1912] A CHILL IN THE AIR 



371 



very bright, calm at start; first two hours terribly slow. Lunch, 

 4% hours, ^-6 miles geo. ; Sight Lat. 88° 52'. Afternoon, 4 

 hours, 5-1 miles — total 10-7, 



In the afternoon we seemed to be going better; clouds spread 

 over from the west with light chill wind and for a few brief 

 minutes we tasted the delight of having the sledge following free. 

 Alas! in a few minutes it was worse than ever, in spite of the 

 sun's eclipse. However, the short experience was salutary. I 

 had got to fear that we were weakening badly in our pulling; 

 those few minutes shov/ed me that we only want a good surface 

 to get along as merrily as of old. With the surface as it is, 

 one gets horribly sick of the monotony and can easily imagine 

 oneself getting played out, were it not that at the lunch and night 

 camps one so quickly forgets all one's troubles and bucks up for 

 a fresh effort. It is an effort to keep up the double figures, but 

 If we can do so for another four marches we ought to get 

 through. It is going to be a close thing. 



At camping to-night everyone was chilled and we guessed 

 a cold snap, but to our surprise the actual temperature was 

 higher than last night, when we could dawdle in the sun. It is 

 most unaccountable why we should suddenly feel the cold in this 

 manner; partly the exhaustion of the march, but partly some 

 damp quality in the air, I think. Little Bowers Is wonderful; 

 In spite of my protest he would take sights after we had camped 

 to-night, after marching in the soft snow all day where we have 

 been comparatively restful on ski. 



Night position. — Lat. 88° 57' 25'' S. ; Long. 160° 21' E.; 

 Var. 179° 49' W. Minimum T. -23-5°. 



Only 62 miles (geo.) from the Pole to-night. We ought to 

 do the trick, but oh ! for a better surface. It Is quite evident 

 this is a comparatively windless area. The sastrugi are few and 

 far between, and all soft. I should imagine occasional blizzards 

 sweep up from the S.E., but none with violence. We have deep 

 tracks in the snow, which Is soft as deep as you like to dig 

 down. 



Saturday, January 13. — Lunch Height 10,390. Barometer 

 low? lunch Lat. 89° 3" 18''. Started on some soft snow, very 

 heavy dragging and went slow. We could have supposed nothing 

 but that such conditions would last from now onward, but to our 

 surprise, after two hours we came on a sea of sastrugi, all lying 



