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exercise indeed below -54°. The lowest
temperature at which I have taken the
floes, I must run occassionally or
succumb to the cold.

So much for my resources of
travel. The apparent levity with which
I have detailed them seems to me on
reading over my account as little
less than blasphemous. No matter
how attired or how protected, a journey
at such temperatures is a fearful
undertaking, but to sleep in the open
air, without tent or fire, or possibility
of changing your frozen garments is
dreadful. With a strong team of dogs
a stout body, and a favourable spell
of weather one may run through this
seventy or one hundred miles with positive
ease, but [for me, I have nothing
to urge me but suffering comrades needing
food.] If the dogs should fail I must
sleep upon the ice, and my strength
must hold to bear me through the
march. A gale of wind would be nearly equivalent to
ruin [and I can only trust to
the great ruler of winds for I am
weak and ailing and I fear me
unable]

K.

Now, miss, go out and order your horses steeds; and learn that you can't have
them to day because one of them is still suffering from the effects of a "[D'et?]" which uncaballine des [confer?]
visited him while I was explaining all this. In fact I was called off to attend to him
whilst outlining the apron on draught No. 1