At four o’clock next morning the sun broke through.  We let it get warm and disperse the fog, and then went out.  What a morning it was —­ radiantly clear and mild.  So still, so still lay the mighty desert before us, level and white on every side.  But, no; there in the distance the level was broken:  there was a touch of colour on the white.  The third important point was reached, the extreme outpost of civilization.  Our last depot lay before us; that was an unspeakable relief.  The victory now seemed half won.  In the fog we had come about three and a half miles too far to the west; but we now saw that if we had continued our march the day before, we should have come right into our line of flags.  There they stood, flag after flag, and the little strip of black cloth seemed to wave quite proudly, as though it claimed credit for the way in which it had discharged its duty.  Here, as at the depot in 81deg.  S., there was hardly a sign of snowfall.  The drift round the depot had reached the same height as there —­ 1 1/2 feet.  Clearly the same conditions of weather had prevailed all over this region.  The depot stood as we had made it, and the sledge as we had left it.  Falling snow and drift had not been sufficient to cover even this.  The little drift that there was offered an excellent place for the tent, being hard and firm.  We at once set about the work that had to be done.  First, Uranus was sent into the next world, and although he had always given us the impression of being thin and bony, it was now seen that there were masses of fat along his back; he would be much appreciated when we reached here on the return.  Jaala did not look as if she would fulfil the conditions, but we gave her another night.  The dogs’ pemmican in the depot was just enough to give the dogs a good feed and load up the sledges again.  We were so well supplied with all other provisions that we were able to leave a considerable quantity behind for the return journey.

Next day we stayed here to give the dogs a thorough rest for the last time.  We took advantage of the fine weather to dry our outfit and check our instruments.  When evening came we were all ready, and now we could look back with satisfaction to the good work of the autumn; we had fully accomplished what we aimed at —­ namely, transferring our base from 78deg. 38’ to 82deg.  S. Jaala had to follow Uranus; they were both laid on the top of the depot, beside eight little ones that never saw the light of day.  During our stay here we decided to build beacons at every fifth kilometre, and to lay down depots at every degree of latitude.  Although the dogs were drawing the sledges easily at present, we knew well enough that in the long-run they would find it hard work if they were always to have heavy weights to pull.  The more we could get rid of, and the sooner we could begin to do so, the better.