On the 26th Camilla came back, after an absence of ten days.  She had been let loose sixty-eight miles from Framheim on the last trip.  When she came in, she was as fat as ever; probably she had been feasting in her solitude on one of her comrades.  She was received with great ovations by her many admirers.

On September 29 a still more certain sign of spring appeared —­ a flight of Antarctic petrels.  They came flying up to us to bring the news that now spring had come —­ this time in earnest.  We were delighted to see these fine, swift birds again.  They flew round the house several times to see whether we were all there still; and we were not long in going out to receive them.  It was amusing to watch the dogs:  at first the birds flew pretty near the ground; when the dogs caught sight of them, they rushed out —­ the whole lot of them —­ to catch them.  They tore along, scouring the ground, and, of course, all wanted to be first.  Then the birds suddenly rose into the air, and presently the dogs lost sight of them.  They stood still for a moment, glaring at each other, evidently uncertain of what was the best thing to do.  Such uncertainty does not, as a rule, last long.  They made up their minds with all desirable promptitude and flew at each other’s throats.

So now spring had really arrived; we had only to cure the frost-bitten heels and then away.

End of Vol.  I.

NOTES

[1] —­ Fram means “forward,” “out of,” “through.” —­ Tr.

[2] —­ This retrospective chapter has here been greatly condensed, as the ground is already covered, for English readers, by Dr. H. R. Mill’s “The Siege of the South Pole,” Sir Ernest Shackleton’s “The Heart of the Antarctic,” and other works. —­ Tr.

[3] —­ Anniversary of the dissolution of the Union with Sweden. —­ Tr.

[4] —­ Daengealso means “thrash.” —­ Tr.

[5] —­ Unless otherwise stated, “miles” means English statute miles. —­ Tr.

[6] —­ A language based on that of the country districts, as opposed to the literary language, which is practically the same as Danish.  The maal is more closely related to Old Norse. —­ Tr.