26th September 1910

There's something very civilizing about a piano. Whatever godforsaken remote corner of the world men go, they are kept true to their character by the regular sounds of those familiar keys. A Sunday Service is rotten to get through without it. I don't know how our forebearers did it - Franklin, Cook, Ross - all of them, without a piano. Imagine.

Of course, we have a gramophone too, which should keep the chaps happy in our little hut. I wonder shall we have dances? Imagine bringing a piano but no-one who could play it. Or a gramophone without any recordings. It only goes to show you how important it is to Be Prepared and to make sure to pack everything you're likely to need. At the very least, that can be said of me. 

Although, Nansen's Furthest North would have been a good addition to our library, come to think of it. 

This is Nansen and Johansen in a kayak up North. Last I heard, Johansen was a drunk. I wonder what he's doing now? Not enough piano, that's his trouble.