i 
1912] WINTER PREPARATIONS gl 
The sea was freezing over in the bay, but the wind kept the 
ice from forming permanently. 
March 23.—We put in another good day’s work at the hut. 
Abbott and I killed and cut up a seal. We have now 13. 
March 24, 25, 26.—Blowing a gale, with drift. We worked 
at insulating the hut. 
March 27.—It lulled a little in the forenoon, so three of us 
managed to get as far as the ice foot to bring up blubber, which 
we pack on our backs, and which, in spite of being frozen, makes 
our clothes in an awful mess. In fact we are saturated to the 
skin with blubber, and our clothes in consequence feel very cold. 
When we kill a seal, we cut out the heart, liver, and kid- 
neys; then cut the meat up into convenient joints and the blubber 
and skin into pieces about 2 feet square, which we can carry up 
on our backs and flense in the hut. We also preserve the head, 
as besides its meat it contains the greatest delicacy of all, the 
brain. The gale came on harder than ever in the afternoon. 
Browning and I are suffering from dysentery. 
March 29 to April 5—High wind and bitterly cold. We all 
get frostbitten constantly while working at the hut, and most of 
us are suffering from dysentery. 
April 5.—A great improvement in the weather, and we got 
on well with the hut. We also carried up a lot of our things 
from the depot. In the evening just as we were stopping work 
I saw three seals up on the ice, so we turned out again and 
killed and butchered them. ‘This makes sixteen seals, and if we 
can march early should put us out of danger with regard to 
food. To celebrate the occasion Priestley allowed us an extra 
biscuit each. 
April 7.—Northerly gales and drift since the 5th. The way 
from the hut to the ice foot is strewn with huge boulders, and 
it is a difficult job walking over these in a gale of wind without 
a load, while when one is staggering up under a load of meat 
or blubber, it is particularly maddening. When a squall catches 
you, over you go between two boulders, with your legs in the 
air and the load of blubber holding you down firmly. Our boots 
are all giving out with this rough walking, and we dare not use 
our finnesko, but must keep them for spring sledging. Our feet 
are getting very frequently frostbitten and are beginning to feel 
as if the circulation might become permanently injured. 
