236 THE EASTERN SLEDGE JOURNEY 



this must be the same that Captain Scott has marked 

 with land-shading on his chart. 



We made a wide detour outside the worst pressure- 

 ridges, and then set our course east-north-east towards 

 the ridge just mentioned. It was a pretty steep rise, 

 which was not at all a good thing for the dogs. They 

 had overeaten themselves shockingly, and most of the 

 seal's flesh came up again. So that their feast should 

 not be altogether wasted, we stopped as soon as we had 

 come far enough up the ridge to be able to regard the 

 surface as comparatively safe; for in the depression 

 round the bay it was somewhat doubtful. 

 jr- On the following morning — Sunday, November 26 — • 

 there was a gale from the north-east with sky and 

 Barrier lost in driving snow. That put an end to our 

 plans of a long Sunday march. In the midst of our 

 disappointment I had a sudden bright idea. It was 

 Queen JMaud's birthday! If we could not go on, we 

 could at least celebrate the day in a modest fashion. In 

 one of the provision cases there was still a solitary 

 Stavanger tin, containing salt beef and peas. It was 

 opened at once, and its contents provided a banquet 

 that tasted better to us than the most carefully chosen 

 menu had ever done. In this connection I cannot help 

 thinking of the joy it woidd bring to many a household 

 in this world if its master were possessed of an appetite 

 like ours. The wife would then have no need to dread 

 the consequences, however serious the shortcomings of 



