192 SCOTT'S: EAST: 2XPRDITION [FEBRUARY 
might be able to raise it if it slipped down a crevasse; and this 
was quite a probable event, for in traversing along a piedmont 
glacier the party moves parallel to the crevasses. One thus 
reaches them imperceptibly, and the whole party with its outfit 
may be marching over a crevasse, whereas in crossing them at 
right angles this is rarely the case. 
We turned our backs finally on Cape Roberts at 11 A.M. on 
February 5. Our flag waved bravely, and below it was the cairn 
of stones covering the food left there by Scott’s orders. If 
we had to return it would give us a breathing space; but I never 
saw the cape again. For many months the flag was left in soli- 
tude. The screw pack never broke adrift that winter. In the 
next spring six desperate men sledging southward, to more en- 
durable—though, as they thought, no less solitary—quarters, 
here found the first news of the main party. Our depot possibly 
saved Petty officer Browning’s life. It certainly gave the North- 
ern Party their first bearable day for many months. Brave old 
flag—it hangs in Tewkesbury in Priestley’s home, and there my 
old Browning was restored to me after many months! 
So we marched on. We were all stiff and out of training, 
and the sledge did not pull easily, but we reached the tide crack 
and crossed it much more readily than I expected. After lunch 
we pulled up the steep slope of the glacier and to our delight 
found the surface grow harder almost every hour. But other 
troubles were upon us. So much so that for three days I felt 
it doubtful if anyone would ever read my diary! However, on 
the evening of the 8th I wrote up the 5th (and succeeding days) 
as follows: 
“Then quite suddenly we came on huge crevasses all round 
the shop. Some open—which I took care not to keep too close 
to, and others bridged. They seemed too wide to do anything 
with, but after cautioning the others to tread quietly, I prodded 
across safely, though the ice axe pushed in all its length easily. 
Then the others followed and the sledge after. Gran fell in at 
the near edge and saw the straight wall. Several of these were 
over 20 feet wide, but we had to chance them, and I tested them 
all before the sledge started. Then we marched along between 
two fairly visible ones and luckily they didn’t join. The surface 
got flatter and they died out gradually, so that we made fair 
progress. We came to another enclosed snow basin, and I felt 
