2 THE START FOR THE POLE 



thirteen dogs to each. At the start our sledges were 

 very light, as we were only taking supplies for the trip 

 to 80° S., where all our cases were waiting for us; we 

 could therefore sit on the sledges and flourish our whips 

 with a jaunty air. I sat astride on Wisting's sledge, 

 and anyone who had seen us would no doubt have 

 thought a Polar journey looked very inviting. 



Down on the sea-ice stood Prestrud \^dth the 

 cinematograph, turning the crank as fast as he could 

 go as we went past. When we came up on to the 

 Barrier on the other side, he was there again, turning 

 incessantly. The last thing I saw, as we went over the 

 top of the ridge and everything familiar disappeared, 

 was a cinematograph; it was coming inland at full 

 speed. I had been engaged in looking out ahead, and 

 turned round suddenly to throw a last glance in the 

 direction of the spot that to us stood for all that was 

 beautiful on earth, when I caught sight of — what do you 

 think? A cinematograph. " He can't be taking any- 

 thing but air now, can he?" — " Hardly that." The 

 cinematograph vanished below the horizon. 



The going was excellent, but the atmosphere became 

 thicker as we went inland. For the first twelve miles 

 from the edge of the Barrier I had been sitting with 

 Hassel, but, seeing that Wisting's dogs could manage two 

 on the sledge better than the others, I moved. Hanssen 

 drove first; he had to steer by compass alone, as the 

 weather had got thicker. After him came Bjaaland, then 



