THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD 575 



indeed, all the previous year. People are apt to think 

 that it would be amusing to see themselves, and I form 

 no exception to this rule. I would have given a good 

 deal to see us in our unwashed, unsophisticated condition, 

 as w^e came out of our winter lair, plumping into the 

 middle of a band of English tourists, male and female. 

 I doubt whether there would then have been much em- 

 bracing or shaking of hands, but I don't doubt that there 

 would have been a great deal of peering through venti- 

 lators or any other loophole that could have been found. 



The Windward had left London on June 9th, and 

 Vardo on the 25th. They had brought four reindeer 

 with them for Jackson, but no horses, as he had expected.* 

 One reindeer had died on the voyage. 



Every one was now busily employed in unlading the 

 IVindivard, and bringing to land the supplies of pro- 

 visions, coal, reindeer-moss, and other such things which 

 it had brought for the expedition. Both the ship's crew 

 and the members of the English expedition took part in 

 this work, which proceeded rapidly, and had soon made 

 a level road over the uneven ice ; and now load after load 

 was driven on sledges to land. In less than a week Cap- 

 tain Brown was ready to start for home, and only awaited 

 Jackson's letters and telegrams. They took a few more 

 days, and then everything was ready. In the meantime, 



* Jackson had brought with him several Russian horses, which he had 

 used along with dogs on his sledge expeditions. Only one of these horses 

 was alive at the time of our arrival. 



