Saturday May 2nd.

Fine hot weather continues. The snow level is falling rapidly owing to the increasing density of the snow, and lots of boulders are snow-free. Andrew and Sandy are wrestling with sledges. In the afternoon went with Sandy and puppies to dig a pit in the Snoloppen (?) glacier - a dull proceeding, but fine lying on the snow in the sun while Sandy measured temperatures. It's curious how one doesn't appreciate the value of other people's scientific work, though no doubt it's just as interesting as one's own. We tried to walk straight down the snout of the glacier, but it was too steep, and we just had to sit and slide.

Sunday May 3rd.

More sledges etc. Andrew's behaviour became more intolerable every day and I count the number of hours until I get away from here. Even if Sandy's back were entirely responsible for the failure of the Northern journey (and the state of the sledges is clearly a factor which must have been taken into consideration) one would expect Andrew to be extra pleasant and helpful to Sandy, but he goes out of his way to be as sarcastic and rude and nasty to him as possible, pretends to be a martyr to hard work, and sulks in general. Yesterday he went after a seal and came back in a temper because some puppies had followed, and complained bitterly. Today he said he was going out again, so I asked him to tell us when he was going and we would keep the puppies back. He said he wouldn't be going for a long time - but went in a few minutes without saying anything to us, and of course the puppies went after him. With this going on and the smell and slush outside, it's Hell. Sandy is wonderful the way he puts up with it all: we all get annoyed with him for he is so lazy at times, but as Karl says "Mar Glen, he is a genelman." Karl went off in the evening: I envy and don't blame him.

Monday May 4th.

We were expecting Brownie on the evening of the 5th. at the earliest and was amazed to see him out on the ice before breakfast this morning. He had left early and walked from Murchison Bay in about 12 hours - a really fine performance as the surface was soft in places and the ice bad in Murchison Bay. His arrival was rather a blow to old Karl whom I was astonished to see in bed when I got up this morning, for the others woke up to see Brownie, this taking the wind out of Karl's sails, for he had returned to announce that he has got a bear in his automatical shot at last "momentant dead." Brownie soon went to bed after painting unpleasant pictures of the state of the ice in Murchison Bay, but giving excellent directions as to the best route, and gave me a film of David's to be developed. Andrew went off with Karl and the dogs to fetch the bear and Sandy got on with the sledge, while I mended the tent and got food together etc. and developed David's film. After supper my sledge was still not ready, but we all worked at it and it was ready soon after midnight.

New use for the Benndorf - its key dropped down my neck stopped my nose bleeding.

Tuesday May 5th.

Mother's birthday. Got off at 1am. with quite a strong N.W. wind. Had seven dogs - Ayo, Pamiok, Akuliak, Kungasenak, Angugssuak, Angutinguak and Marratark. Kayunguak was in such a bad temper that when Andrew said I could do without him, I agreed.

On the bare ice in front of the base the wind caught the sledge (load about 300lbs) and it was blown all over the place in a most exhilarating manner. Half way across Zeipel Bay (I kept well round to avoid the pack) I noticed Upik and 4 puppies following and had to drive them back. Wind got nasty again near Valley hut and bits of ice were blown about like hailstones. When at the hut I suddenly noticed Upik and her puppies had followed at a distance. I was furious and caught Upik and beat her nose till her mouth was bleeding hard and whipped her and all the puppies back.

The snow was soft at first in the Hanstein valley but keeping on the south side on the shortest route the surface soon became better. After a bit, however there began to be no snow and we had to thread our way over as few stones as possible. I stopped once to climb a rock and see the best way down and then the dogs suddenly noticed Upik behind, slewed round and rushed over sharp rocks towards her. I rushed up and at last stopped the sledge by turning it over. Then back again towards Lady Franklin Bay: the wind got worse, and the hard ice blew in our faces: at times in a strong gust the dogs stopped and looked round, but then went on in the face of it. Suddenly in front of us lay a big piece of driftwood and a fox-trap, so we were on the shore. The visibility now was very bad and with Upik and the puppies behind I thought the best thing would be so camp at the Lady Franklin hut, dump the load and take back Upik next day even if it meant losing a day. The puppies were bound to be a continual nuisance on the journey, and certainly at Murchison Bay if they got there, and Upik is due to have another family any day now.

So we faced straight into the wind to look for the hut. The dogs really were magnificent for the flying ice hurt a lot, and in about ten minutes we were at the hut, getting there about 5.45am. Almost at once Kark turned up too, with Pat who had stayed with him after going over with Andrew to fetch the bear. He was very astonished to see his mother, and there was a great reunion. Karl was a great help, and promised to look after the puppies, so I fed the dogs and we went into shelter inside and after a long talk and meal went to bed. Why trappers must build such small bunks I can't understand: mine had been broken by rough feet at the bottom, but even so was most uncomfortable.

Began to get up about 1.30pm. - at least Karl did and got all the breakfast while I lay in bed. The wind was still strong but there was no drift and the visibility good. After getting all ready we caught Upik and the puppies and jammed them into the porch - a tight fit. The dogs were in fine spirits, and the bay surface was quite good and we got well over it steering towards the small island on the other side. The dogs were going finely and without stopping started the pull up over the land with zest. Steered direct towards Mt. Celcius and this seemed good, but nearer the top there was very little snow and we had to cross a lot of stones. Was a little doubtful as to our position for a bit, but then I saw the gap at the head of the valley down into Murchison Bay over on the other side of a frozen lake. The dogs enjoyed the slope down to the lake, but on getting out a little the ice broke and, standing on the bottom, stopped and drank hard and enjoyed themselves. I tried to get the sledge out backwards but couldn't manage, and since the dogs didn't break the ice ahead, I drove on and the ice broke always just after the sledge had got over, so on looking back there was a lane of water on top. It was only a small lake and cannot have been at all deep. The gap was the right one: a steep slope to start with - a hardish surface and rocks at the bottom, so I put on the drag and we got down finely and safely. Just when I had taken the drag off, the dogs saw a reindeer on the rocks at the side of a side valley and dashed off: I just got hold of the handlebars and managed to overturn the sledge and stop them. On down the narrow valley: it was great fun but greater was to follow, for when we got out on to the more open part of the pass the dogs saw a reindeer heading down the valley. It was a grand race. I was quite helpless, and when the valley ended in stones and the reindeer climbed up the rocks at the side I thought it was the end of the sledge, but again I managed to overturn it and stopped them. It's funny, once they're checked, the dogs show little inclination to start the chase again, and are easily kept on the route.

Trace-clearing - the first since just after starting - and out into Murchison Bay. The surface was terrible: pools freshly frozen over that gave way and hard sharp ice flowers and needles that hurt the dogs' feet and made the sledge heavy to pull. At last we came across the manhaulers (tracks?) pulling the hut to the Island, and without looking at them carefully followed them to Inner Russian Island. But they went up a very steep slope, too much for the dogs - it was one of their return tracks! So up a bit along the shore until we struck more tracks: it looked steep and I decided to go round the north of the island, but the dogs went at the hill so well that we reached the top without any trouble. They are wonderfully strong. From the top I could see South Russian Island and what looked like a hut on it, but could hardly believe it. We followed a heavily marked track through the pack: when half way across, a weird chimney on the hut got off the roof, and they both came down to the shore to meet us, and to keep the dogs off the land. They were surprised to see me, but not at the return of the Northern journey. Although I'd only been up eight hours, I felt tired after crossing the bay, and went to bed soon after 10pm.

I gave the film to David that evening - rather an epic photographic service: David gave the film to Brownie on Sunday evening, he walked home with it, 40 miles, giving it to me on Monday morning, when I developed it. It was dry by the evening, and starting off soon after midnight, after being held up eight hours by a blizzard, delivered it before 10pm. Tuesday!

Wednesday 6th. May

I couldn't sleep, and got up soon after midnight. The Ds had got up a few hours before my arrival and intended to work hard at their hut so that they could sleep in it, as they were fed up with the tent. First we had breakfast and gave one another our news - how much more pleasant a meal is when you have such excellent company. It was a sunny morning, and while David worked at the bunks inside, Dan and I worked on the roof, nailing strips of linoleum along the cracks and putting oilcloth round the eaves etc. The others were thoroughly enjoying themselves building their own home, and it's fun seeing how well you can do a thing with only limited amount of material available.

We were interrupted once, by Emma. Dan suddenly saw a bear on the ice just off our point and then she climbed up on to the land. We wondered if it were Emma for we couldn't see the cubs (Rudolf and Olivia) at first but then their perky faces poked up, and though Dan was sure it was not their pet, David had no doubt. She was sniffing, sniffing - she had evidently caught the scent of the dogs - but these were asleep. We said "Boo" and "Piertch" and she soon went off - a clumsy looking sight - towards Inner Russian Island, until she stopped to suckle the cubs. After this we frequently stopped work on the roof to look in that direction for her, or at the beautiful view towards New Friesland, the North East part of Spitzbergen. We had a picnic lunch out in the sun, and I went to sleep outside just afterwards.

There are a number of old eider nests all round the hut, and we were all delighted when Dan saw three drake eiders flying over the point. After lunch, when the dogs had had a good rest David and I took them to fetch a load from the dump about two miles away: there was a large piece of open water off Drum Point, but by keeping close in to the shore we had no trouble. Evidently a bear had been at the dump and had torn a large piece of canvas out of the Klepper and scattered two boxes, but otherwise did no harm The Ds are so short of food that we had to steal some of the dogs' man-pemmican for supper, at 5 M.B.T. (Murchison Bay Time is three hours ahead of G.M.T. - a very sensible arrangement as it means they take their met. readings at 10a.m. and 8a.m. instead of 7 and 5). They slept in the hut on their bunks that night, and I in the tent.

Thursday May 7th.

Up at 7M.B.T. but a horrid muggy day, and San and I both had headaches. While the others were working inside the hut I fetched two loads of driftwood from a beach about a mile away on Inner Russian Island. Having once taken them there it was an easy task afterwards: it was just a case of saying "Damma" and sitting on the sledge and the dogs raced along the tracks home or back to the driftwood beach as the case may be. It was fun, too, fitting the logs on the sledge so that they were stable when lashed up only by the lashing-rope.

After lunch the others had more work on the inside fittings to do, so I went out with the rifle: stalked a pair of seals, but it was impossible to go quietly on the ice flowers for they broke with a loud crunch. One seal went down, so I chanced a shot at the other at a range of what I thought was about 100yds, but he too flopped startled into his hole. I paced the distance and found it was 283yds. It's terribly difficult to judge distances over the ice. There was a lot of blood beside the hole so I am afraid I must have wounded him. Of course the shot sent all the other seals down their holes, but then I saw a reindeer about a mile off towards an island to the North. He was making towards the windward end of the island, so I made for the leeward end and then turned towards the middle. On reaching a ridge, I suddenly saw him again about 200yds away. He started running away, and I shot twice and missed, but he was so interested in the shooting that he came back to see what it was all about and stood still about 80yds away and I shot him.

We are not really supposed to shoot the beasts, but we have already killed about twenty, and there are lots in this part of the country with no trappers, and the Ds are desperate for fresh meat. Dan in fact insists on my staying with the rifle till they have got some, for they cannot expect to get many ducks for some time. Dan was asleep when I got back, but David and I went off with the dogs to Reindeer Island, we cleaned out the beast and cut off its head and feet on the spot, and skinned it on the sea ice just off the hut - the are making a praiseworthy effort to keep their surroundings spotlessly clean. They got the stove going in the evening, and we had a house warming party. Afterwards we went for a short walk to the tidal tarn to the S. a bit. Lots of old eider nests about and bits of whalebone, and we found too a big winch made out of driftwood.

Friday May 8th.

Up very late. Another dull day. David and I fetched the last load from the dump, and while he was unpacking and arranging the things, I fetched another load of driftwood. Dan went to sleep in the afternoon when I was going to have shown him how to put the Klepper together, so David and I sat over the stove and chatted till supper. They insisted on my having a night in the hotel, so I slept on David's bunk while he just managed to squeeze in a Hounsfield bed diagonally, and slept on it.

Saturday May 9th.

Had a fine night's sleep: after breakfast Dan added to and improved the hotel prospectus that DAvid and I had prepared last evening. Final edition:

THE HOTEL ON WHICH THE SUN NEVER SETS.

Just opened

Regardless of Cost

THE PALACE HOTEL

MURCHISON BAY.......

Situated in the finest part of North East Land, the newly erected hotel, embodying every refinement of luxury and comfort stands (at a slight angle) on its own magnificent estate where visitors can enjoy unrivalled hunting, boating and rough shooting - or complete relaxation.

Exquisite vistas from all bedrooms and reception rooms over Spitzbergen (West)

The grounds abound in Big Game. In addition the hotel owns its own Private Zoo. Emma and cubs on view every Wednesday at 2.30 M.B.T.

Fresh bread and cakes from hotel bakery

Fresh eggs daily from the Edderdog kennels

Concerts each evening by the hotel gramophone

Daily weather reports by the hotel met. office

Barbers saloon on the premises

German lessons by special arrangement

Illustrated booklet containing full particulars on application to the management

COME AND HAVE A SAENNEGRAS TEA IN THE BEAR GARDEN

Another dull day. After breakfast Dan and I tried to put the Klepper together. To see that we got it all right we put the framework together and it all went well, more or less; but as soon as we tried to put it inside the rubber shell we found we had to stretch some two feet in the middle, and then the fun began. By dint of hard forcing we could get the keel straight but not the sides, so in the end we had to call on David to help, and we all managed to get it together again in the end, but not without breaking two ribs and a few other parts. Dan swears he will never use it as a collapsible boat - and I doubt if he can! It was real fun struggling with it.

I had promised to be back on the 10th. if possible, so it was best to go that afternoon as I could hardly be of any more use to the Ds. It has been a great holiday, but couldn't be prolonged as it would keep back the East Ice journey. After lunch we went down to pack up the sledge: the dogs were wild; we put the food box on the sledge and went back for the tent, and when we turned round the box was open and all the dogs' pemmican snatched - just one piece per dog. They were probably very hungry, but it's bad to eat before sledging, and one or two were sick on the way home. It cleared a bit in the morning to get a last view towards Spitzbergen - a most lovely outlook they've got.

Left about 1p.m. G.M.T. Had difficulty with the wild dogs in crossing Inner Russian Island at the right place, for they thought they were on another driftwood journey and took a lot of convincing that they were mistaken. However, I got them up the right place in the end and had a good ride down the slope the other side. The bay was as bad as before and it soon started raining, so that by the time we reached the land I was soaked through. No adventure overland, but the rain was making the surface so sticky that the dogs had to pull hard to get the sledge down the long slope into Lady Franklin Bay - I even had to get off and run here sometimes, whereas I had been hoping for and expecting a long, fast, perhaps uncontrollable career down here. The bay-ice surface was sticky too but not so bad, and it seemed a long way to Karl's hut, which seemed always to be just round the corner. Kungasenak was not pulling, and we found later he had a sore chest. Rested a bit at the hut, but the dogs didn't lie down so I thought we might as well go on as the weather looked murky and there was no food for the dogs. So after collecting two empty paraffin tins we went off again over the Hansteen valley.

The rain was turning to wet snow and it was quite thick when we got to the valley hut. I thought of stopping there as the visibility was now only 100 - 200yds, but couldn't be fagged to, and besides the dog food question. So after collecting more paraffin tins we went off again. I knew there would be no difficulty in reaching the base, for if you go too much North you get into difficult pack, and if you go West you hit the land on the other side of the bay. So we struck N.W. by compass. Kept on meeting bits of ice I'd never seen before, and in an hour felt I was lost. But the compass showed all was well, and the visibility was improving, and suddenly land loomed up on our right about half a mile away. I took this to be "135", and kept it in sight until "176" became visible, and then I knew our position for certain. Zeipel Island showed up well, and very soon after it became clearer and suddenly Base Mountain was just visible. Whipped up the dogs - who were getting very tired - to get nearer in case it disappeared again, but we kept it in sight, and soon there was no doubt about it, and the clouds rose to about 150ft. leaving the surface visibility good. Reached the base, tired, (but the dogs more so as they must feel this hot weather very much) at 11p.m. after a 10 hour run. Andrew came out and dealt with the dogs, and Sandy got a meal ready. Two wireless messages waiting too - one from home and one from Dobson with an offer of a job.

Sunday May 10th.

Not up till lunch. Helped Andrew with his camera as the focussing scale was wrong. He had the very great misfortune to chip the lens when he was trying to get out a filter and after that he took a film which I developed, to see the effect, and it was not nearly as bad as he expected. Sandy gave me instructions about the packing up at the end of the expedition, as he may hardly see Archie before he leaves for Spitzbergen, and I have to pass on all these instructions. I like this sort of thing, but it makes the end of the expedition seem near. Brownie goes out and shoots a seal at a long range. Karl returns, with Upik and puppies, after knocking down all his traps. Andrew and Sandy decide to leave tomorrow so we were working late till 1.30 at food boxes. Those two never seem to be ready!

Monday May 11th

The others wanted a long sleep, so I went to bed for over an hour after slipping out in pyjamas to take the met. Still more things to be done: it's always a question as to which of Sandy and Andrew will be the last to be ready. Andrew is annoyed because Sandy isn't ready, and we go outside and find no forearm on the sledge, Kungasenak unsledgable and no safe means of shutting up the puppies! Typical. They had intended to be off at 2p.m. but did not start till 5p.m. Brownie seized the rifle and shot two more seals which we fetched before supper. He is a very good shot, but will be a terrible mess bore when he is a colonel, for even now for days afterwards we hear all about how and when he shot each beast!

Tuesday May 12th.

A gloomy, and slightly misty day, and I went out after seals after sending to Robert. Ought to have taken glare goggles, and it's much worse when the light is all diffused and the sky and snow indistinguishable and no black land visible to rest the eye on. The seal was very uneasy at 22yds and I missed him. Eyes overcome by glare, so returned, and Brownie went out but was unsuccessful too. In the meantime did a lot of indoor work that's been put off and off until there should be peace.

Wednesday May 13th.

A better day; the great feature has been that the stream has started flowing. Have been washing the ionosphere records in it, but the great thing is that now that it is so hot we will be able to do without the stove except occasionally - hitherto it has been necessary for melting snow.

Thursday May 14th.

It's been an International day since yesterday afternoon - and of course the weather is really fine just when it would be nice to go out. Karl pernoctated with me, so now we've returned to International days that are spent profitably rather than in light conversation. Nice of the old man to sit up, and he left me in peace. Got through a lot of useful things, and in the evening the Benndorf was working again out in the ionosphere hut. Brownie got off all the messages to Bear Island at night, and also got into contact with an English trawler, the Pentland Firth of Hull.

Friday May 15th.

With the base almost empty, a leaden sky, bare stones and snow only in drifts, and a strong N.W. wind, it might be late October. Karl left at noon for Low Island. After lunch Brownie and I went along the coast, and while he went on in search of duck, I glaciologised on the Snotoppen glacier. The puppies regard pit-digging as a poor sport - one would come up and look to see what you're doing, snort with disgust, shrug its shoulders and run away and bite Fuzziak. Afterwards we went bird-shooting, and I brought down one Fulmar first shot, and two more with the next two, a fourth needed two barrels and the last double barrel at a high glaucous gull was unsuccessful. Still, 4 out of 7 is better than 0 out of 12.

Feature of the day is that we did without the stove, doing all the cooking on the Primus. The fewer people there are here, the more likely is the fire to be allowed to go out and the anxiety is terrible: it's a relief not to have to worry about it - and to be able to keep cool too.

Saturday May 16th.

Waked this morning by Karl's return. He had been to Cape Hansteen, then on to Low Island, dug out his old hut there - about 18 to 20 miles from here - and shot and skinned a bear on the way home, since leaving at noon yesterday. He certainly can go on for a long time, the old man. A murky morning, but with a good weather report from Robert, Brownie, after shooting a seal, set off to walk up to A. I went out sealing; the first went down and I wounded the next, but it got into its hole. Got home just before it got nasty again - hope Brownie is all right, but the visibility is not so bad and it's not cold.

In the evening I cut my own hair: have wondered whether it is difficult or not and now I could try without offending anybody by not asking him. Result highly successful except round the left ear where I couldn't work the scissors and succeeded only in repeatedly cutting the folder of my spectacles.

Sunday May 17th.

Dull but moderate visibility. Heard at noon that visibility on ice-cap was only 40yds, and Robert was anxious because Brownie had not arrived. This was hardly to be wondered at - he is probably at Advanced Base - but told him to call again at 3 and 6p.m., and if he did not arrive we would go to Advanced Base and thence, if necessary, up to A. Unfortunately his transmitter broke down in the middle and though I called him again at 3, 6, and 9p.m. got no reply. Meantime it turned to snow here.

"Liberty Day" in Norway - and I heard all about it from Karl.

Monday May 18th.

More snowy and dull weather. No reply from Robert at 9 or 12.15 ( I was a little late calling) - but at 6p.m. heard him, and Brownie was there, but his receiver was hardly working and got no news.

Karl started building a boat - a dory - in the bedroom, but there is a great lack of "material". Spent a long time straightening nails for him.

We now get the Empire news well at night.

Upik produced four puppies - black, but with black and white below - but they had to be destroyed, and we had the unpleasant task of doing so and burying them down the tide crack. Poor little Upik, she's hunting for them all over the place with a desperate look in her eyes, followed by her other eight children who all want her to play.

Tuesday May 19th.

Truly horrid this weather. Strong wind with drift - thought that the snow was too wet for more drift, but no, and it is doubly unpleasant. Took down part of dog house and the shelves in the living-room, to provide "material" for the boat. Spent some time putting up shelves of smaller pieces of wood afterwards.

Karl at least is simple in tastes and at last we are down to two meals a day - such a saving of time and trouble. I'd go mad if we had three, i.e. three times a day for him to talk. He goes on incessantly. To keep the peace I always agree.

Wednesday May 20th.

The harangue goes on. We started arguing about Amundsen today and I produced "Antarctica" for reference: he hadn't seen the book before, so with luck he will be persuaded to read it. But he doesn't like "critickers. We have a fellow in Bergen........" He has been using the word "conquerance" for a long time and at last I've discovered he means competition.

Thursday May 21st.

We were all to wish John many happy returns of the day at noon today so we took the met. readings, and he was not forgotten here. At last the weather has improved slightly today and the sun came out but the strong wind made it seem cold; in fact I had to put on windproofs when taking the dog-house to bits to get wood and nails for the boat. This was a bigger job than I had expected and the sides could not be removed until the petrol cans in front were removed, and these were in 9 inches of ice and immovable. The boat is getting on well. Karl dips into "Antarctica".

Friday May 22nd.

Have had to adopt John's method of dealing with stockings that have gone in the heel. You merely turn them upside down and wear the hole on the instep. It all crumples up, but that doesn't matter a bit in komager. I quite enjoy sewing, but cannot stand darning. The sun shone quite a lot, but there was too much wind for seal hunting to be profitable, though a few were lying out. The ice-cap wireless receiver was wrecked today, so now we no longer call poor Robert. Our receiver's program here has been gradually diminishing. At first the program was:- England once a month, Bear Island thrice daily, Spitzbergen twice a week, highest frequency determination, A ice cap station and ordinary broadcast. It hasn't been used much for the latter recently - though now that the journeys are away I get the Empire news regularly - and now there remains only England once a month and Bear Island once a week. Spitzbergen was given up once a month, Bear Island reduced on April 15th, Highest frequency about a week ago as the receiver was getting too noisy, and now A is off.

Took down more dog house: it's incredibly well put together and a further difficulty is that some of it and some petrol cans leaning against it are below the ice level. However, the puppies play around all the time and so it's a pleasant job. My favourite at the moment is undoubtedly K2.

Sunday May 23rd.

Windy but fairly sunny, so after noon I set off to plane-table the nearer parts of the bay that are not done yet. Saw a seal in Zeipel Bay, so went to its hole and measured the depth of the bay there (46 metres), partly as a matter of interest and also to get some plane-tabling practice as I have never done it before, but only seen Dan do it once - poor old Dan, he won't be getting anything done in Murchison Bay if they are having this weather - but before I had finished clouds settled on Cape Hansteen, David's cairn, and Mt. Franklin, and I'm not sure of three more stations. So returned home, intending to fetch things and dig a pit in the glacier instead. After lunch, however, it was clear again on the other side of the bay, so set off intending to do the glacier and plane-table as well. Of course all the puppies came, and Upik too - she has her tail up again and is getting cheerful. While digging the pit the mists settled on the higher parts of Snotoppen making rather a grand sight. When I got down most of the trig. stations were in mist, so I gave up the mapping, but got one more depth down a seal hole.

Sunday May 24th.

Early this morning was woken by Brownie, who had brought Robert down for a jaunt: grand to see Robert again, tho' I was most sleepy when he appeared, and we fed him before retiring to bed at 3a.m. He got up soon after me and helped with the breakfast while we talked. It was a beastly day with drift and snow, and there was no question of Robert's going back for some time at any rate. We were kept in all day, doing various things; in the evening I mended harnesses and made a whip preparatory to trying to get the puppies to do some work. Put a harness and trace (of wire, as we have run out of rope) on Pinkiak to see how he liked it, but he didn't at all and screamed and bit at it, but it is still on and he is sleeping in the porch by his mother.

Monday May 25th.

Same dull weather with slight snow. Robert went off after seals in the morning but brought none back, and Brownie later was equally unsuccessful. Finished preparing harnesses, traces and sledge, so in the afternoon we tried to teach the puppies to sledge. Hoped Upik would be a help, but of course she loathes sledging and didn't play at all. First we had Upik, Pinkiak, Pat, K2 and No.8, but K2 kept on getting out of her harness so we left her, and No.8 just sat and screamed and had to be pulled by the others, so we removed him. We got the three of them out towards Cape Upik with Robert calling in front and pulling on a trace, and me behind. Going home they dashed like the wind and left us both behind. We put K2 on rest time and Brownie called in front, and all went much better. Afterwards we had Upik, Fuzziak, Euphemia, Fatima and Leslie on, and they were much better - Fuzziak being brilliant - and Robert sat on the sledge to slow them up on the way home. If we ran them about a bit like this and then they have a bit of training in with the big dogs, I'm sure they'll be useful before the expedition is over.

It cleared a bit in the evening and after Bear Island, Robert set off for the Advanced Base and home if possible. Brownie and I went with him for a bit: hope he reached the ice-cap all right, though I doubt it.

Tuesday May 26th.

Typical! For two weeks or more I have been waiting for the sun near local noon to have a last chance with the ozone spectrograph in the most favourable conditions. It just cleared for some minutes today and I photographed, only to find later on developing that the plate holder was empty!

Brownie got a seal today - the first we've had for a long time. Karl cooked some of the blubber and "trotter" at night in with the meat, but I didn't like either. I went out to the pressure in the afternoon to see what it was like and if there were any chance of seals out there. I stalked a dark piece of ice for some time, but saw no seal or bear track. The diffused light with snow falling gently made walking in the pressure areas difficult and I stumbled often. Hadn't been out since the day David and I were out with camera, now it seemed more wintry and dismal and with no game, and with nobody to talk to, got bored and trudged home, only to find that when I was out with the rifle two reindeer had visited the moss patch just down the coast 200 yds away, but had been chased away by six puppies who hadn't returned, but have since then. Well, I'm glad Karl didn't have the rifle, for he would probably have shot them.

Wednesday May 27th. Thursday May 28th.

Karl pernoctated and it was no pleasure. Poor old man, his wrist is bad again and swollen, but he just talked about it incessantly and related how he had suffered round Christmas with the same complaint cutting up driftwood with his left hand for four hours a day. And when he wasn't talking he spent the time touching it and looking at it, and pinching it and grunting and groaning and walking up and down the room. I was nearly driven crazy. I was certainly sorry for him first, but I cannot stand anyone who draws attention to their misfortunes and asks for sympathy. For the last few days he's been in good spirits and have enjoyed talking with him usually, but then he gets occasionally into the sort of mood he is in now and it is intolerable.

Heard Robert today: his receiver is still out of order, but it's good to hear he has got to A. Lots of drift all day today. I'm sick of this second winter.