AUGUST 13 TO JANUARY /, iSg6 657 



comfortably housed, first in the saloon, and afterwards in the 

 work-room. 



In the beginning of September, when the frequent rain made 

 things very moist and uncomfortable in the kennel and on deck, 

 we built a kennel out on the ice with a tarpaulin roof and a 

 floor of planks, with plenty of shavings spread over them. 

 While it was being built we let the whole pack of dogs out 

 upon the ice ; but after playing for half an hour the puppies, 

 one after another, began to have convulsions. The attacks 

 passed quickly over, however. We drenched them with soap 

 and water, and then settled them in their new abode. 



As the puppies grew older we had to keep a sharp watch 

 upon them when we let them out upon the ice. They romped 

 and gambolled with such ungovernable glee that it often hap- 

 pened that one or other of them plumped into the water, and 

 had to be laboriously fished out again by the Master of the 

 Hounds for the time being or whoever else happened to be 

 at hand. Moreover, they soon acquired a taste for longer ex- 

 cursions, and followed our tracks far over the ice. 



One day the doctor and I were out photographing. At a 

 considerable distance from the ship we came upon a large pool 

 of fresh water, and took a little rest upon its inviting, mirror-like 

 ice. While we lay there chatting at our ease, we saw " Kob- 

 ben " coming after us. As soon as he caught sight of us, he 

 stopped and stood wondering what strange creatures we could 

 be. Then we began to creep on all-fours towards him ; and the 

 moment we did so, " Kobben " found his legs to some purpose. 

 He set off homeward as though he were running for dear life ; 

 and even when we got back to the ship and several other puppies 

 met us and knew us, the poor creature was still so panic-stricken 

 that it was a good while before he ventured to come near us. 



On September 28th we again lost one of the puppies. It 

 was seized with convulsions, and lay whining and howling all 

 day. As the evening advanced, and it became paralyzed along 

 one side, there was no hope of saving it, so we put an end to its 

 misery. It was pitiful to see ho\v these pretty little creatures 

 suffered when the convulsions came upon them. 

 II.— 42 



