ANOTHER SPRING 469 



the barometer falling, and the temperature rising rapidly. 

 " So we decided to come back some way, and have in the 

 end come right back to the Biscuit Depot, since it looked 

 very threatening to the east. Here the temperature is 

 lower (-15 ) and it is clearing. Ross Island has been 

 largely obscured, but the clouds are opening on Terror. 

 We had a very good run and the dogs pulled splendidly, 

 making light work of it : 29 miles for the day, half of it 

 with loaded sledges ! Lappy's feet are bleeding a good bit, 

 owing to the snow balling in between his toes where the 

 hair is unusually long. Bullet, who is fat and did not pull, 

 celebrated his arrival in camp by going for Bielchik who 

 had pulled splendidly all day ! There is much mirage, and 

 Observation Hill and Castle Rock are reversed." x We 

 reached Hut Point the next day. Lappy's feet were still 

 bad, and Dimitri wrapped him in his windproof blouse and 

 strapped him on to the sledge. All went well until we got 

 on to the sea-ice, when Lappy escaped and arrived an easy 

 first. 



Dog-driving is the devil ! Before I started, my language 

 would not have shamed a Sunday School, and now — if it 

 were not Sunday I would tell you more about it. It takes 

 all kinds to make a world and a dog-team. We had aristo- 

 crats like Osman, and Bolsheviks like Krisravitza, and 

 lunatics like Hol-hol. The present-day employer of labour 

 might stand amazed when he saw a crowd of prospective 

 workmen go mad with joy at the sight of their driver 

 approaching them with a harness in his hands. The most 

 ardent trade unionist might boil with rage at the sight of 

 eleven or thirteen huskies dragging a heavy load, including 

 their idle master, over the floe with every appearance of in- 

 tense joy. But truth to tell there were signs that they were 

 getting rather sick of it, and within a few days we were to 

 learn that dogs can chuck their paws in as well as many 

 another. They had their king, of course: Osman was that. 

 They combined readily and with immense effect against 

 any companion who did not pull his weight, or against one 

 who pulled too much. Dyk was unpopular among them, 



1 My own diary. 



