Second Autumn in the Ice. 503 



than the distance we covered in Greenland, and that 

 would be easy work enough over this ice, even if it 

 did become somewhat bad towards land. If once a 

 coast is reached, any reasonable being- can surely manage 

 to subsist by hunting, whether large or small game, 

 whether bears or sandhoppers. Thus we can always 

 make for Cape Fligely or Petermann's Land, which lies 

 north of it, if our situation becomes untenable. The 

 distance will, of course, be increased the farther we 

 advance northwards, but at no point whatever between 

 here and the Pole is it Greater than we can and will 



o 



manage, with the help of our dogs. ' A line of retreat ' 

 is therefore secured, though there are those doubtless 

 who hold that a barren coast, where you must first scrape 

 your food together before you can eat it, is a poor retreat 

 for hungry men ; but that is really an advantage, for 

 such a retreat would not be too alluring. A wretched 

 invention, forsooth, for people who wish to push on, 

 is a ' line of retreat,' an everlasting inducement to look 



O 



behind, when they should have enough to do in looking 

 ahead. 



" But now for the expedition itself. It will consist 

 of 28 dogs, two men, and 2,100 Ibs. of provisions and 

 equipments. The distance to the Pole from 83 is 

 483 miles. Is it too much to calculate that we may be 

 able to accomplish that distance in 50 days ? I do not 

 of course know what the staying powers of the dogs may 

 be ; but that, with two men to help, they should be able 



