THE PROBLEM OF THE ANTARCTIC ZONE 435 



The winter passed without misfortune, and with the approach 

 of spring preparations were made for the first long sledge journey. 

 On this, and other journeys, they succeeded in traveling long dis- 

 tances over what was often heavy ice, on two meals a day. The 

 first, which was the more substantial of the two, consisted of pem- 

 mican made into a thick porridge-like soup, the nutritious qualities 

 of which were felt even as it was being eaten. This was followed 

 by coffee, meat biscuits, butter and sugar. On such a meal the men 

 existed and traveled all day, making no stop until the evening, when 

 they had their dinner, consisting merely of pea or lentil soup, meat, 

 chocolate, bread, butter, and, sometimes, bacon. Immediately they 

 had eaten this frugal repast they were in their sleeping-bags and 

 asleep. 



Meanwhile the "Antarctica" had proceeded north to Tierra del 

 Fuego and South Georgia, picked up some members of the party 

 who had been left there, and sailed south again with the purpose of 

 reaching the winter station early in January. As she advanced, 

 however, she found the sea so blocked with ice that she could not 

 follow the course she had traversed the previous year. When she 

 arrived at Hope Bay, some miles to the north of the station, Pro- 

 fessor Andersson and two companions landed with sledges and 

 sufficient provisions to last nine men for two months. It was their 

 intention to proceed over the ice to the station, while the "Ants 

 arctica'" steamed away to the west, in the hopes of finding an 

 opening through the ice which would enable her to reach the station. 

 If, on the arrival of the relief party at the station, the "Antarctica" 

 had not appeared, they were to return, with the other six, and wait 

 for the ship at Hope Bay. 



As it proved, they were not able to traverse the intervening 

 region, and were compelled to stay where they were, and as the 

 summer passed without the ship being seen, they decided to return 

 to Hope Bay and await her. The original party had also looked 

 for the "Antarctica" in vain. The farthest south they penetrated 



