I9I2] ACCIDENT TO ABBOTT H7 
was perfectly blinding, although the stars were showing 
overhead. 
That evening we had another ' no air ' scare, the 
primus going out and lamps burning dimly until we 
had made air-holes with bamboos. I see we shall have 
to be careful in these snowstorms. 
July 8. — Still blowing hard, but not so much drift. 
We had an awful job digging out, as the drift over our 
door was packed quite hard. This storm has added 
2 or 3 feet of hard snow to our drift. It has made the 
hut much warmer, but has buried our outside meat 
depot, and Priestley and I have been trying all day to 
find it without success. 
July lo. — A 'Red Letter' day. As I was walking 
down to Look Out Point I saw a seal up. It was getting 
late, so I returned for the knives, and taking Abbott and 
Browning with me, we ran down and found 2 fat seals. 
Abbott had only a short-handled ice-axe with him 
and had a job to stun his seal. He made several mis-hits, 
and finally, as the seal was making for the edge, he jumped 
on its back and gave it a blow on the nose that stunned 
it. Abbott then got out his knife and tried to stick 
the seal, but the handle was greasy, and his hands cold, 
and they slipped up the blade, cutting three fingers badly, 
so that I had to send him back to the hut, where he 
arrived feeling very faint from loss of blood. It was 
quite dark when Browning and I finished cutting up 
the seals. They were in good condition, the blubber 
being very thick. It was quite late by the time we got 
back, but we were able to have a big hoosh, and we shall 
