438 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 



we got among very bad crevasses through keeping too far to the eastward. 

 This delayed us slightly and we made the depot on the third day. We 

 reached the Lower Glacier Depot three and a half days after. The lower 

 part of the glacier was very badly crevassed. These crevasses we had never 

 seen on the way up, as they had been covered with three to four feet of 

 snow. All the bridges of crevasses were concave and very wide ; no doubt 

 their normal summer condition. On Christmas Day we made in to the 

 lateral moraine of the Cloudmaker and collected geological specimens. The 

 march across the Barrier was only remarkable for the extremely bad lights 

 we had. For eight consecutive days we only saw an exceedingly dim sun 

 during three hours. Up to One Ton Depot our marches had averaged 14"! 

 geographical miles a day. We arrived at Cape Evans on January 28, 19 12, 

 after being away for three months. [E.L.A.] 



Note 24, p. 364. — January 3. Return of the second supporting party. 



Under average conditions, the return party should have well fulfilled 

 Scott's cheery anticipations. Three-man teams had done excellently on 

 previous sledging expeditions, whether in Discovery days or as recently as 

 the mid-winter visit to the Emperor penguins' rookery ; and the three in 

 this party were seasoned travellers with a skilled navigator to lead them. 

 But a blizzard held them up for three days before reaching the head of the 

 glacier. They had to press on at speed. By the time they reached the foot 

 of the glacier, Lieut. Evans developed symptoms of scurvy. His spring 

 work of surveying and sledging out to Corner Camp and the man-hauling, 

 with Lashly, across the Barrier after the breakdown of the motors, had 

 been successfully accomplished ; this sequel to the Glacier and Summit 

 marches was an unexpected blow. 



Withal, he continued to pull, while bearing the heavy strain of guiding 

 the course. While the hauling power thus grew less, the leader had to make 

 up for loss of speed by lengthening the working hours. He put his watch 

 on an hour. With the ' turning out ' signal thus advanced, the actual 

 marching period reached 12 hours. The situation was saved, and Evans 

 flattered himself on his ingenuity. But the men knew it all the time, and 

 no word said ! 



At One Ton Camp he was unable to stand without the support of his 

 ski sticks; but with the help of his companions struggled on another 53 

 miles in four days. Then he could go no farther. His companions, reject- 

 ing his suggestion that he be left in his sleeping-bag with a supply of pro- 

 visions while they pressed on for help, ' cached ' everything that could be 

 spared, and pulled him on the sledge with a devotion matching that of their 

 captain years before, when he and Wilson brought their companion Shackle- 

 ton, ill and helpless, safely home to the Discovery. Four days of this pull- 

 ing, with a southerly wind to help, brought them to Corner Camp ; then 

 came a heavy snowfall: the sledge could not travel. It was a critical mo- 

 ment. Next day Crean set out to tramp alone to Hut Point, 34 miles 

 away. Lashly stayed to nurse Lieut. Evans, and most certainly saved his 

 life till help came. Crean reached Hut Point after an exhausting march of 



