344 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 



to the crossbars. Needless to say, the hauling is terrible when 

 this occurs. 



We steered for the Commonwealth Range during the fore- 

 noon till we reached about the middle of the glacier. This 

 showed that the unnamed glacier to the S.W. raised great pres- 

 sure. Observing this, I altered course for the ' Cloudmaker ' 

 and later still farther to the west. We must be getting a much 

 better view of the southern side of the main glacier than Shackle- 

 ton got, and consequently have observed a number of peaks which 

 he did not notice. We are about 5 or 5^ days behind him 

 as a result of the storm, but on this surface our sledges could 

 not be more heavily laden than they are, in fact we have not 

 nearly enough runner surface as it is. Moreover, the sledges 

 are packed too high and therefore capsize too easily. I do not 

 think the glacier can be so broad as S. shows it. Certainly the 

 scenery is not nearly so impressive as that of the Ferrar, but 

 there are interesting features showing up — a distinct banded 

 structure on Mount Elizabeth, which we think may well be a 

 recurrence of the Beacon Sandstone — more banding on the Com- 

 monwealth Range. During the three days we have been here 

 the wind has blown down the glacier at night, or rather from 

 the S.W., and it has been calm in the morning — a sort of nightly 

 land-breeze. There is also a very remarkable difference in 

 temperature between day and night. It was +33° when we 

 started, and without hard work we were literally soaked through 

 with perspiration. It is now + 23°. Evans' party kept up much 

 better to-day; we had their shoes into our tent this morning, 

 and P.O. Evans put them into shape again. 



fVednesday, December 13. — Camp 35. A most damnably 

 dismal day. We started at eight — the pulling terribly bad, 

 though the glide decidedly good; a new crust in patches, not 

 sufficient to support the ski, but without possibility of hold. 

 Therefore, as the pullers got on the hard patches they slipped 

 back. The sledges plunged into the soft places and stopped 

 dead. Evans' party got away first; we followed, and for some 

 time helped them forward at their stops, but this proved alto- 

 gether too much for us, so I forged ahead and camped at i P.M., 

 as the others were far astern. During lunch I decided to try 

 the lo-feet runners under the crossbars and we spent three hours 

 in securing them. There was no delay on account of the slow 



