THE LAST DEPOT 115 



The cameras of course had to come out, and we got 

 an excellent photograph of the scene which none of us 

 will ever forget. We went on a couple of miles more, 

 to 88° 25\ and then camped. The weather had improved, 

 and kept on improving all the time. It was now almost 

 perfectly calm, radiantly clear, and, under the circum- 

 stances, quite summer-like: -0-4° F. Inside the tent 

 it was quite sultry. This was more than we had expected. 



After much consideration and discussion we had 

 come to the conclusion that we ought to lay down a 

 depot — the last one — at this spot. The advantages of 

 lightening our sledges were so great that we should 

 have to risk it. Nor would there be any great risk 

 attached to it, after all, since we should adopt a system 

 of marks that would lead even a blind man back to the 

 place. We had determined to mark it not only at right 

 angles to our course — that is, from east to west — but by 

 snow beacons at every two geographical miles to the 

 south. 



We stayed here on the following day to arrange this 

 depot. Hanssen's dogs were real marvels, all of them ; 

 nothing seemed to have any effect on them. They had 

 grown rather thinner, of course, but they were still as 

 strong as ever. It was therefore decided not to lighten 

 Hanssen's sledge, but only the two others; both Wisting's 

 andBjaaland's teams had suffered, especially the latter's. 

 The reduction in weight that was effected was consider- 

 able — nearly 110 pounds on each of the two sledges; 



