i9"] CONTINUOUS BAD WEATHER 143 



Saturday, March 18, A.M. Still blowing and drifting. It 

 seems as though there can be no peace at this spot till the sea 

 is properly frozen over. It blew very hard from the S.E. yes- 

 terday I could scarcely walk against the wind. In the night 

 it fell calm; the moon shone brightly at midnight. Then the 

 sky became overcast and the temperature rose to -f- 11. Now 

 the wind is coming in spurts from the south all indications of 

 a blizzard. 



With the north wind of Friday the ice must have pressed 

 up on Hut Point. A considerable floe of pressed up young ice 

 is grounded under the point, and this morning we found a seal 

 on this. Just as the party started out to kill it, it slid off into 

 the water it had evidently finished its sleep but it is en- 

 couraging to have had a chance to capture a seal so close to 

 the hut. 



Monday, March 20. On Saturday night it blew hard from 

 the south, thick overhead, low stratus and drift. The sea spray 

 again came over the ice foot and flung up almost to the dogs; 

 by Sunday morning the wind had veered to the S.E., and all 

 yesterday it blew with great violence and temperature down to 

 - ii and - 12 . 



We were confined to the hut and its immediate environs. 

 Last night the wind dropped, and for a few hours this morn- 

 ing we had light airs only, the temperature rising to - 2. 



The continuous bad weather is very serious for the dogs. 

 We have strained every nerve to get them comfortable, but 

 the changes of wind made it impossible to afford shelter in all 

 directions. Some five or six dogs are running loose, but we dare 

 not allow the stronger animals such liberty. They suffer much 

 from the cold, but they don't get worse. 



The small white dog which fell into the crevasse on our 

 home journey died yesterday. Under the best circumstances I 

 doubt if it could have lived, as there had evidently been internal 

 injury and an external sore had grown gangrenous. Three other 

 animals are in a poor way, but may pull through with luck. 



We had a stroke of luck to-day. The young ice pressed 

 up off Hut Point has remained fast a small convenient plat- 

 form jutting out from the point. We found two seals on it 

 to-day and killed them thus getting a good supply of meat for 

 the dogs and some more blubber for our fire. Other seals came 



