There was also a photograph of our home on Eagle Island, and a fragrant pillow made by my daughter Marie from the pine needles of that island.
The pianola, a gift from my friend H.H.Benedict, had been my pleasant companion on my previous voyage, and again on this it proved one of our greatest sources of pleasure.

There were at least two hundred pieces of music in my collection, but the strains of "Faust" rolled out over the Arctic Ocean more often than any other.

Marches and songs were also popular, with the "Blue Danube" waltz; and sometimes, when the spirits of my party were at rather a low ebb, we had ragtime pieces, which they especially enjoyed.
There was also in my cabin a fairly complete, arctic library--absolutely complete in regard to all the later voyages.

These books, with a large assortment of novels and magazines, could be depended upon to relieve the tedium of the long arctic night, and very useful they were found for that purpose.

Sitting up late at night means something when the night is some months long.
On the second day out the carpenter began the repairs on the crushed whale-boat, using lumber which we carried for such purposes.