108 



THE SEA. 



point; but Dr. Moss, and Mr. "White one of the engineers, having charge of the third 

 and fourth sledges, went with the understanding that they should assist the party to puss 

 the heavy barrier of stranded floe-bergs bordering the coast. Each of the sledges had 

 its own name ; indeed, this was true of all those employed. Those of the northern 

 division were the 3Iarco Polo, Victoria, Bulldog, and Alexandra. Two boats, equipped 

 and provisioned for seventy days, were taken. In an interesting paper read before a meeting 

 of the Royal Geographical Society by Captain Markham, on December 12th, 1876, he 

 stated that the sledges to which they gave a decided preference were what are commonly 

 called the eight-man sledges, each crew consisting of an officer and seven men. The 



AN "ALERT" SLEDGE PARTY EX ROUTE TO THE "DISCOVERY." 



extreme weight of these when packed and fully equipped for an extended journey, 

 on leaving the ship, was l,7001bs., or at the rate of 2201bs. to 401bs. per man 

 to drag. The tents, each sledge crew being provided with one, were eleven feet 

 in length, affording a little under- fourteen inches space for each man to sleep in, 

 the breadth of the tent being about the length of a man. The costume was com- 

 posed of duffle, a woollen material resembling thick blanket, over which was worn 

 a suit of duck to act as a " snow repeller." Their feet were encased in blanket 

 wrappers, thick woollen hose, and mocassins. Snow spectacles were invariably worn. 

 After their first adoption they were comparatively exempt from snow blindness. They slept 

 in duffle sleeping bags, and their tent robes were made of the same material. They had 

 three meals a day. Breakfast during the intensely cold weather was always discussed in 

 their bags. It consisted of a pannikin full of cocoa, and the same amount of pemmican 

 with biscuit. The pemmican was always mixed with a proportion of preserved potatoes. 

 After marching for about five or six hours a halt was called for luncheon. This meal 



