April, 1859. EQUIPMENT OF SLEDGE-PARTIES. 217 



it bears the name of Lady Franklin in white letters upon a 

 red ground, and is margined with white embroidery. 



The equipment of my sledge-party and the weights of the 

 several articles were as follows : those of Hobson and Young 

 were almost precisely similar. 



lbs. 



Two sledges and fittings complete no 



Tent, waterproof blanket, floorcloth, two sleeping- 

 robes, and six blanket sleeping-bags 90 



Cooking-utensils, shovel, saw, snow-knife, and 



sundry small articles 40 



Sledge-gun and ammunition 20 



Magnetic and astronomical instruments 60 



Six knapsacks, containing spare clothing 60 



Various tins and bags, in which provision and fuel 



were stored 5° 



Articles for barter 40 



Provisions 930 



Total 1400 



The load for each man to drag was fixed at 200 lbs., and 

 for each dog 100 lbs. Our provisions consisted mainly of 

 pemmican, biscuit, and tea, with a small addition of boiled 

 pork, rum, and some tobacco. 



The men being untrained to the work, and sledges heavily 

 laden, our march was fatiguing and slow. We encamped 

 the first night upon the long lake. On the second day we 

 reached the western sea, and upon the third, aided by our 

 sledge sails — that is to say, our tents hoisted as sails, the 

 tent poles serving as mast and yard — we advanced some 

 miles beyond Arcedeckne Island. 



The various depots carried out with so much difficulty 

 and danger in the autumn were now gathered up as we 

 advanced, until at length we were so loaded as to be com- 

 pelled to proceed with one-half at a time, going three times 

 over the same ground. For six days this tedious mode of 



