1902] SLEDGE PARTY TO CAPE CROZIER 169 



or three miles of the ship, and we had been forced to kill them 

 at this distance in providing for our winter consumption. Not 

 wishing to drag the carcases such a long distance until they 

 were required, we had left them partly buried in snow, but on 

 revisiting the spot somewhat later we found to our dismay that 

 the skua gulls had been at our cache and had wrought great 

 havoc. It was extraordinary to see the manner in which they 

 had torn the frozen flesh from the bones with their powerful 

 bills. 



'■February 26. — . . . The main hut is roofed and the 

 windows placed ; there is little more to be done outside? 

 though the whole of the inner lining has to be put up. The 

 first magnetic hut is almost finished ; a good quantity of 

 provisions and oil has been landed, with fifteen tons of coal. 

 I feel we can now leave the ship without anxiety, and have 

 been pushing forward our arrangements for the first trip, which 

 I hope to lead myself. The object will be to endeavour to 

 reach our record at Cape Crozier over the barrier, and to leave 

 a fresh communication there with details of our winter 

 quarters. 



* The snow on the " ski " slopes has become very hard and 

 rough, and we can no longer enjoy that exercise. 



^February 27. — I went out with Barne on ski, and was 

 foolish enough to try to run the upper slope, which is now 

 covered with hard sastrugi (wind waves). As I was coming 

 down at a good pace, my right ski was turned by one of these, 

 and in falling I brought a heavy strain on my right knee, and 

 damaged the hamstring. I was forced to limp back and get it 

 bandaged.' On the following day I found my leg much 

 swollen, and could scarcely put foot to the ground, and to my 

 great annoyance, as the days went on, the improvement was so 

 slow that I had to abandon all idea of accompanying the 

 sledge party to Cape Crozier, and to content myself with 

 deputing the charge to Royds. I already foresaw how much 

 there was to be learnt if we were to do good sledging work in 

 the spring, and to miss such an opportunity of gaining experi- 

 ence was terribly trying ; however, there was nothing to be 



