342 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [November 
designs for taking the weight of his draught off his chafed 
shoulder. Eventually Gulab's tail was brought as an aid 
to this. By means of a back strap connecting his collar 
and his tail most of the drag was taken off his shoulder 
and, under these conditions, the chafe began to heal. 
About this time, as the lights were very strong, the 
mules began to show signs of snow-blindness. It was 
then that their snow-goggles were tried for the first time. 
We found that they were of the greatest use and generally 
stayed on while the mules were on their lines ; they were 
of the greatest comfort to the animals. 
The mules would not eat their ration of oil cake and 
oats at all. They showed a liking for everything except 
their ration. They would eat man or dog biscuits, tea- 
leaves and tobacco, ash and various portions of garments, 
with the greatest of relish, but they needed the utmost 
care and coaxing to be induced to touch their ration at 
all. They were picketed by their fore-legs, as the ponies 
had been in the previous year, and they showed the 
greatest ingenuity in getting themselves free and strolling 
about the camp, testing various articles of the store goods. 
The same routine was kept by this party. The morning 
march was seven miles in length ; they then camped and 
had tea, which lasted for about one hour and a half. When 
camp was struck, they marched on for five miles more, 
completing the twelve geographical miles for the day. 
Their speed on march was favourable compared with that 
of the ponies of the previous year. Our surfaces were so 
hard and good that the mules did not with their small 
hooves sink appreciably into the snow. 
