82 FRANZ JOSEF LAND 



considerable degree, to the intelligence of the leading 

 dog, Messicano. Ever since leaving Teplitz Bay this 

 small white dog, with the intelligent eyes and bushy 

 legs, had held the first place in the leading sledge 

 because he followed the man at the head of the convoy 

 better than the others, and now when the guide was 

 behind or on the sledge, Messicano took the track at 

 a gallop with his nose on the snow, losing the way now 

 and then, but finding it again, though to the men it 

 was often invisible. The time came, however, when 

 the old track had to be left for a better course to the 

 ship, and then difficulties of every sort had to be over- 

 come, the delays being such that dog after dog had to 

 be killed to keep away starvation, and it was only with 

 seven of them and two sledges that Prince Rudolf 

 Island was reached from the westward on the 23rd of 

 June. "The snow is wet, which is very bad for 

 dragging the sledges, as it sticks to the runners and 

 tires our dogs exceedingly ; we have still seven, but 

 only three that really pull (three to each sledge), for 

 Messicano is at the last extremity and can hardly hold 

 up the trace." Toiling on thus through the fog to Cape 

 Brorok a noise was heard in the distance like the 

 creaking caused by pressure among ice floes, and when 

 the fog lifted it was found that the sound was that of 

 the seabirds on the cliffs. Out on the icefield no signs 

 of life had been met with beyond the traces of a bear, 

 a seal that vanished, and a walrus that popped up 

 through thin ice to send Fenoillet scuttling off on his 

 hands and knees. 



Meanwhile the ship, which had been seriously 

 damaged, had been made seaworthy. Liberated from 



