 In August , the preparations extended to laying depots ; an early party established a depot 5 @.@ 5 miles ( 8 @.@ 9 km ) to the south of the main hut — a grotto in the ice known as Aladdin 's Cave — but returned without the dogs . Mertz and two others set off to rescue the dogs , but in heavy winds covered less than a mile in two hours , and returned to the hut . " If it depended only on me , " Mertz wrote in his diary , after four days ' more wind confined them to the hut , " we would be in our sleeping bags outside in the snow , and we would at least try to find the dogs . Mawson is definitely too cautious , and I wonder if he would show enough gumption during the sledging expedition . " The following day Mertz was part of a party of three that made it to Aladdin 's Cave to rescue the dogs ; when strong winds confined them to the depot for three days they spent the time expanding the cave . 
