smokeless as our own lamps; if it is neglected, it smokes and smells
vilely. As the Eskimos are not highly romantic, a woman's skill in
dressing skins and in making clothes largely determines the quality of
husband she is likely to get. The Eskimo men have not a very critical
eye for feminine beauty, but they are strong in appreciation of domestic
accomplishments.

Even so early as November we began to be worried about the dogs. Many of
them had died; they were nearly all in poor condition, and the food was
none too abundant. It is always necessary to take up twice as many dogs
as will be needed, in order to provide for probable accidents. On the
8th of November there were only one hundred and ninety-three out of the
two hundred and forty-six with which we had left Etah in August. The
whale meat brought for them seemed to be lacking in nutrition.

Four more that were in the worst condition were killed, to save the dog
food, and on the 10th we had to kill five more. Then we tried the
experiment of feeding them on pork, with the result that seven more
died. I began to wonder whether we should have enough dogs left for the
spring journey toward the Pole.

It is absolutely impossible to figure on the Eskimo dog's uncertain
tenure of life. The creatures will endure the severest hardships; they
will travel and draw heavy loads on practically nothing to eat; they
will live for days exposed to the wildest arctic blizzard; and then,
sometimes in good weather, after an ordinary meal of apparently the best
food, they will lie down and die.

On the 25th of November we again overhauled and counted the dogs. There
were now only one hundred and sixty left, and ten of these were in bad
condition. But I discovered that day, on having the frozen walrus meat
ripped up on the forecastle, that we had a greater supply than we had
believed, and the discovery drove away the nightmare which had been
haunting us. From now on the dogs could be fed a little more generous
allowance of the best kind of food. For, after we had tried practically
everything, including our bacon, it was found that walrus meat agreed
with them better than anything else.

The importance of this matter must not be lost sight of for an instant.
Dogs, and plenty of them, were vitally necessary to the success of the
expedition. Had an epidemic deprived us of these animals, we might just
as well have remained comfortably at home in the United States. All the
money, brai