x THE FIRST ACCOUNT 



for some days between - 58 and - 75 F. Personally 

 we did not suffer at all, as we had good fur clothing, but 

 with the dogs it was another matter. They grew lanker 

 and lanker every day, and we soon saw that they would 

 not be able to stand it in the long run. At our depot 

 in lat. 80 we agreed to turn back and await the arrival 

 of spring. After having stored our provisions, we re- 

 turned to the hut. Excepting the loss of a few dogs 

 and one or two frost-bitten heels, all was well. It was 

 not till the middle of October that the spring began in 

 earnest. Seals and birds were sighted. The temperature 

 remained steady, between - 5 and -22 F. 



Meanwhile we had abandoned the original plan, by 

 which all were to go to the south. Five men were to 

 do this, while three others made a trip to the east, to 

 visit King Edward VII. Land. This trip did not form 

 part of our programme, but as the English did not reach 

 this land last summer, as had been their intention, we 

 agreed that it would be best to undertake this journey 

 in addition. 



On October 20 the southern party left. It consisted 

 of five men with four sledges and fifty-two dogs, and 

 had provisions for four months. Everything was in 

 excellent order, and we had made up our minds to take 

 it easy during the first part of the journey, so that we 

 and the dogs might not be too fatigued, and we there- 

 fore decided to make a little halt on the 22nd at the 

 depot that lay in lat. 80. However, we missed the 



