242 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [May 



first time for many days. The scene was perfect in the pale 

 white light and silence. Later there was a curious effect of 

 frozen fog ; the nimbus cloud seemed to descend on the hills 

 and roll over us, leaving the ship free, but though all around 

 us was clear, there was a heavy deposit of ice-crystals on masts 

 and ropes which shone and sparkled in the moonlight. Now 

 the ship looks spectral in her white shimmering robe, the mist- 

 clouds are rolling down the hillsides into the snow-covered 

 hollows, and a strong wind can be heard high above us, though 

 all below is calm. The whole scene is so weird that it gives 

 one a positively eerie feeling.' 



The foregoing extracts show how persistently the wind 

 annoyed us about this time, and, indeed, so matters continued, 

 with occasional calms, when we could enjoy our outdoor 

 strolls, and occasional gales from the south, when, though the 

 temperature rose comparatively high, it was unsafe to venture 

 far from the ship. 



1 May 31. — Temperature abnormally high ( + 8°). Went 

 well out over the ice to the westward, where the recent snow- 

 fall has improved the surface for ski ; found three seals up on 

 the ice, the first that have ventured up for a long time. In the 

 cold weather they never seem to quit the water ; evidently 

 they know when the thermometer rises. It is now pretty dark, 

 even at noon, and dismal enough when the fine snow is 

 driving past and the sky overcast. Regret to say one of the 

 dogs, "Paddy," was found dead this morning. A post-mortem 

 revealed a deep wound in his side, and when "Nigger," 

 acknowledged king of the pack, approached with the most 

 innocent air and wagging tail, and it was found that he must 

 have slipped his collar in the night, there was little difficulty 

 in guessing the cause of the disaster and fixing the guilt. The 

 curious thing is that " Paddy " appeared to be " Nigger's " sole 

 and only friend ; their kennels were adjacent, and as " Paddy " 

 was always content to play second fiddle, there seemed no 

 chance of a rupture. The deed must have been done in the 

 silent hours of the night, and alas ! we shall never know the 

 cause. There is nothing to be done but to bore an extra hole 



