1876 THE PICKAXE LEFT BEHIND. 27 



living creature Ave have set eyes on since leaving the 

 " Poppies." 



'Ibth. — Temperature minus G°. Bright sunshine 

 and calm. Everything hoisted up to dry. Travelling 

 a little better than yesterday. Misty about the horizon 

 iceward. 



' On camping in Yelverton Bay, a very fair journey, 

 the pickaxe was found to have been left behind at the 

 last encampment, where it had been used for securing 

 the tent guy to. I prepared for a walk back, but the 

 crew all wanted to go instead, so I ultimately arranged 

 to take Ayles with me to-morrow, while the sledge 

 goes on ; we should pick them up by camping- time. 

 The men have, I think, been all the better for their 

 rest yesterday. No snow-blindness except my own — 

 my eyes being extremely painful. 



4 16th. — Gave Good orders to take the sledge on, 

 with six hands, for the extreme point ; proceed the 

 usual eleven hours, or, in the event of fog, camp. 



' Ayles and I started off for the pickaxe with our 

 luncheons. Arrived at previous encampment after 

 four and-a-half hours' walking ; from the travelling 

 and pace we had come I put it at ten statute miles. 

 Just as we got the pickaxe a puff of wind came from 

 the north-east, and a fog bank to iceward made us 

 hurry on our way back. The wind soon increased to 

 a moderate gale, with a very high drift, which 

 threatened to destroy our friend the sledge tracks. 

 About an hour afterwards we lost sight of the extreme 

 of land, so I concluded Good would camp. 



' Beached our morning starting-point in nine hours, 

 where we halted, standing with our backs to the wind, 



