we had been hoping that the wind and snow would cease; but we had no such luck —­ it increased rather than dropped.  Our best sledge-meter —­ one we knew we could depend on —­ was on Wisting’s sledge; therefore he had to check the distance.  At 1.30 p.m. he turned round to me, and pointed out that we had gone the exact distance; I called out to Hanssen to use his eyes well.  Then, at that very moment, the depot showed up a few sledge-lengths to the left of us, looking like a regular palace of snow in the thick air.  This was a good test both for the sledge-meter and the compass.  We drove up to it and halted.  There were three important points to be picked up on our way south, and one of them was found; we were all glad and in good spirits.

The ninety-nine miles from Framheim to this point had been covered in four marches, and we could now rest our dogs, and give them as much seal’s flesh as they were capable of eating.  Thus far the trip had been a good one for the animals; with one exception, they were all in the best condition.  This exception was Uranus.  We had never been able to get any fat on his bones; he remained thin and scraggy, and awaited his death at the depot, a little later, in 82deg.  S. If Uranus was lanky to look at, the same could not be said of Jaala, poor beast!  In spite of her condition, she struggled to keep up; she did her utmost, but unless her dimensions were reduced before we left 82deg.  S., she would have to accompany Uranus to another world.

The cases of provisions and outfit that we had left here on the last trip were almost entirely snowed under, but it did not take long to dig them out.  The first thing to be done was to cut up the seals for the dogs.  These grand pieces of meat, with the blubber attached, did not have to be thrown at the dogs; they just helped themselves as long as there was any meat cut up, and when that was finished, they did not hesitate to attack the “joint.”  It was a pleasure to see them, as they lay all over the place, enjoying their food; it was all so delightfully calm and peaceful, to begin with.  They were all hungry, and thought of nothing but satisfying their immediate cravings; but when this was done there was an end of the truce.  Although Hai had only half finished his share, he must needs go up to Rap and take away the piece he was eating.  Of course, this could not happen without a great row, which resulted in the appearance of Hanssen; then Hai made himself scarce.  He was a fine dog, but fearfully obstinate; if he had once taken a thing into his head, it was not easy to make him give it up.  On one of our depot journeys it happened that I was feeding Hanssen’s dogs.  Hai had made short work of his pemmican, and looked round for more.  Ah! there was Rap enjoying his —­ that would just do for him.  In a flash Hai was upon him, forced him to give up his dinner, and was about to convert it to his own use.  Meanwhile I had witnessed the whole scene, and before Hai knew anything about it, I was upon him in turn.  I hit him over the nose with the whip-handle, and tried to take the pemmican from him, but it was not so easy.  Neither of us would give in, and soon we were both rolling over and over in the snow struggling for the mastery.  I came off victorious after a pretty hot fight, and Rap got his dinner again.  Any other dog would have dropped it at once on being hit over the nose, but not Hai.