1875 SOFT SNOW. 161 



moving about ; on going to investigate I saw some 

 small ones, about six inches in length, swimming 

 close under the ice in the hole. I dropped pieces of 

 biscuit in to see if they would eat it, but they took no 

 notice of it. However, I had a good hour before me 

 during luncheon, and I was very anxious to catch a 

 specimen. This I did with the aid of a bent pin and 

 a small piece of bacon. In an hour and a-half I got 

 three of them. They proved to be a kind of charr, 

 which I packed in snow and brought on board. All 

 the fish seemed to be much of the same size, and I saw 

 none larger than those caught. 



' October 4:th. — Snowed a great deal during the 

 night. I vainly imagined on starting we should be on 

 board in the evening. Steering by compass through a 

 thick fog, I went as nearly straight as I could. After 

 luncheon we manned the drag-ropes, and worked with 

 a will to get on board ; but the dogs were quite done 

 up, and insensible to persuasion of every kind, some of 

 them actually dozing off as they sat in the snow ; so 

 again we had to pitch the tent at a distance from the 

 ship as far as I could judge of about five miles. 



' October bth. — Breakfast at 8.15 a.m., and under 

 weigh as quickly as possible. Very thick and snowing, 

 calm. The travelling not at all the better for last 

 night's snow. Made small progress, so clapped on the 

 drag-belts ; and, finding that the dogs did not keep 

 steadily at their work, I shifted the principal weights 

 on to one sledge, harnessed all the dogs to it, and the 

 blue-jackets and myself dragged the other one ahead, 

 thus clearing the snow a little for the dogs, who sank 

 sometimes above their muzzles in the soft snow. In 

 vol. I. m 



