326 THE CONQUEST OF THE NORTH POLE 



sary to use the provisions taken from Greenland. This also 

 supplied them with sufficient fat to use as fuel in the snow- 

 houses which were nightly built for sleeping-quarters. 



Svartevog, at the north end of Heiberg Island, was 

 reached on the 17th March. A distance of nearly 400 

 geographical miles had been covered in twenty- eight 

 days. This included the difficult and dangerous crossing 

 of Smith Sound, and the crossing of Ellesmere Island. It 

 was a remarkable feat, and justified the leader in daring the 

 remaining 525 miles which lay between him and the Pole. 



At Svartevog a cache was made in which were placed 

 not only a large quantity of food, but also many dis- 

 carded articles of equipment. Dr. Cook had decided 

 to take only two Eskimo with him on the final part 

 of the journey to the Pole. The two men chosen 

 were Etukishuk and Ahwelah, each twenty years old. 

 Twenty-six dogs were picked, and provisions for eighty 

 days were loaded on two sledges. The sledges were made 

 of hickory and had iron shoes. The provisions consisted 

 of pemmican, musk-ox meat, tea, coffee, sugar, condensed 

 milk, biscuits, and pea-soup. By way of fuel, 40 lb. 

 petroleum, 2 lb. wood-alcohol, 3 lb. of candles, and 1 lb. 

 of matches were carried. Each sledge carried 600 lb., 

 which included the following articles of equipment : 

 pails, cups, and teaspoons made of aluminium ; 1 table- 

 spoon, 3 tin plates, 6 pocket-knives, 2 butcher-knives, 

 1 saw-knife, 2 rifles, 110 cartridges, 1 hatchet, 1 Alpine 

 axe, a 12-foot folding canvas boat, 1 silk tent, 2 reindeer 

 sleeping-bags, and screws, nails, and rivets. The sledges 

 weighed 52 lb. each, and the weight of the canvas boat 

 was 34 lb. In addition to these, Dr. Cook had 3 com- 

 passes, 1 sextant, 1 glass artificial horizon, 1 pedometer, 

 3 pocket chronometers, 1 watch, 3 thermometers, 1 

 aneroid barometer, and a camera with films. 



On the march Dr. Cook wore woollen drawers, a bird- 



