CHAPTER) Tit 
On May 3rd to the 5th we had an exceptionally strong blizzard 
wind. In the evening the gusts recorded by the anemometer 
were between 70 and 88 miles an hour, a strength consider- 
ably over that of any previous observation. The ice was again 
blown from the North Bay. During the whole of the night 
the force of the gale increased, and toward morning it began 
to take off. When Gran checked the instrument at 8.30 A.M. 
it registered for 3 minutes the rate of 104 miles an hour, and 
by this time its force had abated considerably. It was exceed- 
ingly difficult at this time of the year to obtain any seals owing 
to the lack of ice in the South and North Bays. 
Simpson had some hyacinth bulbs sent down to him, and 
under Hooper’s care these, embedded in a basin full ot white 
sawdust, burst into bloom and lasted for some considerable time. 
It was strange at this time of the year to see the open water 
right up to the hut. The sky effects were beautiful towards the 
north at mid-day, and on a calm day their reflection from the 
open water was splendid. 
Demetri and Keohane busied themselves in building a dog 
hospital. ‘This was essential, as several of the dogs had not as 
yet recovered from their trip to the Barrier in March. It was 
large and comparatively warm and much appreciated by the 
invalids. 
The exceptional weather with repeated blizzards of great 
force during the whole of May kept both man and beast very 
much confined to the hut. This one felt more than the previous 
year, as besides being confined to the hut, when it was possible 
to get exercise we could only do so for a short distance on the 
Cape, whereas in the previous year the sea ice had extended 
for some 30 miles to the north of us. There was now open 
water to the south. 
Crean and Keohane had already started mending most of 
