of our supply had to be enforced in future with authority.  The dogs required their daily ration, and they got it —­ measured out to a hair’s-breadth.  Our own consumption was limited to what was strictly necessary; soups were banished from the bill of fare, they used too much of the precious fluid; washing in fresh water was forbidden.  It must not be supposed from this that we had no opportunity of washing.  We had a plentiful supply of soap, which lathered just as well in salt water as in fresh, and was thus capable of keeping ourselves and our clothes as clean as before.  If for a time we had felt a certain anxiety about our water-supply, these fears were banished comparatively quickly, as the reserve we had taken in the long-boat on deck lasted an incredibly long time, almost twice as long as we had dared to hope, and this saved the situation, or very nearly so.  If the worst came to the worst, we should be obliged to call at one of the numerous groups of islands that would lie in our route later on.

For over six weeks the dogs had now been chained up in the places assigned to them when they came on board.  In the course of that time most of them had become so tame and tractable that we thought we might soon let them loose.  This would be a welcome change for them, and, what was more important, it would give them an opportunity for exercise.  To tell the truth, we also expected some amusement from it; there would certainly be a proper shindy when all this pack got loose.  But before we gave them their liberty we were obliged to disarm them, otherwise the inevitable free fight would be liable to result in one or more of them being left on the battle-field, and we could not afford that.  Every one of them was provided with a strong muzzle; then we let them loose and waited to see what would happen.  At first nothing at all happened; it looked as if they had abandoned once for all the thought of ever moving from the spot they had occupied so long At last a solitary individual had the bright idea of attempting a walk along the deck.  But he should not have done so; it was dangerous to move about here.  The unaccustomed sight of a loose dog at once aroused his nearest neighbours.  A dozen of them flung themselves upon the unfortunate animal who had been the first to leave his place, rejoicing in the thought of planting their teeth in his sinful body.  But to their disappointment the enjoyment was not so great as they expected.  The confounded strap round their jaws made it impossible to get hold of the skin; the utmost they could do was to pull a few tufts of hair out of the object of their violent onslaught.  This affair of outposts gave the signal for a general engagement all along the line.  What an unholy row there was for the next couple of hours!  The hair flew, but skins remained intact.  The muzzles saved a good many lives that afternoon.

These fights are the chief amusement of the Eskimo dogs; they follow the sport with genuine passion.  There would be no great objection to it if they had not the peculiar habit of always combining to set upon a single dog, who is chosen as their victim for the occasion; they all make for this one, and if they are left to themselves they will not stop until they have made an end of the poor beast.  In this way a valuable dog may be destroyed in a moment.