J 



S2 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 



in fact only showed itself by faint signs anywhere — a foot or two 

 of raised sledge-track, a dozen yards of the trail of the sledge- 

 meter wheel, or a spatter of hard snow-flicks where feet had 

 trodden. Sometimes none of these were distinct, but one got 

 an impression of lines which guided. The trouble was that on 

 the outward track one had to shape course constantly to avoid 

 the heaviest mounds, and consequently there were many zig-zags. 

 We lost a good deal over a mile by these halts, in which we 

 unharnessed and went on the search for signs. However, by 

 hook or crook, we managed to stick on the old track. Came on 

 the cairn quite suddenly, marched past it, and camped for lunch 

 at 7 miles. In the afternoon the sastrugi gradually diminished 

 in size and now we are on fairly level ground to-day, the obstruc- 

 tion practically at an end, and, to our joy, the tracks showing 

 up much plainer again. For the last two hours we had no diffi- 

 culty at all in following them. There has been a nice helpful 

 southerly breeze all day, a clear sky and comparatively warm 

 temperature. The air is dry again, so that tents and equipment 

 are gradually losing their icy condition imposed by the blizzard 

 conditions of the past week. 



Our sleeping-bags are slowly but surely getting wetter and 

 I'm afraid it will take a lot of this weather to put them right. 

 However, we all sleep well enough in them, the hours allowed 

 being now on the short side. We are slowly getting more hun- 

 gry, and it would be an advantage to have a little more food, 

 especially for lunch. If we get to the next depot in a few 

 marches (it is now less than 60 miles and we have a full week's 

 food) we ought to be able to open out a little, but we can't 

 look for a real feed till we get to the pony food depot. A long 

 way to go, and, by Jove, this is tremendous labour. 



Sunday, January 28. — Lunch, — 20°. Height, night, 10,130. 

 R.ii. Supper Temp. -18°. Little wind and heavy going in 

 forenoon. We just ran out 8 miles in 5 hours and added another 

 8 in 3 hours 40 mins. in the afternoon with a good wind and 

 better surface. It is very difficult to say if we are going up 

 or down hill; the barometer is quite different from outward 

 readings. We are 43 miles from the depot, with six days' food 

 in hand. We are camped opposite our lunch cairn of the 4th, 

 only half a day's march from the point at which the last sup- 

 porting party left us. 



