I had ever
tasted it before. We decided that it is not very palatable on first
acquaintance. Although doubtless of great value when one has to spend
long periods of time in the Arctic, where even seal's blubber is a
delicacy "as good as cow's cream," I presume we could have done just
as well without it.

It was decided to carry with us from the Base enough fuel and
supplies to last through any possible misadventure, even of a week's
duration. Accounts of climbs in the high Andes are full of failures
due to the necessity of the explorers' being obliged to return to
food, warmth, and shelter before having effected the conquest of
a new peak. One remembers the frequent disappointments that came
to such intrepid climbers as Whymper in Ecuador, Martin Conway in
Bolivia and Fitzgerald in Chile and Argentina, due to high winds,
the sudden advent of terrific snowstorms and the weakness caused by
soroche. At the cost of carrying extra-heavy loads we determined to
try to avoid being obliged to turn back. We could only hope that no
unforeseen event would finally defeat our efforts.

Tucker decided to establish a cache of food and fuel as far up the
mountain side as he and Coello could carry fifty pounds in a single
day's climb. Leaving me to reset the demoralized tents and do other
chores, they started off, packing loads of about twenty-five pounds
each. To me their progress up the mountain side seemed extraordinarily
slow. Were they never going to get anywhere? Their frequent stops
seemed ludicrous. I was to learn later that it is as difficult at a
high elevation for one who is not climbing to have any sympathy for
those suffering from soroche as it is for a sailor to appreciate the
sensations of one who is seasick.

During the morning I set up the barometers and took a series of
observations. It was pleasant to note that the two new mountain
aneroids registered exactly alike. All the different units of the
cargo that was to be taken up the mountain then had to be weighed,
so that they might be equitably distributed in our loads the following
day. We had two small kerosene stoves with Primus burners. Our grub,
ordered months before, specially for this climb, consisted of pemmican
in 8 1/4-pound tins, Kola chocolate in half-pound tins, seeded raisins
in 1-pound tins, cube sugar in 4-pound tins, hard-tack in 6 1/2-pound
tins, jam, sticks of dried pea soup, Plasmon biscuit, tea, and a few
of Silver's self-heating "messtins" con