I902] FROZEN FINNESKOES 359 



matters ; things have to be done, and they are done somehow. 

 With the coming of the sun the flickering lantern can be dis- 

 pensed with, and now we can see well to put on our marching 

 boots. 



It is very trying work. With a caution born of experience 

 we took immense care last night in freezing them to conform 

 as nearly as possible to the shape of our feet. After the march 

 they had been wet through, and came off in a soft and flabby 

 condition ; we knew that this would only last for a few minutes, 

 and as they froze we had carefully supported and kneaded 

 them into the required shape. Half an hour later they were 

 so hard that we could throw them about without risk of alter- 

 ing it ; they are still in this condition, and we are about to 

 test the result of our labours. They clatter like wooden sabots 

 as they are deposited on the floorcloth. 



We squat down and withdraw one foot from its night- 

 clothing, grope in our breast for our day-socks, produce one 

 of them still very wet but moderately warm, jam our foot into 

 it, and with many gasps proceed to wedge it into a wooden 

 finnesko. The finnesko has been prepared by placing in it a 

 sole cut from reindeer-skin and a little padding of senncgrces. 

 This grass is soft, but the sole is as wooden as the boot, and 

 has needed much pushing to get it in place. We are lucky if 

 our foot gets half-way into its rocky cover at the first attempt. 

 We leave it at that for the moment, and proceed with the 

 other ; by the time it is in a similar position, an inch can 

 be gained on the first, and so inch by inch these tiresome 

 boots are pulled on. Meanwhile our feet have got alarmingly 

 cold, and with a groan we are obliged to start up and stamp 

 about. 



There is no exaggeration in the above picture. The putting 

 on of our finneskoes in very cold weather was generally a 

 matter of excruciating agony ; it often brought tears to the 

 eyes and always strong expressions to the lips, and all this 

 with footwear that on board the ship could be put on as easily 

 as one's hat. Yet even when one was fuming in this discom- 

 fort, a glance at one's writhing companions made it impossible 



