JF£ MAKE A START 123 



than 4 gallons, and this quantity lasted us 120 days, en- 

 abling us to cook two hot meals a day and melt an 

 abundance of water. 



Of snow-shoes we took several pairs, as we had to be 

 prepared for breakages in the uneven drift-ice ; besides 

 this, they would probably get considerably worn in the 

 summer-time when the snow became wet and granular. 

 Those we took with us were particularly tough, and slid 

 readily. They were, for the most part, of the same kind 

 of maple as the sledges, and of birch and hickory. They 

 had all been well rubbed in with a concoction of tar, 

 stearine, and tallow. 



As we calculated to subsist, in a measure, on what we 

 could shoot ourselves, it was necessary for us to have 

 firearms. The most important giui for this kind of 

 work is, naturally, the rifle ; but as, in all likelihood, we 

 should have to go across large expanses of snow, where 

 probably there would be little big game, and whereas, on 

 the other hand, birds might very likely come flying over 

 our heads, I thouQ^ht shot-Q-uns would be the most ser- 

 viceable to us. Therefore we decided on the same 

 equipment in this respect as we had in Greenland. We 

 took with us two double-barrelled guns (biichsflints) ; 

 each of them having a shot-barrel of 2C)-bore and a barrel 

 for ball (Express) of about .360 calibre. Our supply of 

 ammunition consisted of about 180 rifle cartridges and 

 150 shot cartridges. 



Our instruinents for determining our position and for 



