252 
MENDING TIIE HARNESS. 
twisting themselves up incessantly, as the half-wild 
or terrified brutes bound right or left from their pre¬ 
scribed positions. The consequence is, that the seven 
or nine or fourteen lines have a marvellous aptitude at 
knotting themselves up beyond the reach of skill and 
patience. If the weather is warm enough to thaw the 
snow, they become utterly soft and flaccid, and the 
naked hand, if applied ingeniously, may dispense with 
a resort to the Gordian process. But in the severe 
cold, such as I experienced in my muter journeys of 
1854, the knife is often the only appliance; an unsafe 
one if invoked too often, for every new attachment 
shortens your harness, and you may end by drawing 
your dogs so close that they cannot pull. 1 have been 
obliged to halt and camp on the open floe, till I could 
renew enough of warmth and energy and patience to 
disentangle the knots of my harness. Oh, how cha¬ 
ritably have I remembered Doctor Slop ! 
It was only after appropriating an undue share of 
his seal skin breeches that the leader of the party suc¬ 
ceeded in patching up his mutilated dog-lines. He 
was rewarded, however, for he shortly after found an 
old floe, over which his sledge passed happily to the 
north coast. It was the first time that any of our 
parties had succeeded in penetrating the area to the 
north. The ice had baffled three organized foot- 
parties. It could certainly never have been traversed 
without the aid of dogs; but it is equally certain that 
the effort must again have failed, even with their aid, 
but for the energy and determination of Dr. Hayes, 
