394 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



our chief task, in the instructions of the expedition, on the 

 ice, as with the ship it had been proved to be unsuccessful. 



For this journey, which it need not be said was under 

 Captain Koldewey's direction, eight men were necessary. 

 We considered that we might dispense with the necessity 

 of establishing provision-stores, and therefore decided that 

 a second sledge, under Mr. Sengstacke's direction, should 

 accompany them for some days on their journey, and 

 somewhat later the circuit of the astronomers would 

 begin, having geodetical measurements for their object, 

 and not until after the return from the north should any 

 more sledge journeys be arranged for the exploration of 

 the interior of Greenland. The great difficulty of all 

 these undertakings we could not disguise from ourselves. 

 Not only was the want of dogs greatly felt, but numbers 

 of other matters necessary for winter sledging. 



On the ship, as has been already said, reigned cheer- 

 fulness and unwearied activity ; there was tailoring and 

 shoemaking, carpentering and smiths' work going on 

 from morning till night. We next went to work upon the 

 clothing. For the degree of cold we had hitherto ex- 

 perienced, nothing was better than the woollen things we 

 had, but only when the air was quiet ; for in a high wind 

 the body, in spite of all motion, became stiff and cold in a 

 very short time. On our contemplated journey, however, 

 we must be in a position to brave all weathers, so out 

 came the fur. As the long fur-coats, reaching to the feet, 

 were quite useless, they were taken to pieces, and fresh, 

 short, tight-fitting coats lined with wool were made. The 

 fur hoods remained unaltered ; the boots, however, were 

 thrown aside, as they so soon get hard and uncomfortable. 

 These were replaced by an irregular manufacture com- 



