22 THE START FOR THE POLE 



adopt this system of landmarks to the greatest possible 

 extent. We built in all 150 beacons, 6 feet high, and 

 used in their construction 9,000 blocks, cut out of the 

 snow with specially large snow-knives. In each of them 

 was deposited a paper, giving the number and position 

 of the beacon, and indicating the distance and the 

 direction to be taken to reach the next beacon to the 

 north. It may appear that my prudence was exag- 

 gerated, but it always seemed to me that one could not 

 be too careful on this endless, uniform surface. If we 

 lost our way here, it would be difficult enough to reach 

 home. Besides which, the building of these beacons 

 had other advantages, which we could all see and 

 appreciate. Every time we stopped to build one, the 

 dogs had a rest, and they wanted this, if they were to 

 keep up the pace. 



We erected the first beacon in 80° 23' S. To begin 

 with, we contented ourselves with putting them up at 

 every thirteenth or fifteenth kilometre. On the 29th 

 we shot the first dog, Hanssen's Bone. He was too 

 old to keep up, and was only a hindrance. He was 

 placed in depot under a beacon, and was a great joy to 

 us — or rather to the dogs — later on. 



On the same day we reached the second important 

 point — the depot in 81° S. Our course took us very 

 slightly to the east of it. The small pieces of packing- 

 case that had been used as marks on each side of the 

 depot could be seen a long way off. On a subsequent 



