A RECONNAISSANCE 37 



dried milk. Sweetmeats, jam, fruit, cheese, etc., we 

 had left behind at FramJieim. 



We took our reindeer-skin clothing, for which we 

 had had no use as yet, on the sledges. We were now 

 coming on to the high ground, and it might easily 

 happen that it would be a good thing to have. We did 

 not forget the temperature of - 40° F. that Shackleton 

 had experienced in 88° S., and if we met with the same, 

 we could hold out a long while if we had the skin 

 clothing. Otherwise, we had not very much in our 

 bags. The only change we had with us was put on 

 here, and the old clothes hung out to air. We reckoned 

 that by the time we came back, in a couple of months, 

 they would be sufficiently aired, and we could put them 

 on again. As far as I remember, the calculation proved 

 correct. We took more foot-gear than anything else: 

 if one's feet are well shod, one can hold out a long 

 time. 



When all this was finished, three of us put on oui* ski 

 and made for the nearest visible land. This was a little 

 peak, a mile and three-quarters away — Mount Betty. 

 It did not look lofty or imposing, but was, nevertheless, 

 1,000 feet above the sea. Small as it was, it became 

 important to us, as it was there we got all our geological 

 specimens. Running on ski felt quite strange, although 

 I had now covered 385 miles on them; but we had 

 driven the whole way, and were somewhat out of train- 

 ing. We could feel this, too, as we went up the slope 



