HARD PULLING 397 



sort of stew fry of pemmlcan and horseflesh, and voted it the 

 best hoosh we had ever had on a sledge journey. The absence 

 of poor Evans is a help to the commissariat, but if he had been 

 here in a fit state we might have got along faster. I wonder 

 what is in store for us, with some little alarm at the lateness of 

 the season. 



Monday, February 20. — R.34. Lunch Temp. - 13°; Sup- 

 per Temp. — 15°. Same terrible surface; four hours' hard plod- 

 ding in morning brought us to our Desolation Camp, where we 

 had the four-day blizzard. We looked for more pony meat, 

 but found none. After lunch we took to ski with some improve- 

 ment of comfort. Total mileage for day 7 — the ski tracks pretty 

 plain and easily followed this afternoon. We have left another 

 cairn behind. Terribly slow progress, but we hope for better 

 things as we clear the land. There is a tendency to cloud over 

 in the S.E. to-night, which may turn to our advantage. At pres- 

 ent our sledge and ski leave deeply ploughed tracks which can be 

 seen winding for miles behind. It is distressing, but as usual 

 trials are forgotten when we camp, and good food is our lot. 

 Pray God we get better travelling as we are not fit as we were, 

 and the season is advancing apace. 



Tuesday, February 21. — R.35. Lunch Temp. -9>4°; Sup- 

 per Temp. — 11°. Gloomy and overcast when we started; a 

 good deal warmer. The marching almost as bad as yesterday. 

 Heavy toiling all day, inspiring gloomiest thoughts at times. 

 Rays of comfort when we picked up tracks and cairns. At lunch 

 we seemed to have missed the way, but an hour or two after we 

 passed the last pony walls, and since, we struck a tent ring, 

 ending the march actually on our old pony-tracks. There is a 

 critical spot here with a long stretch between cairns. If we can 

 tide that over we get on the regular cairn route, and with luck 

 should stick to it; but everything depends on the weather. We 

 never won a march of 8>4 miles with greater difficulty, but we 

 can't go on like this. We are drawing away from the land and 

 perhaps may get better things in a day or two. I devoutly 

 hope so. 



Wednesday, February 22. — R.36. Supper Temp. -2°. 

 There is little doubt we are in for a rotten critical time going 

 home, and the lateness of the season may make it really serious. 

 Shortly after starting to-day the wind grew very fresh from the 



