378 Chapter VI. 



"It is strange, that notwithstanding these westerly 

 winds we do not drift eastwards. The last longitude 



> 



was only 135 E. long. 



" Maundy Thursday, March 22nd. A strong south- 

 easterly wind still, and a good drift northwards. Our spirits 

 are rising. The wind whistles through the rigging over- 

 head, and sounds like the sough of victory through the air. 

 In the forenoon one of the puppies had a severe attack 

 of convulsions ; it foamed at the mouth, and bit furiously 

 at everything round it. It ended with tetanus and we 

 carried it out and laid it down on the ice. It hopped 

 about like a toad, its legs stiff and extended, neck and 

 head pointing upwards, while its back was curved like a 

 saddle. I was afraid it might be hydrophobia or some 

 other infectious sickness and shot it on the spot. 

 Perhaps I was rather too hasty, we can scarcely have 

 any infection among us now. But what could it have 

 been ? Was it an epileptic attack ? The other day 

 one of the other puppies alarmed me by running round 

 and round in the chart-house as if it were mad, hiding 

 itself after a time between a chest and the wall. Some 

 of the others, too, had seen it do the same thing ; but 

 after a while it got all right again, and for the last few 

 days there has been nothing amiss with it. 



' Good Friday, March 23rd. Noonday observation 

 gives 80 N. lat. In four days and nights we have 

 drifted as far north as we drifted southwards in three 

 weeks. It is a comfort, at all events, to know that ! 



