My wife and I have finished reading Nansen’s “First Crossing of Greenland,” and during its perusal we learned some remarkable facts. For instance, it is strange how the body craves fat or grease of any sort when deprived of it for a long while; and it is also very odd to read that a lump of butter eaten alone slakes the thirst of men in the Arctic regions! I wonder why Nansen doesn’t undertake the ascent of Mount Everest? It seems to me that he, with all his strength and vitality, would be peculiarly well fitted for such an expedition, not to mention his being a man of science. How much interest the writings of Sir Joseph Hooker would lack if that great mountaineer had not been a scientist! The amount of risk to Nansen, too, in comparison with an Arctic voyage, would be very small; while the glory of being the first to stand upon the topmost pinnacle of the earth’s surface could be dwarfed only by the attainment of the Pole itself. I have loaned the second mate the Greenland book, as Mr. Rarx is deeply interested in such work, and is desirous of joining an expedition to the North Pole. He fears not being able to pass the physical tests necessary before becoming a member of the crew, but as he has considerable knowledge of the Peary Greenland expedition, it is my notion that he tried to join it, but was rejected; and as he laid stress on the fact that no one would be taken who had any old scars on his person, it is not unlikely that he was barred for this reason. Considering his lean, powerful frame, he ought to be well able to endure hardships.