I902J DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG TEAM 9 



many undulations; it was curious to watch the supporting 

 party dipping out of sight on what appeared to the eye to be a 

 plain surface. Disturbed by much barking from the dogs, we 

 crawled out of our bags to-night about eleven o'clock, to find, 

 much to our satisfaction, that our supporting party had arrived; 

 they camped close by, and Barne tells me they have had a 

 hard, cold pull up against the wind.' 



* Nove77iber 10. — Started early this morning, leaving the 

 supporting party quietly slumbering. Had much difficulty in 

 forcing the dogs along in face of a low drift and cutting wind, 

 but managed to make good progress. At one o'clock, sighted 

 the depot and were soon camped beside it, when the wind died 

 away, the sky cleared, and we have again the whole splendid 

 panorama of the northern and western mountains in full view. 



' On the march to-day a small snow petrel suddenly 

 appeared hovering above us, and later it was joined by a 

 second; these are the first birds we have seen since the 

 departure of the skuas in the autumn, and form a very pleasant 

 reminder of summer. We are left in wonder as to why they 

 should be so far from the sea. We were first apprised of 

 their coming by the conduct of the dogs, and for a moment or 

 two we could not understand why these animals should sud- 

 denly begin to leap about and bark furiously, but their wild 

 dashes soon drew attention to our fluttering visitors. 



' Already it seems to me that the dogs feel the monotony 

 of a long march over the snow more than we do ; they seem 

 easily to get dispirited, and that it is not due to fatigue is 

 shown when they catch a glimpse of anything novel. On see- 

 ing the men ahead they are always eager to get up with them, 

 and even a shadowy ice disturbance or anything unusual will 

 excite their curiosity. To-day, for instance, they required some 

 driving until they caught sight of the depot flag, when they 

 gave tongue loudly and dashed off as though they barely felt 

 the load behind them.' 



It would perhaps be as well to introduce the reader to our 

 dog team, as they played so important a part in this journey, 

 and before the tale of its ending will have disappeared from 



