FINAL PREPARATIONS 35 



worked out our position, fed the dogs and let them 

 loose again, and then went into our tent to have 

 something to eat and go through the provision 



books. 



We had now reached one of the most critical points 

 of our journey. Our plan had now to be laid so that 

 we might not only make the ascent as easily as possible, 

 but also get through to the end. Our calculations had 

 to be made carefully, and every possibility taken into 

 account. As with every decision of importance, we 

 discussed the matter jointly. The distance we had 

 before us, from this spot to the Pole and back, was 

 683 miles. Reckoning with the ascent that we saw 

 before us, with other unforeseen obstructions, and finally 

 with the certain factor that the strength of our dogs 

 would be gradually reduced to a fraction of what it now 

 was, we decided to take provisions and equipment for 

 sixty days on the sledges, and to leave the remaining 

 supplies — enough for thirty days — and outfit in depot. 

 We calculated, from the experience we had had, that 

 we ought to be able to reach this point again with 

 twelve dogs left. We now had forty-two dogs. Our 

 plan was to take all the forty-two up to the plateau; 

 there twenty-four of them were to be slaughtered, and 

 the journey continued with three sledges and eighteen 

 dogs. Of these last eighteen, it would be necessary, in 

 our opinion, to slaughter six in order to bring the other 

 twelve back to this point. As the number of dogs grew 



