92 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' Qan. 



it will still avoid the water under the impression that the sea 

 is really the sole source of danger. 



To add to our collection, whenever seals were seen ahead, 

 the ship's course was altered towards them, and when sufficiently 

 close a bullet gave the quietus to our intended specimen ; the 

 best shots were requisitioned for this purpose in order that the 

 skin and skull should be damaged as little as possible, and to 

 avoid unnecessary pain. Once or twice the animals thus 

 killed had to be secured with a boat, but generally it was pos- 

 sible to carry a rope over the floe and take a hitch round the 

 body, when willing hands would soon hoist it over the side. 



We had not proceeded far into the pack when our upper 

 deck became a busy but gory scene, for in one part men were 

 skinning our prizes in the shape of seals and penguins, whilst 

 elsewhere it was thought advisable to turn our sheep into 

 mutton, and soon we had an array of carcases which made an 

 excellent show, but which, alas ! did not represent a great 

 supply when the number of mouths on board was reckoned. 

 However, we determined to consider this mutton a luxury to 

 be kept for the winter, and to be eked out with the greatest 

 care. Fresh meat will generally keep for a long time when 

 hung in the rigging of a ship at sea, but here we had the 

 advantage of temperature, and our carcases soon became to 

 all intents and purposes frozen mutton. 



The preservation of seal skins is not a light task : the skin 

 is taken off with the thick layer of coarse fat or blubber which 

 surrounds the body, and has then to be flensed or freed from 

 this blubber, when it is placed in a cask with brine. 



Sunday, January 5, we determined to keep as a somewhat 

 belated Christmas day, and after the morning service and a 

 special dinner, we tied the ship up to the largest piece of fioe- 

 ice we could find, and although this only measured 100 yards 

 across, it proved sufficient for our purpose, which was to make 

 our first attempt to use the Norwegian snow shoes or ski. 

 With very few exceptions we had none of us used ski before, 

 and consequently our first trial caused vast amusement ; but 

 even in such a short time it was possible to see signs of im- 



