“Evening.—­Loom of land and Cape Saunders Light blinking."[41]

The ponies and dogs were the first consideration.  Even in quite ordinary weather the dogs had a wretched time.  “The seas continually break on the weather bulwarks and scatter clouds of heavy spray over the backs of all who must venture into the waist of the ship.  The dogs sit with their tails to this invading water, their coats wet and dripping.  It is a pathetic attitude deeply significant of cold and misery; occasionally some poor beast emits a long pathetic whine.  The group forms a picture of wretched dejection; such a life is truly hard for these poor creatures."[42]

The ponies were better off.  Four of them were on deck amidships and they were well boarded round.  It is significant that these ponies had a much easier time in rough weather than those in the bows of the ship.  “Under the forecastle fifteen ponies close side by side, seven one side, eight the other, heads together, and groom between—­swaying, swaying continually to the plunging, irregular motion.”

“One takes a look through a hole in the bulkhead and sees a row of heads with sad, patient eyes come swinging up together from the starboard side, whilst those on the port swing back; then up come the port heads, while the starboard recede.  It seems a terrible ordeal for these poor beasts to stand this day after day for weeks together, and indeed though they continue to feed well the strain quickly drags down their weight and condition; but nevertheless the trial cannot be gauged from human standards."[43]

The seas through which we had to pass to reach the pack-ice must be the most stormy in the world.  Dante tells us that those who have committed carnal sin are tossed about ceaselessly by the most furious winds in the second circle of Hell.  The corresponding hell on earth is found in the southern oceans, which encircle the world without break, tempest-tossed by the gales which follow one another round and round the world from West to East.  You will find albatross there—­great Wanderers, and Sooties, and Mollymawks—­sailing as lightly before these furious winds as ever do Paolo and Francesca.  Round the world they go.  I doubt whether they land more than once a year, and then they come to the islands of these seas to breed.

There are many other beautiful sea-birds, but most beautiful of all are the Snowy petrels, which approach nearer to the fairies than anything else on earth.  They are quite white, and seemingly transparent.  They are the familiar spirits of the pack, which, except to nest, they seldom if ever leave, flying “here and there independently in a mazy fashion, glittering against the blue sky like so many white moths, or shining snowflakes."[44] And then there are the Giant petrels, whose coloration is a puzzle.  Some are nearly white, others brown, and they exhibit every variation between the one and the other.  And, on the whole, the white forms become more general the farther south you go.  But the usual theory of protective coloration will not fit in, for there are no enemies against which this bird must protect itself.  Is it something to do with radiation of heat from the body?