The absence of strong winds, in comparison with the almost unceasing
winter blizzards of the Ross Sea, was a feature of the Weddell Sea that
impressed itself upon me during the winter months.
Another race took place a few days after the "Derby." The two crack
teams, driven by Hurley and Wild, met in a race from Khyber Pass.
Wild's team, pulling 910 lbs., or 130 lbs. per dog, covered the 700
yds. in 2 min. 9 sec., or at the rate of 11.1 miles per hour. Hurley's
team, with the same load, did the run in 2 min. 16 sec. The race was
awarded by the judge to Hurley owing to Wild failing to "weigh in"
correctly. I happened to be a part of the load on his sledge, and a
skid over some new drift within fifty yards of the winning post
resulted in my being left on the snow. It should be said in justice to
the dogs that this accident, while justifying the disqualification,
could not have made any material difference in the time.
The approach of the returning sun was indicated by beautiful sunrise
glows on the horizon in the early days of July. We had nine hours'
twilight on the 10th, and the northern sky, low to the horizon, was
tinted with gold for about seven hours. Numerous cracks and leads
extended in all directions to within 300 yds. of the ship. Thin
wavering black lines close to the northern horizon were probably
distant leads refracted into the sky.
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