so there was no danger of driving past it. During this while it had
remained clear in the zenith, and 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