THE FASTING PERIOD 



I may here mention that the temperatures were 

 rising considerably by October 19, ranging about 

 zero F. 



During October 20 the stream of arrivals was 

 incessant. Some mingled at once with the crowd, 

 others lay in batches on the sea-ice a few yards 

 short of the rookery, content to have got so far, 

 and evidently feeling the need for rest after their 

 long journey from the pack. The greater part of 

 this journey was doubtless performed by swimming, 

 as they crossed open water, but I think that much 

 of it must have been done on foot over many miles 

 of sea-ice, to account for the fatigue of many of them. 



Their swimming I will describe later. On the 

 ice they have two modes of progression. The first 

 is simple walking. Their legs being very short, 

 their stride amounts at most to four inches. 

 Their rate of stepping averages about one hundred 

 and twenty steps per minute when on the march. 



Their second mode of progression is " toboggan- 

 ing." When wearied by walking or when the 

 surface is particularly suitable, they fall forward on 

 to their white breasts, smooth and shimmering with 

 a beautiful metallic lustre in the sunlight, and push 

 themselves along by alternate powerful little strokes 

 of their legs behind them. 



27 



