460 Arctic and Antarctic Exploration [part 11 
summer so very arduous. Another striking difference is 
that while the Arctic traveller usually travels over sea 
ice, often hindered by ranges of hummocks, the Antarctic 
explorer does most of his work over land ice. The land ice 
is the most formidable, not only from the deep furrows 
ploughed by the wind, but also from the dangerous 
chasms and crevasses. Scott was impressed with the 
necessity of attention to the minutest details in studying 
the art of Antarctic sledge travelling. 
The sledges were built at Christiania. Their great fault 
was in being too narrow, causing them to capsize more 
readily, it being necessary to pile the load much higher. 
They had five pairs of uprights and cross bars. The width 
of the sledges was only 17 inches, the runners 3f inches 
wide; two sledges were 12 ft. long, six 11 ft., and three 
7 ft. 1 The best width of runner-surface depends on the 
nature of the snow, and can only be decided after sufficient 
experience. The Danes have an excellent plan of attach- 
ing a ski-runner of walrus-hide in dealing with soft snow. 
Scott conceived the idea, having to deal with fewer 
men, of dividing the sledging crews into units of three, 
each unit having its own tent and equipment complete. 
The great advantage of this plan is that, when advisable, 
a party can be split up into threes, or three can be 
detached from it. Each article was, therefore, designed 
for the requirements of three men. The tents were bell- 
shaped and made of the lightest green Willesden canvas, 
spread on five bamboo poles 7 ft. long and united at the 
top. They were thus 5 ft. 6 in. high, and 6 ft. in diameter 
on the floor, with a skirting edge on which to pile snow ; 
their weight with the floor cloth was 30 lb. Scott con- 
sidered the sleeping bags of the greatest importance. 
They were made on board of reindeer skin, some for one 
man, but most of them to contain three men, which is a 
great advantage as regards weight. The fur was inside, 
and there was a flap to be drawn over the occupants and 
made fast. Their weight was 40 lb. Seven of M'Clin- 
tock's sleeping bags only weighed 42 lb. but there was 
also a wolf or buffalo robe weighing 40 lb. 
1 M'Clintock's sledges were 9 ft. and 11 ft. long, 3 ft. 2 in. wide, ni- 
inches high, with 6 uprights and 6 cross bars, the runners were of J-inch 
iron, 3 inches wide and slightly convex. All were lashed with strips of 
hide, put on warm and wet, so that they shrank and made all tight. 
