244 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [July 



It was shortly after midnight when I was told that the animal 

 seemed a little easier. At 2.30 I was again in the stable and 

 found the improvement had been maintained; the horse still 

 lay on its side with outstretched head, but the spasms had ceased, 

 its eye looked less distressed, and its ears pricked to occasional 

 noises. As I stood looking it suddenly raised its head and rose 

 without effort to its legs; then in a moment, as though some 

 bad dream had passed, it began to nose at some hay and at its 

 neighbour. Within three minutes it had drunk a bucket of 

 water and had started to feed. 



I went to bed at 3 with much relief. At noon to-day the 

 Immediate cause of the trouble and an indication that there is 

 still risk were disclosed in a small ball of semi-fermented hay 

 covered with mucus and containing tape worms; so far not very 

 serious, but unfortunately attached to this mass was a strip of the 

 lining of the intestine. 



Atkinson, from a humanly comparative point of view, does 

 not think this is serious if great care is taken with the food for 

 a week or so, and so one can hope for the best. 



Meanwhile we have had much discussion as to the first 

 cause of the difficulty. The circumstances possibly contributing 

 are as follows: fermentation of the hay, insufficiency of water, 

 overheated stable, a chill from exercise after the gale — I think 

 all these may have had a bearing on the case. It can scarcely be 

 coincidence that the two ponies which have suffered so far are 

 those which are nearest the stove end of the stable. In future 

 the stove will be used more sparingly, a large ventilating hole 

 is to be made near it and an allowance of water is to be added 

 to the snow hitherto given to the animals. In the food line we 

 can only exercise such precautions as are possible, but one way 

 or another we ought to be able to prevent any more danger 

 of this description. 



Saturday, July 15. — There was strong wind with snow this 

 morning and the wind remained keen and cold in the afternoon, 

 but to-night it has fallen calm with a promising clear sky outlook. 

 Have been up the Ramp, clambering about in my sealskin over- 

 shoes, which seem extraordinarily satisfactory. 



Oates thinks a good few of the ponies have got worms 

 and we are considering means of ridding them. ' Bones ' seems 

 to be getting on well, though not yet quite so buckish as he was 



