My first impressions include matters to which I was naturally eager to give an early half-hour, namely the housing of our animals.  I found herein that praise was as justly due to our Russian boys as to my fellow Englishmen.

Anton with Lashly’s help had completed the furnishing of the stables.  Neat stalls occupied the whole length of the ‘lean to,’ the sides so boarded that sprawling legs could not be entangled beneath and the front well covered with tin sheet to defeat the ‘cribbers.’  I could but sigh again to think of the stalls that must now remain empty, whilst appreciating that there was ample room for the safe harbourage of the ten beasts that remain, be the winter never so cold or the winds so wild.

Later we have been able to give double space to all but two or three of our animals, in which they can lie down if they are so inclined.

The ponies look fairly fit considering the low diet on which they have been kept; their coats were surprisingly long and woolly in contrast with those of the animals I had left at Hut Point.  At this time they were being exercised by Lashly, Anton, Demetri, Hooper, and Clissold, and as a rule were ridden, the sea having only recently frozen.  The exercise ground had lain on the boulder-strewn sand of the home beach and extending towards the Skua lake; and across these stretches I soon saw barebacked figures dashing at speed, and not a few amusing incidents in which horse and rider parted with abrupt lack of ceremony.  I didn’t think this quite the most desirable form of exercise for the beasts, but decided to leave matters as they were till our pony manager returned.

Demetri had only five or six dogs left in charge, but these looked fairly fit, all things considered, and it was evident the boy was bent on taking every care of them, for he had not only provided shelters, but had built a small ‘lean to’ which would serve as a hospital for any animal whose stomach or coat needed nursing.

Such were in broad outline the impressions I received on my first return to our home station; they were almost wholly pleasant and, as I have shown, in happy contrast with the fears that had assailed me on the homeward route.  As the days went by I was able to fill in the detail in equally pleasant fashion, to watch the development of fresh arrangements and the improvement of old ones.  Finally, in this way I was brought to realise what an extensive and intricate but eminently satisfactory organisation I had made myself responsible for.

Notes on Flyleaf of Fresh MS. Book

Genus Homo, Species Sapiens!

FLOTSAM

Wm. Barents’ house in Novaya Zemlya built 1596.  Found by Capt.  Carlsen 1871 (275 years later) intact, everything inside as left!  What of this hut?

The ocean girt continent.

’Might have seemed almost heroic if any higher end than excessive love of gain and traffic had animated the design.’—­MILTON.