I902] HOPELESS CONDITION OF THE DOGS 41 



to the west and get a comparatively clear view of all the low- 

 lying rocks and snow-slopes which are now ten or a dozen 

 miles from us. 



* My tobacco supply is at such " low water " that to-day I 

 have been trying tea-leaves : they can be described as nothing 

 less than horrid.' 



*■ December 21. — We are now crossing a deep bay, but the 

 sky is still overcast and our view obscured ; the surface was 

 particularly heavy to-day, and our poor dogs had an especially 

 bad time. After a few miles we determined to stop and go on 

 at night again, as the heat was very great ; the thermometer 

 showed 27°, but inside the instrument-box, which is covered 

 with white canvas, it showed 52°. There must be an astonish- 

 ing amount of radiation, even with the sun obscured. Starting 

 again at 8 p.m., we found that matters were not improved at 

 all. Very few of the dogs pulled, whilst "Stripes" and 

 " Brownie " were vomiting. Things began to look very hope- 

 less, so we thought it would be wise to see what we could do 

 alone without assistance from our team. We found that on 

 ski we could just move our own sledges, but only just ; on 

 foot, after going for ten minutes, we found we were doing 

 something under a mile an hour, but only with much exertion. 

 After this experiment we camped again, and have been dis- 

 cussing matters. We calculate we were pulling about 170 lbs. 

 per man ; either the surface is extraordinarily bad or we are 

 growing weak. It is no use blinding ourselves to facts : we 

 cannot put any further reliance on the dogs. Any day they 

 might all give out and leave us entirely dependent on our- 

 selves. In such a case, if things were to remain just as they 

 are, we should have about as much as we could do to get home \ 

 on the other hand, will things remain just as they are? It 

 seems reasonable to hope for improvement, we have seen so 

 many changes in the surface ; at any rate, we have discussed 

 this matter out, and I am glad to say that all agree in taking 

 the risk of pushing on. 



' Misfortunes never come singly ; since starting we have 

 always had a regular examination of gums and legs on Sunday 



