34 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec. 



twelve miles, but shall we ever reach it ? and in what state 

 shall we be to go on ? The dogs have had no hesitation in 

 eating their comrade ; the majority clamoured for his flesh this 

 evening, and neglected their fish in favour of it. There is the 

 chance that this change of diet may save the better animals. 



* This evening we were surprised by the visit of a skua 

 gull ; even our poor dogs became excited. We are nearly 

 1 80 miles from any possible feeding-ground it may have, and 

 it is impossible to say how it found us, but it is curious that it 

 should have come so soon after poor "Snatcher" has been 

 cut up.' 



'December 11. — Last night I had a terrible headache from 

 the hot work in the sun and the closeness of the tent. I 

 couldn't sleep for a long time, though we had the tent open 

 and our bags wide \ sleep eventually banished the headache, 

 and I awoke quite fit. The weather has improved, for although 

 still hot a southerly breeze has cooled the air. In covering 

 three and a half miles we have altered several bearings of the 

 land, so that it cannot now be far off. As we travel inward 

 the snow-covered ridges of our cape are blocking out the 

 higher range to the north. 



'About I A.M. a bank of stratus cloud came rapidly up 

 from the south; it looked white and fleecy towards the sun 

 and a peculiar chocolate-brown as it passed to the northward 

 and disappeared. It must have been travelling very fast and 

 about two or three thousand feet above us ; in an hour we had 

 a completely clear sky. 



' Hunger is beginning to nip us all, and we have many 

 conversations as to the dainties we could devour if they were 

 within reach.' 



^December 14. — We have arrived at a place where I think 

 we can depot our dog-food, and none too soon ; I doubt if we 

 could go on another day as we have been going. We have 

 just completed the worst march we have bad, and only 

 managed to advance two miles by the most strenuous exer- 

 tions. The snow grows softer as we approach the land ; the 

 sledge-runners sink from three to four inches, and one's feet 



