2o8 NEAREST THE POLE 



With the completion of my work on the summit, and 

 the building of the cairn, we came down to the sledge 

 and dogs, from whence I returned to camp, while the 

 two men went after the deer we had seen. I started 

 to return without snowshoes, so the men might take 

 them along, but as I went into the wet snow to my 

 hips at every step, I changed my mind and retained 

 them. 



Just below the lower edge of the snow as I came 

 down, a flock of not less than one hundred brant 

 were feeding and sunning themselves. When I came 

 within fifty yards they rose. 



Back to camp at 4 a. m. for my breakfast. 



Then I started with my transit for the end of the 

 low point (extremity of the foreshore) to select a place 

 for a cairn, and take a few angles. After going less 

 than a mile, T was obliged to give it up and return 

 to camp, the saturated clayey earth letting my feet 

 sink in nearly to the top of my boots at every step, 

 and taking all my strength to pull out. With snow- 

 shoes I could have got along, but I had left those at 

 the snowbank a mile or more on the other side of the 

 camp, and was too lazy to go after them. I was 

 forcibly reminded of the travelling Trevor-Battye 

 found in Kolguev. 



After this I brought more rocks for the tent guys, 

 then took a nap to make up for the previous night. 



At 2 p. M. the men returned. They found at close 

 quarters that the three deer seen from the summit of 

 the cape had increased to six and a fawn, all of which 

 were secured (three bucks and three does). They 

 scarcely had the dogs fastened when yesterday's fawn 



