A DESERTED COUNTRY. 



71 



everything was wet through, for we had not yet learned to pre- 

 vent moisture, that most unpleasant concomitant of polar explo- 

 ration by means of sledge-journeys. We did not brush off the 

 snow from our clothes carefully enough when we entered the 

 tent, or sleeping-bag; we did not keep the tent free from rime 

 caused by exhalation ; nor did we endeavour to avoid undue 

 moisture by taking off some of our clothing when perspiration 

 became too active. In a word, we had still much to learn of 



things 



OPPOSITE STENKJ.ER. SPLENDID GK00ND FOR GAME. 



which should constitute the A B C of the polar 



the 

 explorer. 



On Saturday, October 29, the last party came on board. Bay's 

 knee was still troublesome, and so the doctor took him in hand. 

 The dogs, too, had suffered much on the trip. When Fosheim 

 reached Bay and Isachsen with provisions, their dogs had had 

 no food for four days, and as previously, too, they had been badly 

 fed, they were very much exhausted when help came. Dogs 

 that have been well fed can easily go without food for a week, 



