22 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [Decbhbkr 
will remain with them — animals so often remember places 
and conditions where they have encountered difficulties 
or hurt. Do they only recollect circumstances which are 
deeply impressed by some shock of fear or sudden pain, 
and docs the remembrance of prolonged strain pass away ? 
Who can tell ? But it would seem strangely merciful if 
nature should blot out these weeks of slow but inevitable 
torture. 
The dogs are in great form again ; for them the greatest 
circumstance of discomfort is to be constantly wet. It 
was this circumstance prolonged throughout the gale which 
nearly lost us our splendid leader ' Osman.' In the 
morning he was discovered utterly exhausted and only 
feebly trembling ; life was very nearly out of him. He 
was buried in hay, and lay so for twenty-four hours, 
refusing food — the wonderful hardihood of his species 
was again shown by the fact that within another twenty- 
four hours he was to all appearance as fit as ever. 
Antarctic petrels have come about us. This afternoon 
one was caught. 
Later, about 7 p.m. Evans saw two icebergs far on the 
port beam ; they could only be seen from the masthead. 
Whales have been frequently seen — Balcennpicra Sibbaldi — 
supposed to be the biggest mammal that has ever 
existed. 4 
Friday , December 9. — 65 0 8'. 177 0 41'. Made good S. 4 
W. 109'; Scott Island S. 22 W. 147'. At six this morning 
bergs and pack were reported ahead ; at first we thought the 
pack might consist only of fragments of the bergs, but on 
entering a stream we found small worn floes — the ice not 
