64 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan. 



evening we saw the last of Mount Markham, and Mount Long- 

 staff is already growing small in the distance.' 



^January 3. — We are not finding our homeward march so 

 easy as we expected, and we are not clearing a large margin 

 over the distances which are actually necessary for each day ; 

 it is plain that if there are blizzards now we must go on right 

 through them. But to-day we have done rather better than 

 before. This morning there was a hot sun, which brought 

 the snow-surface nearly up to freezing-point, and we found the 

 sledge drew easily. This afternoon there was a fresh breeze, 

 when we got a great deal of help from our sail. The dogs 

 have not pulled throughout the day — we do not expect it of 

 them now — and this afternoon Shackleton was ahead dragging 

 on those who could not walk. Wilson was carrying their long 

 trace in rear to prevent it getting foul of the sledges, whilst I 

 was employed in keeping the latter straight before the wind 

 and in helping them over the rough places ; the sail did most 

 of the pulling. We have only two sledges left now, as we find 

 this is sufficient to carry our much-lightened load. 



'To walk eight or nine miles in a day does not sound 

 much of a task for even a tired dog, yet it is too much for 

 ours, and they are dropping daily. Yesterday poor little 

 " Nell " fell on the march, tried to rise, and fell again, looking 

 round with a most pathetic expression. She was carried till 

 the night, but this morning was as bad as ever, and at lunch- 

 time was put out of her misery. This afternoon, shortly after 

 starting, " Gus " fell, quite played out, and just before our 

 halt, to our greater grief, " Kid " caved in. One could almost 

 weep over this last case ; he has pulled like a Trojan through- 

 out, and his stout little heart bore him up till his legs failed 

 beneath him, and he fell never to rise again. 



' It is useless to carry all this dog-food, so we have decided 

 to serve it out freely, and the seven animals that remain are 

 now lying about quite replete \ at any rate, poor things, they 

 will not die of starvation. 



' Save for a glimpse of the sun this morning, a high stratus 

 cloud has hung over us all day. We see the land, but not 



