234 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [NOVEMBER 



Wright proceeded the next day to Demetri Depot, twelve 

 miles south from Corner Camp. The mules here took on their 

 full loads and proceeded south before we could get up to them. 

 Here the remainder of the surplus weights of the dogs was left. 



Kasoi, one of the dogs, had refused for that day to work; 

 no amount of beating would induce him to do so. We therefore 

 took him off the trace and tied him with the harness to the rear 

 of the sledge. Demetri's team, who were following, realised that 

 something was wrong with this dog : they pulled their very hard- 

 est with the idea of getting up to him and finishing him. Kasoi 

 realised what this meant, and it decided him in favour of work 

 as nothing else could have done. He resumed his pulling, and 

 never slackened his trace afterwards. 



On the night of the 4th and the morning of the 5th of No- 

 vember we had got on to a very good surface; we started early 

 and light, in order to reach the mules before they had started, 

 and this we eventually did after we had made our twelve miles. 

 In view of their condition and the tired dogs I decided to give 

 animals and men a day's rest at this place. The weather, which 

 had been windy and drifting up to now, had begun to clear and 

 would give the animals some chance of drying off, as well as hav- 

 ing a good night's rest. 



Gulab, Williamson's mule, had been badly chafed by the 

 breast harness on his shoulder. Williamson had changed him 

 to his collar and almost immediately after the first day of this 

 he chafed again. Throughout the whole of his journey Wil- 

 liamson took the very greatest care of his animal and invented 

 various new and clever designs for taking the weight of his 

 draught off his chafed shoulder. Eventually Gulab's tail was 

 brought as an aid to this. By means of a back strap connecting 

 his collar and his tail most of the drag was taken off his shoulder 

 and, under these conditions, the chafe began to heal. 



About this time, as the lights were very strong, the mules 

 began to show signs of snow-blindness. It was then that their 

 snow-goggles were tried for the first time. We found that they 

 were of the greatest use and generally stayed on while the mules 

 were on their lines; they were of the greatest comfort to the 

 animals. 



The mules would not eat their ration of oil cake and oats 

 at all. They showed a liking for everything except their ration. 



