218 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



shot-barrel of 20 bore, and a barrel for ball of about 

 "360 ealibre ; and the ammunition amounted to about 

 180 rifle-cartridges and 150 shot-cartridges. 



The instruments were : a small theodolite, a pocket 

 sextant and artificial horizon, a light azimuth compass 

 and two other compasses, two aneroid barometers, two 

 minimum spirit-thermometers, three quicksilver sling- 

 thermometers, an aluminium telescope, and a photographic 

 camera. 



As regards provisions, the chief article was pemmican, 

 but there was also a good supply of butter, calfs liver, 

 albuminous flour, wheat-flour, whey-powder, cornflour, 

 sugar, vril-food, chocolate, oatmeal, white bread, aleuro- 

 nate bread, fish-flour, dried potatoes, cocoa, a " special 

 food" made of pea-flour, meat-powder, fat, etc., and a few 

 others. An important point as regards provisions is 

 that the food should be in a condition to be eaten without 

 cooking, in case the fuel be lost or used up. 



During the first week the travelling was good, from 

 9 to as many as 20 miles being covered daily. On the 

 22nd of March the latitude " was found to' be 85° 9'. 

 From this time onward the ice was bad. The temperature 

 at first was very low, frequently more than 40° below zero. 

 On 29th March the latitude was found to be 85° 30', 

 although Nansen expected that he had reached 86°. This 

 probably indicated that the ice was drifting southwards. 

 On 30th March, when one of the sledges was going over 

 a crack in the ice, all the dogs fell in, and had to be 

 hauled out. The next sledge fell in, and had to be un- 

 loaded before it could be got out. Next day Johansen in 

 crossing a lane went through the edge of the ice, wetting 

 both legs, which soon became covered with a mass of ice. 



A great deal had always to be done before starting off 

 on the day's journey. The breakfast had to be cooked ; 

 sometimes a sledge had to be relashed ; a hole would be 



