144 FARTHEST NOR2H 



it was some of the most disagreeable work we had on 

 the journey, particularly now at the beginning, when it 

 was so cold. When this first dog was dismembered and 

 given to the others, many of them went supperless the 

 whole night in preference to touching the meat. But as 

 the days went by and they became more worn out, they 

 learned to appreciate dog's flesh, and later we were not 

 even so considerate as to skin the butchered animal, but 

 served it hair and all. 



The following day the ice was occasionally somewhat 

 better ; but as a rule it was bad, and we became more 

 and more worn out with the never-ending work of help- 

 ing the dogs, righting the sledges every time they cap- 

 sized, and hauling them, or carrying them bodily, over 

 hummocks and inequalities of the ground. Sometimes 

 we were so sleepy in the evenings that our eyes shut and 

 we fell asleep as we went along. My head would drop, 

 and I would be awakened by suddenly falling forward 

 on my snow-shoes. Then we would stop, after having 

 found a camping-ground behind a hummock or ridge of 

 ice, where there was some shelter from the wind. W'hile 

 Johansen looked after the dogs, it generally fell to my lot 

 to pitch the tent, fill the cooker with ice, light the burner, 

 and start the supper as quickly as possible. This gener- 

 ally consisted of " lobscouse " one day, made of pemmi- 

 can and dried potatoes ; another day of a sort of fish ris- 

 sole substance known as " fiskegratin " in Norway, and in 

 this case composed of fish - meal, flour, and butter. A 



