54 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



A man can drag 200 lbs. ; there are five men in the party, 

 and the time is six weeks. Two pounds of food per man per 

 day is roughly 12 lbs. a day for the party, giving a total of 

 500 lbs. food. One gallon of oil will last five men for a week 

 and weighs with its tin 10 lbs. Hence for six weeks, say 



70 lbs. oil. 



Now for equipment. Two sledges weigh 130 lbs.; one 

 tent, 25 l bs - J nve sleeping-bags, 65 lbs. ; finneskoes (shoes, 

 etc.), total 50 lbs. ; cookers, 25 lbs. ; ropes, repair tools, ice 

 axes, a spade, etc., total 70 lbs. Finally, since we shall have 

 much rock work and hard glacier ice, a pair of Day's under- 

 runners for the sledges — made of T steel — will be carried. 

 They weigh 40 lbs., and the equipment amounts to 400 lbs. 

 in all. 



Instruments are essential, and weighty. One of the five- 

 inch theodolites, specially built for the expedition, only weighs 

 1 1 lbs. Thermometers (two), aneroids (three), clinometers 

 (two), hypsometers (one), prismatic compasses (three), ham- 

 mers and chisels will add 40 lbs. to our load. For personal 

 gear (tobacco, diaries, socks, etc.), one is allowed 10 lbs. each, 

 totalling 50 lbs. Cameras and oddments, 30 lbs. Now let us 

 see how the grand total stands : — 



lbs. 



Food ... ... ... ... ... 500 



Fuel ... ... ... ... ... 70 



Sledges, etc. ... ... ... ... 4.00 



Instruments ... ... ... ... 40 



Personal gear ... ... ... ... 50 



Cameras, etc. ... ... ... ... 30 



1090 lbs. 



to be discharged from the ship at Butter Point. This, it will 

 be seen, nicely balances the pulling power of five men, which 

 (at 200 lbs. each) equals 1000 lbs. The party live day and night 

 in the clothes they start off in, so that there is no load due to 

 blankets or change of clothing. Non-smokers are, however, 

 advised to carry a pair of socks instead of Navy Cut among 

 their personal gear. 



At any time now we might expect to see icebergs and the 

 pack. From New Zealand we had been accompanied by 

 albatrosses and petrels. During the gale it was almost comic 

 to glance overboard during a rest from the bailing, and watch 



