PREPARATIONS AND EQUIPMENT 11 



the choice of provisions was to combine variety with 

 wholesomeness. Every single article of food was chem- 

 ically analyzed before being adopted, and great care was 

 taken that it should be properly packed. Such articles, 

 even, as bread, dried vegetables, etc., etc., were soldered 

 down in tins as a protection against damp. 



A good library was of great importance to an expedi- 

 tion like ours, and thanks to publishers and friends, both 

 in our own and in other countries, we were very well sup- 

 plied in this respect. 



The instruments for taking scientific observations of 

 course formed an important part of our equipment, and 

 special care was bestowed upon them. In addition to 

 the collection of instruments I had used on my Green- 

 land expedition, a great many new ones were provided, 

 and no pains were spared to get them as good and com- 

 plete as possible. For meteorological observations, in ad- 

 dition to the ordinary thermometers, barometers, ane- 

 roids, psych rometers, hygrometers, anemometers, etc., 

 etc., self -registering instruments were also taken. Of 

 special importance were a self-registering aneroid barom- 

 eter (barograph) and a pair of self-registering thermom- 

 eters (thermographs). For astronomical observations we 

 had a large theodolite and two smaller ones, intended 

 for use on sledge expeditions, together with several sex- 

 tants of different sizes. We had, moreover, four ship's 

 chronometers and several pocket- chronometers. For 

 maornetic observations, for taking the declination, inch- 



