Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/505

Pyaree started lame, but within a few days had lost any slight trouble which she had. Gulab had proved that he would chafe easily with the breast harness, and in his case a collar was taken as well. Their first day they did twelve miles, camping about six miles to the S.E. of Safety Camp. Where the sea ice joined the Barrier there was a wide tide-crack, and Khan Sahib unluckily fell partially into this; he was a very quiet animal, and with the aid of an Alpine rope and hauling on his fore-legs they got him up and over on to the surface.

The next day they made good another twelve miles over a slightly worse surface, camping within six miles of Corner Camp. Owing to the dogs' experience in the earlier part of the year, we realised that this area was more crevassed than it had been previously. I had left it to Wright's judgment as to whether the leaders of the mules were to be linked up by the Alpine rope in going over these last six miles. He thought it fit to do this and they proceeded in that order. The surface they encountered was exceedingly deep and heavy, and only two of the mules struck crevasses and these, luckily, without any mishap. The mules were so tired when they had finished the six miles to Corner Camp that Wright decided to remain there for half a day.

On November 1 the two dog-teams, with Cherry-Garrard, Demetri, and myself, started to follow the mules. The dogs' loads, which had been made out to allow about 75 lbs. per dog, proved to be heavy from the start; the progress was exceedingly slow and we completed fifteen miles for the first day. The next day, again over a very