26 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 



the result of the freezing of comparatively recent pools in the 

 winter pack, and it follows that they must be getting weaker 

 day by day. If one could be certain firstly, that these big areas 

 extend to the south, and, secondly, that the ship could go through 

 them, it would be worth getting up steam. We have arrived at 

 the edge of one of these floes, and the ship will not go through 

 under sail, but I'm sure she would do so under steam. Is this 

 a typical floe? And are there more ahead? 



One of the ponies got down this afternoon — Oates thinks it 

 was probably asleep and fell, but the incident is alarming; the 

 animals are not too strong. On this account this delay is 

 harassing — otherwise we should not have much to regret. 



Saturday, December 17. — 67° 24'. 177° 34'. Drift for 48 

 hours S. 82 E. 9.7'. It rained hard and the glass fell rapidly 

 last night with every sign of a coming gale. This morning the 

 wind increased to force 6 from the west with snow. At noon the 

 barograph curve turned up and the wind moderated, the sky 

 gradually clearing. 



To-night it is fairly bright and clear; there is a light south- 

 westerly wind. It seems rather as though the great gales of the 

 Westerlies must begin in these latitudes with such mild disturb- 

 ances as we have just experienced. I think it is the first time 

 I have known rain beyond the Antarctic circle — it is interesting 

 to speculate on its effect in melting the floes. 



We have scarcely moved all day, but bergs which have be- 

 come quite old friends through the week are on the move, and 

 one has approached and almost circled us. Evidently these bergs 

 are moving about in an irregular fashion, only they must have 

 all travelled a little east in the forty-eight hours as we have done. 

 Another interesting observation to-night is that of the slow pas- 

 sage of a stream of old heavy floes past the ship and the lighter 

 ice in which she is held. 



There are signs of water sky to the south, and I'm impa- 

 tient to be off, but still one feels that waiting may be good policy, 

 and I should certainly contemplate waiting some time longer if 

 it weren't for the ponies. 



Everyone is wonderfully cheerful; there is laughter all day 

 long. Nelson finished his series of temperatures and samples 

 to-day with an observation at 1 800 metres. 



