72 NEW LAND. 



especially if they are lying idle, and there is not too much wind 

 if there is much wind, the loss of heat is greater and the power 

 of resistance consequently less. Of course it is a great advantage 

 if they can be in kennels, but this is not always practicable. 



On November 1, we began the preparations for the winter. 

 Tarpaulin covers were placed over the skylights, and a wall of 

 snow was carefully built round them, about a couple of feet in 

 thickness. In addition to this, we paved with snow that part 

 of the deck which was above the cabins. We made kennels 

 for the dogs, chiefly of blocks of ice, and each team had a kennel 

 to themselves, and a wooden partition to separate each dog so that 

 they could not fight. When all this had been done, we considered 

 everything very warm and comfortable, and that we might antici- 

 pate the darkness of winter with equanimity ; at any rate, we 

 thought, we should not be cold. 



On the Thursday of the same week, the mate and Braskerud 

 went into Alexandra Fjord polar-ox shooting, and at the same 

 time they were to bring back with them some meat which 

 had been left behind. After two days, they returned empty- 

 handed, having seen no game, and the bears had eaten up all 

 the meat. 



This meat seemed to be destined to an unfortunate fate. Once 

 before it had been fetched when Olsen and the mate brought down 

 the meat from Fort Juliana but the load being very heavy, they 

 had been obliged to leave part of it on a projecting point in 

 Alexandra Fjord. They had counted on reaching the ship on the 

 same day, and so had taken neither tent nor ' Primus ' with 

 them. Meanwhile, the going became so bad that the dogs were 

 not able to haul any longer, and they soon saw that there was 

 no getting home with the loads for them that night. The mate 

 took it very coolly, got out the sleeping-bag and crept into it ; 

 he would not leave the loads. But Olsen thought he would try 

 to get back, loosed his dogs, and when they refused to follow 

 him, but kept with the loads, started off alone. Being short- 

 sighted, he soon lost his way, and walked about all night. Next 

 morning, about nine o'clock, we on board the 'Fram' saw him 

 come staggering down a neighbouring glacier in a state of great 



