242 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION Quly 



visible. At Wind Vane Hill the anemometer has registered 68 

 miles between 9 and 10 a.m. — a record. The gusts at the hut 

 frequently exceed 70 m.p.h. — luckily the temperature is up to 

 -j- 5°, so that there is no hardship for the workers outside. 



Thursday, July 13. — The wind continued to blow through- 

 out the night, with squalls of even greater violence than before; 

 a new record was created by a gust of 77 m.p.h. shown by the 

 anemometer. 



The snow is so hard blown that only the fiercest gusts raise 

 the drifting particles — it is interesting to note the balance of 

 nature whereby one evil is eliminated by the excess of another. 



For an hour after lunch yesterday the gale showed signs 

 of moderation and the ponies had a short walk over the floe. 

 Out for exercise at this time I was obliged to lean against the 

 wind, my light overall clothes flapping wildly and almost dragged 

 from me; later when the wind rose again it was quite an eftort 

 to stagger back to the hut against It. 



This morning the gale still rages, but the sky is much clearer; 

 the only definite clouds are those which hang to the southward 

 of Erebus summit, but the moon, though bright, still exhibits a 

 watery appearance, showing that there is still a thin stratus 

 above us. 



The work goes on very steadily — the men are making cram- 

 pons and ski boots of the new style. Evans is constructing plans 

 of the Dry Valley and Koettlitz Glacier with the help of the 

 Western Party. The physicists are busy always, Meares is mak- 

 ing dog harness, Oates ridding the ponies of their parasites, and 

 Ponting printing from his negatives. 



Science cannot be served by ' dilettante ' methods, but de- 

 mands a mind spurred by ambition or the satisfaction of ideals. 



Our most popular game for evening recreation is chess; 

 so many players have developed that our two sets of chessmen 

 are inadequate. 



Friday, July 14. — We have had a horrible fright and are 

 not yet out of the wood. 



At noon yesterday one of the best ponies, ' Bones,' sud- 

 denly went off his feed — soon after it was evident that he was dis- 

 tressed and there could be no doubt that he was suffering from 



