134 FROM MADEIRA TO THE BARRIER 



works of the two last-named explorers were in chief 

 request; they were read from cover to cover by all who 

 could do so, and, well written and excellently illustrated 

 as these narratives are, they were highly instructive. 

 But if ample time was thus devoted to the theoretical 

 study of our problem, the practical preparations were 

 not neglected. As soon as we were in the trade-winds, 

 where the virtually constant direction and force of the 

 wind permitted a reduction of the watch on deck, the 

 various specialists went to work to put our extensive 

 wintering outfit in the best possible order. It is true 

 that every precaution had been taken beforehand to 

 have every part of the equipment as good and as well 

 adapted to its purpose as possible, but the whole of it, 

 nevertheless, required a thorough overhauling. With so 

 complicated an outfit as ours was, one is never really at 

 the end of one's work; it will always be found that 

 some improvement or other can be made. It will 

 appear later that we had our hands more than full of 

 the preparations for the sledge journey, not only during 

 the long sea voyage, but also during the still longer 

 Antarctic winter. 



Our sailmaker, Ronne, was transformed into a well, 

 let us call it tailor. Ronne's pride was a sewing- 

 machine, which he had obtained from the yard at 

 Horten after considerable use of his persuasive tongue. 

 His greatest sorrow on the voyage was that, on arriving 

 at the Barrier, he would be obliged to hand over 



