THE BOOT QUESTION 225 



the four rations back in the case without the tin lining. 

 By doing this we saved so much weight, and at the 

 same time avoided the trouble of having this work to 

 do later on in the cold. The tin packing was used for 

 the passage through the tropics, where I was afraid the 

 pemmican might possibly melt and run into the hold 

 of the ship. This opening and repacking took a long 

 time, but we got through it. We used the pent-house 

 as a packing-shed. 



Another thing that took up a good deal of our time 

 was our personal outfit. The question of boots was 

 gone into thoroughly. Most of us were in favour of 

 the big outer boots, but in a revised edition. There 

 were a few but extremely few who declared for 

 nothing but soft foot-gear. In this case it did not 

 make so much difference, since they all knew that the 

 big boots would have to be brought on the final journey 

 on account of possible work on glaciers. Those, there- 

 fore, who wanted to wear soft foot-gear, and hang their 

 boots on the sledge, might do so if they liked. I did 

 not want to force anyone to wear boots he did not care 

 for; it might lead to too much unpleasantness and 

 responsibility. Everyone, therefore, might do as he 

 pleased. Personally I was in favour of boots with stiff 

 soles, so long as the uppers could be made soft and 

 sufficiently large to give room for as many stockings as 

 one wished to wear. It was a good thing the boot- 

 maker could not look in upon us at Framheim just 



VOL. i. 15 



