i9iil ANOTHER BLIZZARD 333 



shifted to W.N.W. and then N.N.W., from which direction 

 it is now blowing with falHng and drifting snow. The changes 

 of conditions are inconceivably rapid, perfectly bewildering. In 

 spite of all these difficulties we have managed to get 1 1 5^ miles 

 south and to this camp at 7 P.M. — the conditions of marching 

 simply horrible. 



The man-haulers led out 6 miles (geo.) and then camped. 

 I think they had had enough of leading. We passed them, 

 Bowers and I ahead on ski. We steered with compass, the 

 drifting snow across our ski, and occasional glimpse of south- 

 easterly sastrugi under them, till the sun showed dimly for the 

 last hour or so. The whole weather conditions seem thoroughly 

 disturbed, and if they continue so when we are on the Glacier, 

 we shall be very awkwardly placed. It is really time the luck 

 turned in our favour — we have had all too little of it. Every 

 mile seems to have been hardly won under such conditions. The 

 ponies did splendidly and the forage is lasting a little better 

 than expected. Victor was found to have quite a lot of fat on 

 him and the others are pretty certain to have more, so that 

 we should have no difficulty whatever as regards transport if 

 only the weather v/as kind. 



Monday, December 4. — Camp 29, 9 A.M. I roused the 

 party at 6. During the night the wind had changed from 

 N.N.W. to S.S.E.; it was not strong, but the sun was obscured 

 and the sky looked heavy; patches of land could be faintly seen 

 and we thought that at any rate we could get on, but during 

 breakfast the wind suddenly increased in force and afterwards 

 a glance outside was sufficient to show a regular white floury 

 blizzard. We have all been out building fresh walls for the 

 ponies — an uninviting task, but one which greatly adds to the 

 comfort of the animals, who look sleepy and bored, but not at 

 all cold. The dogs came up with us as we camped last night 

 and the man-haulers arrived this morning as we finished the pony 

 wall. So we are all together again. The latter had great diffi- 

 culty in following our tracks, and say they could not have steered 

 a course without them. It is utterly impossible to push ahead 

 in this weather, and one is at a complete loss to account for it. 

 The barometer rose from 29-4 to 29-9 last night, a phenomenal 

 rise. Evidently there is very great disturbance of atmospheric 

 conditions. Well, one must stick it out, that is all, and hope 



