Evening star., 1913-06-24
Horses Off With a Rush.


The horses have got cold, and at the
word they are off-the soldiers and one
two others with rush. Finnesko fur
boots give a poor foothold on the slip
perry sastrugi hardened snow waves) and
for a minute or two drivers have some
difficulty in maintaining the pace on their
feet. Movement is warming, and in ten
minutes the column has settled itself to
steady marching. The pace is still brisk,
the light bad, and at intervals one or
another of US suddenly slips On slip
perry patch and falls prone"
This note is made in the article, as
comment on Scott's diary: The distress
ing fact stood out that even with the
best OF coats the ponies lose condition
badly if caught in a blizzard, and an ex-
pedition could not afford to let them lose
condition at the beginning Of a journey"
AS Scott says: This makes a late start
necessary for next year.
Troubles with the dogs were also fire.
quent. After describing a fight among
them, the diary remarks: 1t is such
stern facts that resign one to the sacrifice
of animal life in the effort to advance
such human projects as this
Troubles between the dogs and ponies
were frequent. One day, the article says.
near the end of the outward march, the
pony Weary Willie. true to his name, had
Jagged behind, and being tired, slipped
and fell. dog team was just coming
up. The instant they saw him fall they
dashed at him regardless Of control.
Weary Willie made gallant fight of it,
biting and shaking some of the dogs with
his teeth. but getting much bitten him
self The dogs were so tough that they
got off practically uninjured
The party had thirty two dogs, seventeen
ponies and three motor sledges when it
disembarhed on the great ice barrier. 1t
is stated that q catastrophe marked this
Decentralization. The ice was thawing
and tho
sledges broke through soft patch,
where all had been we'll a few hours
before, and went to the bottom.
Adventure With Killer Whales.
One Of the most interesting stories told
in the present installment Of the diaries
is that relating to strange adventure
on the second day Of Decentralization.
Scott came on deck a little late. after a
spell OF forty hours without sleep,
and saw six or seven killer whales
skirting the foe edge ahead Of his ship.
II have heard weird stories of these
beasts" writes Scott, "but had never
associated serious danger with them.
Close TO the waters edge lay the wire
stern rope of the ship. and our two
Eskimo dogs were tethered to this.
did not think of connecting the move
ments of the whales to this fact, and
seeing them so close 1 shouted to Pont-
ing. standing abreast of the ship. He
seized his camera and ran toward the
foe edge to get a close picture of the
beasts, which had momentarily disap-
peared.
THE next moment the hole floe under
him and the dogs heaved UP and split up
into fragments Whale after whale rose
under the ice. setting it rocking f1ercely.
One could hear the booming noise as the
whales rose under the ice and struck 1t
with their backs. Luckily Pointing kept
his feet and was able to fly to security.
BY an extraordinary chance, also. the
splits had been made around and be-
tween the dogs, so that neither Of them
fell into the water.
ni~r1ow The Tarrsh1. Taa$h