i9"l WINTER PREPARATIONS 91 



The sea was freezing over in the bay, but the wind kept the 

 ice from forming permanently. 



March 23. We put in another good day's work at the hut. 

 Abbott and I killed and cut up a seal. We have now 13. 



March 24, 25, 26. Blowing a gale, with drift. We worked 

 at insulating the hut. 



March 27. It lulled a little in the forenoon, so three of us 

 managed to get as far as the ice foot to bring up blubber, which 

 we pack on our backs, and which, in spite of being frozen, makes 

 our clothes in an awful mess. In fact we are saturated to the 

 skin with blubber, and our clothes in consequence feel very cold. 



When we kill a seal, we cut out the heart, liver, and kid- 

 neys; then cut the meat up into convenient joints and the blubber 

 and skin into pieces about 2 feet square, which we can carry up 

 on our backs and flense in the hut. We also preserve the head, 

 as besides its meat it contains the greatest delicacy of all, the 

 brain. The gale came on harder than ever in the afternoon. 



Browning and I are suffering from dysentery. 



March 29 to April 5. High wind and bitterly cold. We all 

 get frostbitten constantly while working at the hut, and most of 

 us are suffering from dysentery. 



April 5. A great improvement in the weather, and we got 

 on well with the hut. We also carried up a lot of our things 

 from the depot. In the evening just as we were stopping work 

 I saw three seals up on the ice, so we turned out again and 

 killed and butchered them. This makes sixteen seals, and if we 

 can march early should put us out of danger with regard to 

 food. To celebrate the occasion Priestley allowed us an extra 

 biscuit each. 



April 7. Northerly gales and drift since the 5th. The way 

 from the hut to the ice foot is strewn with huge boulders, and 

 it is a difficult job walking over these in a gale of wind without 

 a load, while when one is staggering up under a load of meat 

 or blubber, it is particularly maddening. When a squall catches 

 you, over you go between two boulders, with your legs in the 

 air and the load of blubber holding you down firmly. Our boots 

 are all giving out with this rough walking, and we dare not use 

 our finnesko, but must keep them for spring sledging. ^ Our feet 

 are getting very frequently frostbitten and are beginning to feel 

 as if the circulation might become permanently injured. 



