Preparations and Equipment. 59 



ness upon the work. We must gratefully recognise that 

 the success of the expedition was in no small degree due 

 to this man. 



If we turn our attention to the lono- list of former 



o 



expeditions and to their equipments, it cannot but strike 

 us that scarcely a single vessel had been built specially 

 for the purpose in fact, the majority of explorers have 

 not even provided themselves with vessels which were 

 originally intended for ice navigation. This is the more 

 surprising when we remember the sums of money that 

 have been lavished on the equipment of some of these 

 expeditions. The fact is, they have generally been in 

 such a hurry to set out that there has been no time to 

 devote to a more careful equipment. In many cases, 

 indeed, preparations were not begun until a few months 

 before the expedition sailed. The present expedition, 

 however, could not be equipped in so short a time, and 

 if the voyage itself took three years, the preparations 

 took no less time, while the scheme was conceived thrice 

 three years earlier. 



Plan after plan did Archer make of the projected ship ; 

 one model after another was prepared and abandoned. 



Fresh improvements were constantly being suggested. 

 The form we finally adhered to may seem to many 

 people by no means beautiful ; but that it is well adapted 

 to the ends in view I think our expedition has fully 

 proved. \Yhat was especially aimed at was, as men- 

 tioned on page 30, to give the ship such sides that it 



