I9I2] ACCIDENT TO SCOTT 385 



it makes a lot of difference. Wilson's leg much better. Evans' 

 fingers now very bad, two nails coming off, blisters burst. 



Friday, February 2. — 9340. R. 16. Temp.: Lunch -19°, 

 Supper - 17°. We started well on a strong southerly wind. 

 Soon got to a steep grade, when the sledge overran and upset 

 us one after another. We got off our ski, and pulling on foot 

 reeled off 9 miles by lunch at 1.30. Started in the afternoon on 

 foot, going very strong. We noticed a curious circumstance 

 towards the end of the forenoon. The tracks were drifted over, 

 but the drifts formed a sort of causeway along which we pulled. 

 In the afternoon we soon came to a steep slope — the same on 

 which we exchanged sledges on December 28. All went well till, 

 in trying to keep the track at the same time as my feet, on a very 

 slippery surface, I came an awful ' purler ' on my shoulder. It 

 is horribly sore to-night and another sick person added to our 

 tent — three out of fine injured, and the most troublesome sur- 

 faces to come. We shall be lucky if we get through without 

 serious injury. Wilson's leg is better, but might easily get bad 

 again, and Evans' fingers. 



At the bottom of the slope this afternoon we came on a con- 

 fused sea of sastrugi. We lost the track. Later, on soft snow, 

 we picked up E. Evans' return track, which we are now following. 

 We have managed to get off 17 miles. The extra food is certainly 

 helping us, but we are getting pretty hungry. The weather is 

 already a trifle warmer and the altitude lower, and only 80 miles 

 or so to Mount Darwin. It is time we were off the summit — 

 Pray God another four days will see us pretty well clear of it. 

 Our bags are getting very wet and we ought to have more sleep. 



Saturday, February 3. — R.17. Temp.: Lunch -20°; Sup- 

 per -20°. Height 9040 feet. Started pretty well on foot; 

 came to steep slope with crevasses (few). I went on ski to 

 avoid another fall, and we took the slope gently with our sail, 

 constantly losing the track, but picked up a much weathered cairn 

 on our right. Vexatious delays, searching for tracks, &c., re- 

 duced morning march to 8-i miles. Afternoon, came along a 

 little better, but again lost tracks on hard slope. To-night we are 

 near camp of December 26, but cannot see cairn. Have decided 

 it is waste of time looking for tracks and cairn, and shall push 

 on due north as fast as we can. 



The surface is greatly changed since we passed outward, in 



VOL. I — 2S 



