378 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 



Saturday, January 20. — Lunch camp, 9810, We have come 

 along very well this morning, although the surface was terrible 

 bad — 9.3 miles in 5 hours 20 m. This has brought us to our 

 Southern Depot, and we pick up 4 days' food. We carry on 7 

 days from to-night with 55 miles to go to the Half Degree 

 Depot made on January 10. The same sort of weather and a 

 little more wind, sail drawing well. 



Night Camp R. 3. 9860. Temp. - 18°. It was blowing 

 quite hard and drifting when we started our afternoon march. 

 At first with full sail we went along at a great rate; then we 

 got on to an extraordinary surface, the drifting snow lying in 

 heaps; it clung to the ski, which could only be pushed forward 

 with an effort. The pulling was really awful, but we went steadily 

 on and camped a short way beyond our cairn of the 14th. I'm 

 afraid we are in for a bad pull again to-morrow, luckily the 

 wind holds, I shall be very glad when Bowers gets his ski; I'm 

 afraid he must find these long marches very trying with short 

 legs, but he is an undefeated little sportsman. I think Oates 

 is feeling the cold and fatigue more than most of us. It is blow- 

 ing pretty hard to-night, but with a good march we have earned 

 one good hoosh and are very comfortable in the tent. It is every- 

 thing now to keep up a good marching pace; I trust we shall be 

 able to do so and catch the ship. Total march, i8]/2 miles. 



Sunday, January 21. — R. 4. 10,010. Temp, blizzard, — 18° 

 to — 11°, to — 14° now. Awoke to a stiff blizzard; air very 

 thick with snow and sun very dim. We decided not to march 

 owing to likelihood of losing track; expected at least a day of 

 lay up, but whilst at lunch there was a sudden clearance and 

 wind dropped to light breeze. We got ready to march, but gear 

 was so iced up we did not get away till 3.45. Marched till 7.40 

 — a terribly weary four-hour drag; even with helping wind we 

 only did 5J/2 miles (634 statute). The surface bad, horribly 

 bad on new sastrugi, and decidedly rising again in elevation. 



We are going to have a pretty hard time this next 100 miles 

 I expect. If it was difficult to drag downhill over this belt, it 

 vv'ill probably be a good deal more difficult to drag up. Luckily 

 the cracks are fairly distinct, though we only see our cairns when 

 less than a mile away; 45 miles to the next depot and 6 days' 

 food in hand — then pick up 7 days' food (T. -22°) and 90 

 miles to go to the ' Three Degree ' Depot. Once there we 



