BY SLEDGE AND KAYAK 285 



cross, as they were often packed together, they necessi- 

 tated a winding route. We saw clearly that to continue 

 in this way was impossible. The only resource was to 

 disburden ourselves of everything which could in any 

 way be dispensed with, and start afresh as quickly as we 

 could, with only provisions, kayaks, guns, and the most 

 necessary clothing, in order, at any rate, to reach land 

 before our last crumb of food was eaten up. We went 

 over the things to see what we could part with ; the 

 medicine-bag, the spare horizontal bars belonging to the 

 sledges, reserve snow-shoes and thick, rough socks, 

 soiled shirts, and the tent. When it came to the sleep- 

 ing-bag we drew a long sigh, but, wet and heavy as it 

 always is now, that had to go too. We had, moreover, 

 to contrive wooden grips under the kayaks, so that we 

 can without further trouble set the whole thino: afloat 

 when we have to cross a lane and be able to drag the 

 sledges up on the other side and go on at once. If it 

 should then, as now, be impossible for us to launch the 

 sledges, because sleeping-bag, clothes, and sacks of 

 provender, etc., are lying on them as a soft dunnage 

 for the kayaks, it will take too much time. At every 

 lane we should be obliged to unlash the loads, lift the 

 kayaks off the sledges and into the water, lash them 

 together there, then place the sledges across them, and 

 finally go through the same manoeuvres in inverse order 

 on the other side. We should not get very far in the 

 day in that manner. 



