pleased with the device for closing them —­ on the plan of a sack.  Outside our bags we had a cover of very thin canvas; this was extremely useful, and I would not be without it for anything.  In the daytime the sleeping-bag was always well protected by this cover; no snow could get in.  At night it was perhaps even more useful, as it protected the bag from the moisture of the breath.  Instead of condensing on the skin and making it wet, this settled on the cover, forming in the course of the night a film of ice, which disappeared again during the day, breaking off while the bag ay stretched on the sledge.  This cover ought to be of ample size; it is important that it should be rather longer than the sleeping-bag, so that one may have plenty of it round the neck, and thus prevent the breath from penetrating into the bag.  We all had double bags —­ an inner and an outer one.  The inner one was of calf-skin or thin female reindeer-skin, and quite light; the outer one was of heavy buck reindeer-skin, and weighed about 13 pounds.  Both were open at the end, like a sack, and were laced together round the neck.  I have always found this pattern the easiest, simplest, most comfortable, and best.  We recommend it to all.

Novelties in the way of snow-goggles were many.  This was, of course, a matter of the greatest importance and required study —­ it was studied, too!  The particular problem was to find good goggles without glass.  It is true that I had worn nothing but a pair of ordinary spectacles, with light yellow glasses, all the autumn, and that they had proved excellent; but for the long journey I was afraid these would give insufficient protection.  I therefore threw myself into the competition for the best patent.  The end of it was that we all went in for leather goggles, with a little slit for the eyes.  The Bjaaland patent won the prize, and was most adopted.  Hassel had his own invention, combined with a nose-protector; when spread out it reminded me of the American eagle.  I never saw him use it.  Nor did any of us use these new goggles, except Bjaaland.  He used his own goggles the whole way, but then, he was the only one who became snow-blind.  The spectacles I wore —­ Hanssen had the same; they were the only two pairs we had —­ gave perfect protection; not once did I have a sign of snow-blindness.  They were exactly like other spectacles, without any gauze at all round the glasses; the light could penetrate everywhere.  Dr. Schanz, of Dresden, who sent me these glasses, has every right to be satisfied with his invention; its beats anything I have ever tried or seen.

The next great question was our boots.  I had expressly pointed out that boots must be taken, whether the person concerned intended to wear them or not; for boots were indispensable, in case of having to cross any glacier, which was a contingency we had to reckon with, from the descriptions we had read of the country.  With this proviso everyone might do as he pleased, and all began by improving their