208 THENORTHPOLE 



So that when the main party came back it would simply 

 follow the track of the supporting party, and not have 

 to scout for the trail. 



As a result of this method of keeping the return trail 

 continuously open, when the main party starts to return 

 it has a continuous trail back to the land, which it can 

 follow with from fifty to one hundred per cent, greater 

 speed than it was possible to make on the outward 

 journey. The reasons for this are obvious: no time is 

 wasted in selecting and breaking a trail; the dogs are 

 more energetic when following a beaten track and 

 when on the road home; no time is wasted in making 

 camp, the snow igloos built on the outward journey 

 being reoccupied on the return journey. 



It must be understood that when each supporting 

 party reached the land again, its work in regard to the 

 polar dash was over. It did not come back onto the ice 

 with any further supplies for the main party. 



At the very end, when the supporting parties have 

 performed their important work of trail-breaking and 

 transportation of supplies, the main party for the final 

 journey must be small and carefully selected, as the 

 small party resulting from the successive selection of 

 the fittest, can travel much faster than a large one. 



Each division of four men was absolutely independ- 

 ent and had its complete traveling outfit ; in fact, except 

 for the alcohol stove and cooking utensils, each sledge 

 was complete in itself. On each sledge were the pro- 

 visions for men and dogs, and clothing for the driver. 

 The standard sledge load would support the driver and 

 the dog team for about fifty days, and by sacrificing a 

 few dogs and using them as food for the other dogs and 



