FOOD RUNNING SHORT 253 



otherwise have been put to a useful purpose, and to the 

 irritating consciousness that every bit of food that is 

 consumed is so much wasted of the limited store. At 

 this spot of all others w^e should have been so glad 

 to spend the time in exploring round about, or still 

 more in going farther. But if we are to go on, we 

 must be certain of having a chance of getting seals at a 

 reasonable distance from here. With our remaining 

 supply of dogs' food we cannot go on for more than 

 three days. 



What we have left will be just enough for the return 

 journey, even if we should not find the depot of seals' 

 flesh left on the way. There remained the resource of 

 killing dogs, if it was a question of getting as far to the 

 east as possible, but for many reasons I shrank from 

 availing myself of that expedient. We could form no 

 idea of what would happen to the southern party's 

 animals. The probability was that they would have 

 none left on their return. Supposing their return were 

 delayed so long as to involve spending another winter 

 on the Barrier, the transport of supphes from the ship 

 could hardly be carried out in the necessary time with 

 the ten untrained puppies that were left with Lind- 

 strom. We had picked out the useful ones, and I 

 thought that, should the necessity arise, they could be 

 used with greater advantage for this work than we 

 should derive from slaughtering them here, and thereby 

 somewhat prolonging the distance covered ; the more so 



