TIIE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
1 6 
but before leaving an experiment was made. 
The one pair of horse snowshoes was tried on 
the quiet pony rejoicing in the name of 
Weary Willie. It could not have been ex- 
pected that the quietest animal would endure 
them without long practice, but “ the effect 
was magical ; he strolled round as though 
walking on hard ground In places where he 
floundered woefully without them.” Here 
was the chance of doubling the length of the 
journey. Within half an hour Wilson and 
Meares were off to the station, twenty miles 
away, in the hope of getting more. They 
returned next day empty-handed. The ice 
was out — no return to Cape Evans— no pony 
snowshoes — alas ! 
On February 2nd the actual start was 
made, Atkinson, with a sore foot, result of 
mistaken zeal in not early confessing to a 
blister, being compulsorily left behind, with 
Crean to look after him. 
The surface, hard in parts, was soft in 
others. All approved their leader’s sugges- 
tion to march at night, with the hardest sur- 
faces, and rest with greater comfort for the 
ponies in the warm hours of the day. And 
so they moved on “ through the eternal 
silence of the great white desert — the vast 
silence broken only by the mellow sounds of 
the marching column.” 
In the deep drifts came the triumph of the 
sole pair of snowshoes. They were put on 
the big pony ; be w r alked about awkwardly 
for a few minutes only, then settled down, 
was harnessed, and led the way easily over 
the mass of soft snow deep drifted in the 
hollow of a great pressure wave. But as the 
worst drifts seemed to occur only in patches, 
“ our course is to pick a way with the surer- 
footed beasts and keep the others back till 
the road has been tested. What extra- 
ordinary uncertainties the work exhibits. 
Every day some new fact comes to light, some 
new obstacle which threatens the gravest 
obstruction. I suppose this is the reason 
which makes the game so well worth playing.” 
From Safety Camp fifteen marches were 
made, the first three east-south-east as far 
as Corner Camp, to get round a projecting 
spur of the mountains, dubbed the Bluff, then 
due south to One Ton Camp, in lat. 79*28^. 
The intention had been to plant this depot 
on the eightieth parallel, but three days had 
been lost at Corner Camp by reason of a 
fierce blizzard, and the ponies were beginning 
to feel the strain — chiefly, it seemed, because 
they had not yet grown thick enough coats, 
and partly on account of their forty days’ 
confinement in the ship. From Camp 11, or 
Bluff (’amp, where an intermediate depot 
was made, the three weakest beasts were 
sent back with Ford and Keohane, under 
Lieutenant Evans, who was to take this 
opportunity of making an accurate survey 
on his return. Nevertheless, enough was 
carried forward to support a unit of four men 
for seven weeks, besides ponies and dogs. 
Incidents of the journey are chiefly con- 
cerned with the animals and the Barrier 
surface. 
The Dog’s. 
“ With our present routine the dogs re- 
mained behind for an hour or more, trying 
to hit off their arrival in the new camp soon 
after the ponies have been picketed. The 
teams are pulling very well, Meares ’s especi- 
ally. The animals are getting a little fierce. 
Two white dogs in Meares’s team have been 
trained to attack strangers. They were 
quiet enough on board ship, but now bark 
fiercely if anyone but their driver approaches 
the team. They suddenly barked at me as 
I was pointing out the stopping-place to 
Meares, and Osman, my erstwhile friend, 
swept round and nipped my leg lightly. I 
had no stick, and there is no doubt that if 
Meares had not been on the sledge the whole 
team, following the lead of the white dogs, 
would have been at me in a moment. Hunger 
and fear are the only realities in dog life, and 
an empty stomach makes a fierce dog.” 
It was strange and almost alarming to see 
the blind workings of natural instinct. The 
dogs, friendly in harness or at rest, were sus- 
picious of one another as soon as food was in 
their thoughts, and the smallest circumstance 
provoked a sudden fight. Equally sudden 
were the fights following a “ mix up ” on the 
march ; a quiet, peaceable team with wagging 
tails one moment, and the next a set of raging, 
tearing, fighting devils. 
“ It is such stern facts that resign one to 
the sacrifice of animal life in the effort to 
advance such human projects as this.” 
One day, near the end of the outward march, 
the pony Weary Willie, true to his name, had 
lagged behind, and, being tired, slipped and 
fell. A dog-team was just coming up. The 
instant they saw him fall they dashed at him 
regardless of control. Weary Willy made a 
gallant fight for it, biting and shaking some of 
the dogs with his teeth, but getting much 
bitten himself, though by good hap not 
seriously. At last the men beat them off, 
breaking ski-sticks and steering-stick. Yet 
the dogs were so tough that they got off 
uninjured. 
