Case No. 2:  112 rations of dogs’ pemmican; 11 bags of dried milk, chocolate, and biscuits.  Total gross weight, 177 pounds.

Case No. 3:  124 rations of dogs’ pemmican; 10 bags of dried milk and biscuits.  Gross weight, 161 pounds.

Case No. 4:  39 rations of dogs’ pemmican; 86 rations of men’s pemmican; 9 bags of dried milk and biscuits.  Gross weight, 165 pounds.

Case No. 5:  96 rations of dogs’ pemmican.  Weight, 122 pounds.

Total net weight of provisions per sledge, 668 pounds.

With the outfit and the weight of the sledge itself, the total came to pretty nearly 880 pounds.

Hanssen’s sledge differed from the others, in that it had aluminium fittings instead of steel and no sledge-meter, as it had to be free from iron on account of the steering-compass he carried.  Each of the other three sledges had a sledge-meter and compass.  We were thus equipped with three sledge-meters and four compasses.  The instruments we carried were two sextants and three artificial horizons —­ two glass and one mercury —­ a hypsometer for measuring heights, and one aneroid.  For meteorological observations, four thermometers.  Also two pairs of binoculars.  We took a little travelling case of medicines from Burroughs Wellcome and Co.  Our surgical instruments were not many:  a dental forceps and —­ a beard-clipper.  Our sewing outfit was extensive.  We carried a small, very light tent in reserve; it would have to be used if any of us were obliged to turn back.  We also carried two Primus lamps.  Of paraffin we had a good supply:  twenty-two and a half gallons divided among three sledges.  We kept it in the usual cans, but they proved too weak; not that we lost any paraffin, but Bjaaland had to be constantly soldering to keep them tight.  We had a good soldering outfit.  Every man carried his own personal bag, in which he kept reserve clothing, diaries and observation books.  We took a quantity of loose straps for spare ski-bindings.  We had double sleeping-bags for the first part of the time; that is to say, an inner and an outer one.  There were five watches among us, of which three were chronometer watches.

We had decided to cover the distance between 80deg. and 82deg.  S. in daily marches of seventeen miles.  We could easily have done twice this, but as it was more important to arrive than to show great speed, we limited the distance; besides which, here between the depots we had sufficient food to allow us to take our time.  We were interested in seeing how the dogs would manage the loaded sledges.  We expected them to do well, but not so well as they did.