202 TRA VELLING RO UTINE. Chap. XII. 



I usually sawed out the blocks of compact snow and carried 

 them to Petersen, who acted as the master-mason in building 

 the snow hut : the hour and a half or two hours usually 

 employed in erecting the edifice was the most disagreeable 

 part of the day's labour, for, in addition to being already 

 well tired and hungry, we became thoroughly chilled whilst 

 standing about. When the hut was finished, the dogs were 

 fed, and here the great difficulty was to insure the weaker 

 ones their full share in the scramble for supper ; then com- 

 menced the operation of unpacking the sledge, and carrying 

 into our hut everything necessary for ourselves, such as 

 provision and sleeping gear, as well as all boots, fur mittens, 

 and even the sledge dog-harness, to prevent the dogs from 

 eating them during our sleeping hours. The door was now 

 blocked up with snow, the cooking-lamp lighted, foot-gear 

 changed, diary written up, watches wound, sleeping bags 

 wriggled into, pipes lighted, and the merits of the various 

 dogs discussed, until supper was ready; the supper swallowed, 

 the upper robe or coverlet was pulled over, and then to sleep. 



Next morning came breakfast, a struggle to get into 

 frozen mocassins, after which the sledges were packed, and 

 another day's march commenced. 



In these little huts we usually slept warm enough, although 

 latterly, when our blankets and clothes became loaded with 

 ice, we felt the cold severely. When our low doorway was 

 carefully blocked up with snow, and the cooking-lamp alight, 

 the temperature quickly rose, so that the walls became 

 glazed, and our bedding thawed ; but the cooking over, or 

 the doorway partially opened, it as quickly fell again, so that 

 it was impossible to sleep, or even to hold one's pannikin of 

 tea, without putting our mitts on, so intense was the cold ! 

 The most enjoyable time in the twenty-four hours was 

 shortly after the commencement of each day's march, when 

 brisk exercise seldom failed to warm us up, and when 

 fatigue and hunger had not yet made themselves felt. 



