1875 EETURN OF ESKIMO DOG. 211 



' Since the temperature has ranged between minus 

 30° and minus 40° the ceiling between the beams on 

 the lower- deck, near the entrance hatchway, has been 

 damp. It is merely a question of quantity of coal, of 

 which we have little enough. As no one is livin^ or 

 sleeping there, I have merely directed, increased atten- 

 tion to sponging off the dampness, and drying the beams 

 with cloths. 



1 Dr. Colan is, I think, correct in considering that a 

 temperature of minus 30° is about the limit of cold 

 bearable unless the weather. is calm. When the tempe- 

 rature is lower extra precautions have to be taken. 



1 The frost-bitten men are now nearly convalescent. 

 They have had a weary time of it, confined to their beds 

 for so long a period without sunlight. 



' One of the dogs left at a distance from the ship 

 by Aldrich in October, returned early in December in a 

 most deplorable condition. She had been seen occa- 

 sionally wandering about in the neighbourhood, but 

 would not permit anyone to approach her ; the other 

 dogs, as in the case of Michael, evidently conspired 

 together to put her in ' Coventry.' Being at last 

 captured she was placed on a diet of one pound of 

 preserved meat a day and what else she could obtain 

 through compassion, and now. is so fat that her extra 

 allowance is stopped. So great is the change in popular 

 opinion consequent on her improved condition that 

 society has taken her into favour again, and the other 

 dogs now permit her to mix freely with them.' 



This animal afterwards became queen of the team, 

 and one of the best pullers of the whole pack. 



1 During the early part of the month we lost a very 



p 2 



