400 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [February 



get a wind to help us. Evans evidently had a strong wind here, 

 S.E. I should think. The temperature goes very low at night 

 now when the sky is clear as at present. As a matter of fact 

 this is wonderfully fair weather — the only drawback the spoiling 

 of the surface and absence of wind. We see all tracks very plain, 

 bwt the pony-walls have evidently been badly drifted up. Some 

 kind people had substituted a cairn at last camp 27. The old 

 cairns do not seem to have suffered much. 



'Sunday, February 26. — Lunch Temp. —17°. Sky overcast 

 at start, but able see tracks and cairn distinct at long distance. 

 Did a little better, 6^ miles to date. Bowers and Wilson now 

 in front. Find great relief pulling behind with no necessity to 

 keep attention on track. Very cold nights now and cold feet 

 starting march, as day footgear doesn't dry at all. We are 

 doing well on our food, but we ought to have yet more. I hope 

 the next depot, now only 50 miles, will find us with enough 

 surplus to open out. The fuel shortage still an anxiety. 



R.40. Temp. — 21°. Nine hours' solid marching has given 

 us 11^ miles. Only 43 miles from the next depot. Wonder- 

 fully fine weather but cold, very cold. Nothing dries and we 

 get our feet cold too often. We want more food yet and es- 

 pecially more fat. Fuel is woefully short. We can scarcely 

 hope to get a better surface at this season, but I wish we could 

 have some help from the wind, though it might shake us badly 

 if the temp, didn't rise. 



Monday, February 27. — Desperately cold last night: —33° 

 when we got up, with — 37° minimum. Some suffering from cold 

 feet, but all got good rest. We must open out on food soon. 

 But we have done 7 miles this morning and hope for some 5 this 

 afternoon. Overcast sky and good surface till now, when sun 

 shows again. It is good to be marching the cairns up, but 

 there is still much to be anxious about. We talk of little but 

 food, except after meals. Land disappearing in satisfactory 

 manner. Pray God we have no further set-backs. We are 

 naturally always discussing possibility of meeting dogs, where 

 and when, &c. It is a critical position. We may find ourselves 

 in safety at next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt. 



Camp R.41. Temp. - 32°. Still fine clear weather but very 

 cold — absolutely calm to-night. We have got off an excellent 

 march for these days (12-2) and are much earlier than usual in 



