37* 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[August 
in other ways before events for which they are prepared ; 
for this reason every effort should be made to keep the 
animals quiet in camp. Rugs should be put on directly 
after a halt and not removed till the last moment before 
a march. 
After a few hints on leading, the lecturer talked of 
possible improvements in our wintering arrangements. 
A loose box for each animal would be an advantage, and 
a small amount of litter on which he could lie down. 
Some of our ponies lie down, but rarely for more than io 
minutes — the Soldier thinks they find the ground too 
cold. He thinks it would be wise to clip animals before 
the winter set in. He is in doubt as to the advisability 
of grooming. He passed to the improvements preparing 
for the coming journey — the nose bags, picketing lines, 
and rugs. He proposes to bandage the legs of all ponies. 
Finally he dealt with the difficult subjects of snow blindness 
and soft surfaces : for the first he suggested dyeing the 
forelocks, which have now grown quite long. Oates 
indulges a pleasant conceit in finishing his discourses with 
a merry talc. Last night's tale evoked shouts of laughter, 
but, alas ! it is quite unprintable ! Our discussion hinged 
altogether on the final subjects of the lecture as concerning 
snow blindness — the dyed forelocks seem inadequate, and 
the best suggestion seems the addition of a sun bonnet 
rather than blinkers, or, better still, a peak over the eyes 
attached to the headstall. I doubt if this question will 
be difficult to settle, but the snow-shoe problem is much 
more serious. This has been much in our minds of late, 
and Petty Officer Evans has been making trial shoes for 
