consequence of the indefinite postponement of our departure,
a limited number of pupils can be received for instruction in
both fencing and boxing.

"Majakoft,
"Teacher of Boxing,
"Next door to the Doctor's."

Again--

"On account of want of storage room, a quantity of old clothes
are at present for sale, by private arrangement, at No. 2 Pump
Lane. [44] Repeated requests to remove them having been of no
effect, I am obliged to dispose of them in this way. The clothes
are quite fresh, having been in salt for a long time."

After the reading of the newspaper came instrumental music and singing,
and it was far on in the night before we sought our berths.

"Monday, December 25th (Christmas-day). Thermometer at 36 deg. Fahr. below
zero (-38 deg. C.). I took a walk south in the beautiful light of the
full moon. At a newly made crack I went through the fresh ice with
one leg and got soaked; but such an accident matters very little in
this frost. The water immediately stiffens into ice; it does not make
one very cold, and one feels dry again soon.

"They will be thinking much of us just now at home and giving many
a pitying sigh over all the hardships we are enduring in this cold,
cheerless, icy region. But I am afraid their compassion would cool
if they could look in upon us, hear the merriment that goes on, and
see all our comforts and good cheer. They can hardly be better off
at home. I myself have certainly never lived a more sybaritic life,
and have never had more reason to fear the consequences it brings in
its train. Just listen to to-day's dinner menu:

1. Ox-tail soup;
2. Fish-pudding, with potatoes and melted butter;
3. Roast of reindeer, with pease, French beans, potatoes, and
cranberry jam;
4. Cloudberries with cream;
5. Cake and marchpane (a welcome present from the baker t