These two hours were those we liked best of the twenty-four.  All kinds of funny stories were told, especially about experiences in Buenos Aires, and every day there was something new.  Here is a little yarn: 

One of the members of the expedition had been knocked down by a motor-car in one of the busiest streets; the car stopped and of course a crowd collected at once.  Our friend lay there, wondering whether he ought not to be dead, or at least to have broken a leg, so as to get compensation.  While he lay thus, being prodded and examined by the public, he suddenly remembered that he had half a dollar in his pocket.  With all that money it didn’t matter so much about the compensation; up jumped our friend like an india-rubber ball, and in a second he had vanished in the crowd, who stood open-mouthed, gazing after the “dead” man.

Our speed on this cruise was regulated as nearly as possible so that there might be about 100 nautical miles between each station, and I must say we were uncommonly lucky in the weather.  We made two fairly parallel sections with comparatively regular intervals between the stations; as regular, in any case, as one can hope to get with a vessel like the Fram, which really has too little both of sail area and engine power.  The number of stations was 60 in all and 891 samples of water were taken.  Of plankton specimens 190 were sent home.  The further examination of these specimens in Norway will show whether the material collected is of any value, and whether the cruise has yielded satisfactory results.

As regards the weather on the trip, it was uniformly good the whole time; we had a good deal of wind now and then, with seas and rolling, but for the most part there was a fresh breeze.  In the south-east trade we sailed for four weeks at a stretch without using the engine, which then had a thorough overhauling.  At the same time we had a good opportunity of smartening up the ship, which she needed badly.  All the iron was freed from rust, and the whole vessel painted both below and above deck.  The decks themselves were smeared with a mixture of oil, tar and turpentine, after being scoured.  All the rigging was examined.  At the anchorage at Buenos Aires nearly the whole ship was painted again, masts and yards, the outside of the vessel and everything inboard, both deck-houses, the boats and the various winches, pumps, etc.  In the engine-room everything was either shining bright or freshly painted, everything hung in its place and such order and cleanliness reigned that it was a pleasure to go down there.  The result of all this renovating and smartening up was that, when we fetched up by the quay at Buenos Aires, the Fram looked brighter than I suppose she has ever done since she was new.

During the trip the holds were also cleaned up, and all the provisions re-stowed and an inventory made of them.