Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 7.djvu/493

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The clothing supplied by Government to the various search expeditions was made of the most superior material, and was found excellent. It is hardly necessary to describe the different articles. Particular care should be exercised in the selection of under-clothing, which should be of the best and warmest substance. Outside clothing should fit loosely. In place of the overall jumper and trousers, which are used merely as "snow-repellers" to keep out the light snow-drift, a suit made from the skin of the moose-deer well smoked would be found advantageous; the jumper should have a hood to pull up over one's cap in bad weather, and should have a large pocket in front to put one's mitts in when not in use. The moccasins should be made large, so as on no account to cramp the foot. They are only intended to be worn during extreme cold.

The daily allowance of provisions for those engaged in sledge-traveling is as follows: For each man, 1 lb. pemmican, ¼lb. boiled pork, 14 ozs. biscuit, 2 ozs. preserved potatoes, 1½ oz. prepared chocolate, ½oz. tea and sugar, 1 oz. concentrated rum; 4 ozs. fuel being used daily for each individual; also a weekly allowance per man of 1¾oz. salt, ¼ oz. pepper, 1 oz. curry or onion powder, and 3 ozs. tobacco, making a weekly allowance per man of 19 lbs. 3 ozs., which is a very liberal one, and well adapted to long journeys in the most severe weather. In fact, at first starting, the men are not able to consume the full amount allowed of pemmican, but after a few days' hard work and exposure this little difficulty is soon overcome. Fuel may consist of different materials. There is the camphorated spirits of wine, whose great charm consists in its being camphorated, and therefore cannot well be tampered with by the men. Methyllated spirits of wine has also been much used, and is cheaper than pure alcohol. Sir Leopold McClintock, in the Fox, used crude cocoa-nut oil, which he found very useful and very cheap. Its advantages over tallow are: 1. That it cooks much more rapidly; 2. It makes very little smoke (an important item); and, 3. There is nothing disagreeable in smell or taste about it.

Great care must be taken in the stowage of provisions, and, in fact, in all that relates to the equipment of a sledge, as it is most important that the greatest economy in the matter of weights should be arrived at. The officer conducting the sledge-party is, of course, responsible that the necessary instruments are taken that will be required for fixing astronomically different positions, and for delineating the coast-line. Every thing being in readiness for a start, the sledges, which we will say are six in number, with their distinguishing flags (to each of which there is usually a history attached) fluttering bravely in the breeze, are drawn up outside the ship, the men, cheerful and joyous, with their drag-ropes in hand, the officers with their rifles slung across their shoulders, receiving their parting instructions, all