On the Polar Star in the Arctic Sea

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ...and left two sledges behind. I was already congratulating myself that our excursion had ended so happily when on taking off my gloves I was disagreeably surprised to find that the fingers of my left hand were partly frozen; so were also those of Captain Cagni''s right hand. Our doctor was just then rubbing one of the ears of Gini our cook which was in the same state. Snow and water were immediately brought into the tent and we rubbed ourselves for a considerable time but unfortunately without restoring the circulation of the last joints of two of my fingers. A violent snowstorm from the west raged all day on the 23rd. The force of the wind was such that Lieutenant Qucrini was not able to go to the instrument hut which was hardly thirty yards away from the tent. He would have required to have been tied with a rope to get there. The storm made us lose all hope of finding our sledges again and although we often looked for them not only in winter but also later on in summer our search was useless. We celebrated Christmas with as much splendour as possible. In honour of the occasion we gave our tents a good washing of curistmas and which they stood much in need. When this was finished New Year''s Day. we relt as though the huts were no longer the same and when we sat down to breakfast everything seemed beautiful though this miraculous change had been brought about only by water. The gifts sent by Her Majesty the Queen and the Princesses Letitia and Helena Duchess of Aosta were put together to form a Christmas tree. The fir-tree was represented by our tent-poles on which were hung a part of the presents and with the handsomest of which we got up a grand lottery. The crew were invited into our tent and we passed part of the...