CHAPTER V 



A HARD STRUGGLE 



" Tuesday, April 3d. There are many different kinds 

 of diffictdty to overcome on this journey, but the worst 

 of all, perhaps, is getting all the trifles done and start- 

 ing off. In spite of my being up by 7 o'clock on Mon- 

 day evening to do the cooking, it was nearly two this 

 morning before we got clear of our camping -ground. 

 The load on Johansen's sledge had to be relashed, as 

 the contents of one grip had been eaten up, and we 

 had to put a sack of bread in its place. Another grip 

 had to be sewed together, as it was dripping pemmican. 

 Then the sledge from which the bread -sack had been 

 taken had to be lashed secure again, and while we had 

 the ropes undone it was just as well to get out a supply 

 of potatoes.* During this operation we discovered that 

 there was a hole in the fish - flour sack, which we tied 

 up, but no sooner had we done so than we found 



* We always kept a supply of our various provisions in small bags inside 

 the kayaks, so that we could get out whatever we wanted for our daily 

 consumption without undoing the big sacks, which were sewed up or 

 securely fastened in other ways. 



