WORK FOR THE WINTER 279 



with sufficient intervals between them to prevent their 

 offering resistance to the drifting snow. This work was 

 carried out in two days. 



The days were now fairly short, and we were ready 

 to take up our indoor work. The winter duties were 

 assigned as follows: Prestrtid, scientific observations; 

 Johansen, packing of sledging provisions; Hassel had 

 to keep Lindstrom supplied with coal, wood, and par- 

 affin, and to make whip-lashes an occupation he was 

 very familiar with from the Pram's second expedition; 

 Stubberud was to reduce the weight of the sledge-cases 

 to a minimum, besides doing a lot of other things. 

 There was nothing he could not turn his hand to, so the 

 programme of his winter work was left rather vague. 

 I knew he would manage a great deal more than the 

 sledge-cases, though it must be said that it was a tire- 

 some job he had. Bjaaland was allotted the task which 

 we all regarded with intense interest the alteration of 

 the sledges. We knew that an enormous amount of 

 weight could be saved, but how much? Hanssen and 

 Wisting had to lash together the different parts as they 

 were finished; this was to be done in the Clothing 

 Store. These two had also a number of other things 

 on their programme for the winter. 



There are many who think that a Polar expedition 

 is synonymous with idleness. I wish I had had a few 

 adherents of this belief at Framheim that winter; they 

 would have gone away with a different opinion. Not 



