262 NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE, 



approaching sledge journey to the immediate area of the magnetic 

 pole. The original plan was that I should make this expedition 

 with one companion and provisions for three months, supported by 

 a relieving expedition under Lieutenant Hansen with one man. 

 There were consequently four of us who were obliged to have our 

 things in order by a certain date. In one thing there was a con- 

 sensus of opinion, namely, that Eskimo fur garments were the most 

 suitable for this climate. AVe had therefore taken time by the 

 forelock and bartered with the Eskimo for the lightest and finest 

 reindeer-skin clothing we could get. After many small trials, too, 

 we all agreed that snow huts were far superior to tents when the 

 temperature was below — 22° F. ( — 30° C). I therefore started 

 a class, with old Teraiu, the Eskimo who stayed with us, with 

 his family, as teacher. We all four joined and now built a snow 

 hut regularl}' every forenoon. Sometimes one of us was master 

 builder and the others masons; sometimes another. Old Teraiu, 

 who could not understand what we were building all these huts for, 

 shook his head pensiveh", evidently in the conviction that we had 

 taken leave of our senses. Sometimes he would throw out his arms 

 to indicate the overwhelming number of houses, and exclaim, '* Iglu 

 amichjui — amichjui — amichjui ! *" Which means, " This is a dread- 

 ful lot of houses." But in this, too, we arrived at what we wanted; 

 we became at last good snow builders. 



On February 29 we took our sledges up on to the heights in order 

 to be ready for a start the next morning. The day for the begin- 

 ning of our sledge journey broke clear and still. The temperature 

 was not exactly summery, the thermometer reading nearly — 64° F. 

 (_53oC.). 



One sledge had a team of seven, mostly A^oung dogs, for we had 

 lost all the others during the course of the winter from one or another 

 mysterious disease ; the other sledge was hauled by three men. We 

 found it difficult to make any way ; the sledges ran badly. The snow 

 in this severe cold was like sand, and advance very heavy. After 

 terrible labor we made 4 miles the first day. Before we could go to 

 rest we had to build our house. Thanks to the many huts we had 

 built before that winter, we did this fairly quickly — in about an hour 

 and a half. The temperature, which had sunk to about — -70° F. 

 ( — 57° C), did not tempt us to be out longer than was absolutely 

 necessary. As soon, therefore, as we had finished the hut, we went in 

 and walled up the entrance with a large block of snow. The cooking- 

 apparatus was set going, and it was soon warm and cozy in our little 

 snow house. In spite of the low temperature — about — 77° F. ( — 62° 

 C), the lowest we observed — we spent in all respects a comfortable 

 night. The next day, after ceaseless toil from morning to evening, 

 we managed to cover 3^ miles. I realized now that this sort of thing 



