170 THENORTH POLE 



two hundred and forty -six with which we had left Etah 

 in August. The whale meat brought for them seemed 

 to be lacking in nutrition. 



Four more that were in the worst condition were 

 killed, to save the dog food, and on the 10th we had to 

 kill five more. Then we tried the experiment of feeding 

 them on pork, with the result that seven more died. I 

 began to wonder whether we should have enough dogs 

 left for the spring journey toward the Pole. 



It is absolutely impossible to figure on the Eskimo 

 dog's uncertain tenure of life. The creatures will 

 endure the severest hardships; they will travel and draw 

 heavy loads on practically nothing to eat; they will 

 live for days exposed to the wildest arctic blizzard; 

 and then, sometimes in good weather, after an ordinary 

 meal of apparently the best food, they will lie down and 

 die. 



On the 25th of November we again overhauled and 

 counted the dogs. There were now only one hundred 

 and sixty left, and ten of these were in bad condition. 

 But I discovered that day, on having the frozen walrus 

 meat ripped up on the forecastle, that we had a greater 

 supply than we had believed, and the discovery drove 

 away the nightmare which had been haunting us. From 

 now on the dogs could be fed a little more generous 

 allowance of the best kind of food. For, after we had 

 tried practically everything, including our bacon, it 

 was found that walrus meat agreed with them better 

 than anything else. 



The importance of this matter must not be lost sight 

 of for an instant. Dogs, and plenty of them, were 

 vitally necessary to the success of the expedition. Had 



