EXCAVATIONS IN THE SNOW 269 



is the usual custom to do so, but I have always found 

 it a bad arrangement. Now, indeed, we were at our 

 wits' end, but circumstances once more came to our aid. 

 For we may just as well confess it: we had forgotten 

 to bring out a tool which is a commonplace necessity 

 on a Polar expedition namely, a snow-shovel. A 

 well-equipped expedition, as ours was to a certain 

 extent, ought to have at least twelve strong, thick iron 

 spades. We had none. We had two remnants, but 

 they did not help us very far. Fortunately, however, 

 we had a very good, solid iron plate with us, and now 

 Bjaaland stepped into the breach, and made a whole 

 dozen of the very best spades. Stubberud managed the 

 handles, and they might all have been turned out by 

 a big factory. ^This circumstance had very important 

 results for our future well-being, as will be seen. If we 

 had had the shovels with us from the start, we should 

 have cleared the snow away from our door every 

 morning, like tidy people. But as we had none, the 

 snow had increased daily before our door, and, before 

 Bjaaland was ready with the spades, had formed a drift 

 extending from the entrance along the western side of 

 the house. This snow-drift, which was as big as the 

 house itself, naturally caused some frowns, when one 

 morning all hands turned out, armed with the new 

 shovels, to make a clearance. As we stood there, 

 afraid to begin, one of us it must have been Lind- 

 strom, or Hanssen perhaps, or was it myself? well, it 



