230 THE EASTERX SLEDGE JOURNEY 



bring a little hickory bar, which came in very handy 

 as a splint for the broken part. 



As we were now following the direction of the 

 meridian, or in other words, as our course was now 

 true north, the daily observations of latitude gave a 

 direct check on the readings of the sledge-meter. As 

 a rule they agreed to the nearest minute. Whilst I 

 was taking the noon altitude my companions had the 

 choice of standing bj^ the side of their sledges and eating 

 their lunch, or setting the tent and taking shelter. They 

 generally chose the latter alternative, making up for it 

 by going an hour longer in the afternoon. Besides 

 the astronomical observations, the barometric pressure, 

 temperature, force and direction of the wind, and amount 

 of cloud were noted three times daily; every evening 

 a hypsometer reading was taken. 



If I were to undertake the description of a long series 

 of days like those that passed while we were travelling 

 on the flat Barrier, I am afraid the narrative w^ould be 

 strikingly reminiscent of the celebrated song of a hundred 

 and twenty verses, all with the same rhyme. One day 

 was very much like another. One would think that 

 this monotony would make the time long, but the 

 direct opposite was the case. I have never known time 

 fly so rapidly as on these sledge journeys, and seldom 

 have I seen men more happy and contented with their 

 existence than we three, when after a successful day's 

 march we could set about taking our simple meal, with 



