1902] OUR SOUTHERLY LIMIT 59 



and were left with only our tracks to guide us back to it, but 

 we pushed on for perhaps a mile or more in hopes that the 

 weather would clear ; then, as there was no sign of this, and 

 we could see little more than a hundred yards, we realised 

 there might be considerable risk and could be no advantage 

 in proceeding, and so turned and retraced our footsteps to the 

 camp. 



* This camp we have now decided must be our last, for we 

 have less than a fortnight's provision to take us back to Depot 

 " B," and with the dogs in their present state it would be im- 

 possible to make forced marches ; we have, therefore, reached 

 our southerly limit. Observations give it as between 82.16 S. 

 and 82.17 S. ; if this compares poorly with our hopes and 

 expectations on leaving the ship, it is a more favourable result 

 than we anticipated when those hopes were first blighted by 

 the failure of the dog team. 



' Whilst one cannot help a deep sense of disappointment 

 in reflecting on the " might have been " had our team remained 

 in good health, one cannot but remember that even as it is 

 we have made a greater advance towards a pole of the earth 

 than has ever yet been achieved by a sledge party. 



' We feel a little inclined to grumble at the thick weather 

 that surrounds us ; it has a depressing effect, and in our state 

 of hunger we feel the cold though the temperature is + 15° ; 

 but we must not forget that we had great luck in the fine 

 weather which gave us such a clear view of the land two days 

 ago.' 



^December 31. — As we rose this morning the sun was 

 still obscured by low stratus cloud, which rapidly rolled away, 

 however; first the headlands and then the mountains stood 

 out, and we could see that we had achieved our object of 

 yesterday in opening out the inlet ; but in this direction the 

 cloud continued to hang persistently, so that it was to little 

 purpose that we had obtained such a position. We could see 

 now that the inlet certainly turned to the north of west ; on 

 either side the irregular outlines of the mountains were clear 

 against a blue sky, and, descending gradually towards the level, 



