WINTER DOG CAMP 223 



want the snow. But here in this snow wall Lindstrom 

 had no need to fear the dogs. Another great advantage 

 was that he would not have to go out in bad weather, 

 darkness, and cold, every time he wanted a piece 

 of ice. 



We now had to turn our attention in the first place, 

 before the cold weather set in, to the arrangement of 

 our dog tents. We could not leave them standing as they 

 were on the snow ; if we did so, we should soon find that 

 dogs' teeth are just as sharp as knives; besides which, 

 they would be draughty and cold for the animals. To 

 counteract this, the floor of each tent was sunk 6 feet 

 below the surface of the Barrier. A great part of this 

 excavation had to be done with axes, as we soon came 

 to the bare ice. One of these dog tents, when finished, 

 had quite an important appearance, when one stood at 

 the bottom and looked up. It measured 18 feet from 

 the floor to the peak of the tent, and the diameter 

 of the floor was 15 feet. Then twelve posts were 

 driven into the ice of the floor at equal intervals round 

 the wall of the tent, and the dogs were tethered to 

 them. From the very first day the dogs took a liking 

 to their quarters, and they were right, as they were well 

 off there. I do not remember once seeing frost-rime 

 on the coats of my dogs down in the tent. They 

 enjoyed every advantage there air, without draughts, 

 light, and sufficient room. Round the tent-pole we 

 left a pillar of snow standing in the middle of the tent 



