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Our tents are made of raw silk and are exceedingly light. Lightness is, of course, of the highest importance, when everything must be carried on the sledges. The tent floor is, however, of a somewhat heavier stuff, as that has to keep out the moisture which is easily formed when you sleep on the snow, with nothing under you except a thin canvas or calico layer. It is also well to have the tent floor rather strong, as it can then be used as a sail on the sledge when you have a favourable wind. For our scientific observations we carry, of course, a great number of scientific instruments. I need hardly say that photographic cameras of various sizes and kinds are not forgotten.

We are now (as I write this) steering eastward across the sea from Norway to Novaya Zemlya, through fog and against the wind. Yesterday we had a short, sunny glimpse of Goose Land on Novaya Zemlya, and were just steering in there, when the fog came again and shut us out from the world around us. We were obliged to steer out to sea again, and make for Yugor Strait, the most southern strait which separates Novaya Zemlya, or rather Waigats, the most southern island, from the Continent. Here we expect to meet a small vessel, which I have sent from Norway, with fifty tons of coal. At Khabarova, in Yugor Strait, a Russian, Trontheim, is also waiting us, with more than thirty sledge dogs. He had to travel from Tiumen, in Siberia, last winter to the Ostjaks to buy these dogs, and had then to travel the long way from Siberia, through the north of Russia to Pechora, and from there he travelled with the dogs to Yugor Strait in company with the Samoyeds, who go north in the spring. I hope we shall find the dogs in good condition, as well as Trontheim himself, who will possibly accompany us the expedition.

When we have got our dogs and coal, and if the Strait and the Kara Sea are open, we shall make our way eastward along the Asiatic coast as quickly as possible. The first part of the way through the Kara Sea will perhaps be the worst, as the ice is often very bad there. More easterly the water running out from the rivers generally forces the ice a little from the coast, leaving an open passage along the shore. We shall have to pass Cape Chelyuskin, the most northern point of the Continent, which has only once before been passed by any vessel, viz., the Vega, on Nordenskiöld's famous expedition. If we still find open water we shall go on eastward along the coast until we reach the mouth of the Olenek River, to the east of the Lena Delta. If we have time I shall go in there to take twenty-six sledge dogs which are waiting for us. The reason why I want to get dogs there also is that the dogs from East Siberia are stronger and better than the West Siberian ones; therefore Baron Toll, who is now travelling in Siberia, proposed this, and has now kindly arranged this depôt for me; it is he also who arranged with Trontheim about these other dogs. If we get too many dogs, it is of course easy to pick out the best ones of the whole lot.