Mar. 1859. JOURNEY TO CAPE VICTORIA. 201 



On the following day the old N.W. wind sprang up with 

 renewed vigour, and the thermometer fell to — 48 D ; the 

 cold was therefore intense. 



On the third day most of our dogs went lame, in con- 

 sequence of sore feet ; the intense cold seems to be the 

 principal, if not the only cause, having hardened the surface 

 snow beyond what their feet can endure ; it moreover so 

 hardened the particles of snow that they resembled grains of 

 sand, consequently the friction of the sledge-runners, and 

 labour of the draft, were greatly increased. I was obliged to 

 throw off a part of the provisions, still we could not make 

 more than 15 or 18 miles daily. We, of course, walked, so 

 that the dogs had only the remaining provisions and clothing 

 to drag, yet several of them repeatedly fell down in fits. 



For several days this severe weather continued, the 

 mercury of my artificial horizon remaining frozen (its 

 freezing-point is — 39 ) ; and our rum, at first thick like 

 treacle, required thawing latterly, when the more fluid and 

 stronger part had been used. We travelled each day until 

 dusk, and then were occupied for a couple of hours in 

 building our snow-hut. The four walls were run up until 

 5^ feet high, inclining inwards as much as possible; over 

 these our tent was laid to form a roof; we could not afford 

 the time necessary to construct a dome of snow. 



Our equipment consisted of a very small brown-holland 

 tent, macintosh floor-cloth, and felt robes ; besides this, 

 each man had a bag of double blanketing, and a pair of fur 

 boots, to sleep in. We wore mocassins over the pieces of 

 blanket in which our feet were wrapped up, and, with the 

 exception of a change of this foot-gear, carried no spare 

 clothes. The daily routine was as follows : — I led the way ; 

 Petersen and Thompson followed, conducting their sledges ; 

 and in this manner we trudged on for eight or ten hours 

 without halting, except when necessary to disentangle the 

 dog-harness. When we halted for the night, Thompson and 



