I9I2] FOLLOWING TRACKS 381 



I are the only members of the party without troubles just at 

 present. The weather still looks unsettled, and I fear a suc- 

 cession of blizzards at this time of year; the wind is strong from 

 the south, and this afternoon has been very helpful with the full 

 sail. Needless to say I shall sleep much better with our pro- 

 vision bag full again. The only real anxiety now is the finding 

 of the Three Degree Depot. The tracks seem as good as ever 

 so far, sometimes for 30 or 40 yards we lose them under drifts, 

 but then they reappear quite clearly raised above the surface. 

 If the light is good there is not the least difficulty in following. 

 Blizzards are our bugbear, not only stopping our marches, but 

 the cold damp air takes it out of us. Bowers got another rating 

 sight to-night — it was wonderful how he managed to observe in 

 such a horribly cold wind. He has been on ski to-day whilst 

 Wilson walked by the sledge or pulled ahead of it. 



Friday, January 16. — Temp. — 17°. Height 9700, must be 

 high barometer. Started late, 8.50 — for no reason, as I called 

 the hands rather early. We must have fewer delays. There 

 was a good stiff breeze and plenty of drift, but the tracks held. 

 To our old blizzard camp of the 7th we got on well, 7 miles. 

 But beyond the camp we found the tracks completely wiped out. 

 We searched for some time, then marched on a short way and 

 lunched, the weather gradually clearing, though the wind hold- 

 ing. Knowing there were two cairns at four mile intervals, we 

 had little anxiety till we picked up the first far on our right, 

 then steering right by a stroke of fortune, and Bowers' sharp 

 eyes caught a glimpse of the second far on the left. Evidently 

 we made a bad course outward at this part. There is not a sign 

 of our tracks between these cairns, but the last, marking our 

 night camp of the 6th, No. 59, is in the belt of hard sastrugi, 

 and I was comforted to see signs of the track reappearing as 

 we camped. I hope to goodness we can follow it to-morrow. 

 We marched 16 miles (geo.) to-day, but made good only 15-4. 



Saturday, January 27. — R. 10. Temp. —16° (lunch), 

 -14-3° (evening). Minimum — 19°. Height 9900. Barometer 

 low? Called the hands half an hour late, but we got away In 

 good time. The forenoon march was over the belt of storm- 

 tossed sastrugi; It looked like a rough sea. Wilson and I pulled 

 In front on ski, the remainder on foot. It was very tricky work 

 following the track, which pretty constantly disappeared, and 



