LETTERS FROM THE ANDREE PARTY. 403 



depth. It is of wicker, woven over a frame of chestnut wood. Iron 

 and steel were avoided in its construction, lest they might disturb the 

 action of the magnetic instruments with which the balloon is equipped. 

 At one side, on the lower edge, the car is sheared, or beveled, away, in 

 order that on landing* it may strike more gently and not be overturned. 

 Well up in the wall of the car are two small windows closed with glass, 

 and near the bottom are two openings closed with wood, while through 

 the roof is a trap door. The whole car is covered with tarpaulin. 



The interior of the car is chiefly for rest and retirement. The place 

 for work and observation is the roof. Here is erected a sort of swing- 

 ing gallery, free at the bottom, so that it may remain horizontal under 

 the tip of the balloon, and shielded somewhat from the weather by a 

 curtain of tarpaulin. In this gallery were placed the scientific instru- 

 ments: thermometers, barometers, cameras, and so on — a full equip- 

 ment; and here two of the aeronauts would keep an outlook and 

 manage the balloon, while the third took his rest in the car below. A 

 sleeping bag (a hair mattress encased in reindeer skin) occupied the 

 middle of the car; and all about, in ingenious compartments, were 

 stored books, maps, instruments, toilet articles, kitchen utensils, arms, 

 ammunition, and what not. 



The main i)laces of storage, however, were the bearing ring, which 

 with its cross braces formed a sort of garret floor whereon were stowed 

 various tools and implements, such as shovels, anchors, and reserve 

 ropes; and the spaces between the forty-eight suspension ropes above 

 the bearing ring. Securely hung in these spaces were forty-eight large, 

 strong cloth sacks, divided into numerous compartments. In twelve 

 were stowed sledges, boats, sail yards, and kindred articles; in thirty- 

 six were stored provisions. 



andree's provisions. 



Andree's store of provisions, since his fate became so much of a 

 mystery, has grown to be a subject of great interest. Thousands of 

 letters, from all parts of the world, have gone to the Academy of Science 

 at Stockholm asking about it; and finally, in order to satisfy public 

 curiosity. King Oscar of Sweden requested Dr. Beauvais of Copenhagen, 

 head of the house that supplied Andree, to make a report on the amount 

 of provisions he carried. Dr. Beauvais has just reported as follows : 



"The Andree expedition has provisions for nine months. All the 

 boxes in which the conserved food is kept were made of copper, as iron 

 would have had a disastrous effect on the magnetic instruments carried 

 by the expedition. To occupy as little space as possible they were 

 made square instead of round. The food consists of every kind of 

 steaks, sausages, hams, fish, chickens, game, vegetables, and fruit. If 

 these provisions have been saved, together with the food which the 

 explorers can procure through fishing and hunting, they have sufficient 

 provisions to last them two years. 



"The expedition is also furnished with a new kind of lozenges of 

 concentrated lemon juice. This is the first time these have been used 



