352 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 



this fog very unpleasantly, but later it gradually lifted, and to- 

 night it is very fine and warm. As the fog lifted we saw a 

 huge line of pressure ahead; I steered for a place where the 

 slope looked smoother, and we are camped beneath the spot to- 

 night. We must be ahead of Shackleton's position on the 17th. 

 All day we have been admiring a wonderful banded structure of 

 the rock; to-night it is beautifully clear on Mount Darwin. 



I have just told off the people to return to-morrow night: 

 Atkinson, Wright, Cherry-Garrard, and Keohane. All are dis- 

 appointed — poor Wright rather bitterly, I fear. I dread this 

 necessity of choosing — nothing could be more heartrending. I 

 calculated our programme to start from 85° 10' with 12 units 

 of food * and eight men. We ought to be in this position to- 

 morrow night, less one day's food. After all our harassing 

 trouble one cannot but be satisfied with such a prospect. 



Thursday, December 21. — Camp 43. Lat. 8';°7'. Long. 

 163° 4'. Height about 8000 feet. Upon Glacier Depot. Temp. 

 — 2°. We climbed the ice slope this morning and found a very 

 bad surface on top, as far as crevasses were concerned. We all 

 had falls into them, Atkinson and Teddy Evans going down the 

 length of their harness. Evans had rather a shake up. The 

 rotten ice surface continued for a long way, though I crossed 

 to and fro towards the land, trying to get on better ground. 



At 1 2 the wind came from the north, bringing the inevitable 

 [mist] up the valley and covering us just as we were in the 

 worst of places. We camped for lunch, and were obliged to 

 wait two and a half hours for a clearance. Then the sun be- 

 gan to struggle through and we were off. We soon got out of 

 the worst crevasses and on to a long snow slope leading on part 

 of Mount Darwin. It was a very long stiff pull up, and I held 

 on till 7.30, when, the other team being some way astern, I 

 camped. We have done a good march, risen to a satisfactory 

 altitude, and reached a good place for our depot. To-morrow 

 we start with our fullest summit load, and the first march should 

 show us the possibilities of our achievement. The temperature 

 has dropped below zero, but to-night it is so calm and bright 

 that one feels delightfully warm and comfortable in the tent. 

 Such weather helps greatly in all the sorting arrangements, &c., 

 which are going on to-night. For me it is an immense relief 



* A unit of food means a week's supplies for four men. 



