14 THE START FOR THE POLE 



way on, so there was no danger of driving past it. 

 During this while it had remained clear in the zenith, 

 and we had been hoping that the wind and snow would 

 cease; but we had no such luck — it increased rather 

 than dropped. Our best sledge-meter — one we knew 

 we could depend on — was on Wisting's sledge ; therefore 

 he had to check the distance. At 1.30 p.m. he turned 

 round to me, and pointed out that we had gone the exact 

 distance; I called out to Hanssen to use his eyes well. 

 Then, at that very moment, the depot showed up a few 

 sledge-lengths to the left of us, looking like a regular 

 palace of snow in the thick air. This was a good test 

 both for the sledge-meter and the compass. We drove 

 up to it and halted. There were three important points 

 to be picked up on our way south, and one of them was 

 found ; we were all glad and in good spirits. 



The ninety-nine miles from Framheim to this point 

 had been covered in four marches, and we could now 

 rest our dogs, and give them as much seal's flesh as they 

 were capable of eating. Thus far the trip had been a 

 good one for the animals; with one exception, they were 

 all in the best condition. This exception was Uranus. 

 We had never been able to get any fat on his bones ; he 

 remained thin and scraggy, and awaited his death at the 

 depot, a little later, in 82° S. If Uranus was lanky to 

 look at, the same could not be said of Jaala, poor beast! 

 In spite of her condition, she struggled to keep up ; she 

 did her utmost, but unless her dimensions were reduced 



