THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



977 



THE FOUR PONIES OUT FOR EXERCISE ON THE SEA ICE 



GRASS USED IN THE SHOE TO PREVENT 

 FREEZING 



I have mentioned that sennegrass is 

 used in the finnesko. This is dried grass 

 of long fiber, with a special quality of 

 absorbing moisture. I bought fifty kilos 

 (109.37 pounds) in Norway for use on 

 the expedition. The grass is sold in 

 wisps, bound up tightly, and when the 

 finnesko are being put on some of it is 

 teased out and a pad placed along the 

 sole under the foot. Then when the boot 

 has been pulled on more grass is stuffed 

 round the heel. The grass absorbs the 

 moisture that is given off from the skin, 

 and prevents the sock freezing to the 

 sole of the boot, which would then be 

 difficult to remove at night. 



The grass is pulled out at night, shaken 

 loose, and allowed to freeze. The moist- 

 ure that has been collected congeals in 

 the form of frost, and the greater part of 

 it can be shaken away before the grass 

 is replaced on the following morning. 

 The grass is gradually used up on the 



march, and it is necessary to take a fairly 

 large supply, but it is very light and takes 

 up little room. 



For use on the sledging expeditions I 

 took six "Nansen" cookers made of alu- 

 minum, and of the pattern that has been 

 adopted, with slight modifications, ever 

 since Nansen made his famous journey 

 in 1895-96. The sledging tents, of which 

 I bought six, were made of light Willes- 

 den rot-proof drill, with a "spout" en- 

 trance of Burberry garberdine. They 

 were green in color, as the shade is very 

 restful to the eyes on the white snow 

 plains, and weighed 27 pounds each,, 

 complete with five poles and floor cloth. 



Each member of the expedition was- 

 supplied with two winter suits made of 

 heavy blue pilot cloth, lined with Jaeger 

 fleece. A suit consisted of a double- 

 breasted jacket, vest and trousers, and 

 weighed complete fourteen and three- 

 quarter pounds. 



An outer suit of wind-proof material' 

 is necessary in the polar regions, and I 

 secured twenty-four suits of Burberry 



