200 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec. 



27th, which means that we have gained half a day on the 

 outward march. Considering the bad Hght, this is good 

 enough, but I shall hope to gain at a greater rate if the 

 weather holds. The wind to-day was exceedingly cold, but 

 with our backs to it it was not so much felt, except at packing 

 and camp work, which were simply horrible. The old track 

 we followed is being rapidly drifted up ; we are unlikely to see 

 it again. Evans and Lashly have both been suffering a good 

 deal from cold feet and fingers ; my feet keep well, though 

 fingers easily go.' 



* December 4. — ... We were up before five o'clock and 

 away early. Started marching along the faint remains of our 

 old track but soon lost it. We kept a good surface for two 

 hours, then fell amongst bad sastrugi which gave us the usual 

 trouble ; by lunch we were fairly clear again. Returning 

 now we can see more clearly the undulations of the surface ; 

 they seem irregular depressions rather than waves. We cross 

 the hollows sometimes and seem to skirt them at others ; 

 they average anything from three to five miles across. The 

 sledge has not capsized the whole day, which is a relief. The 

 weather has been very threatening on several occasions during 

 the last two days, but, thank heaven, it has come to nothing, 

 and the sun only disappears altogether for very short intervals.' 



' December 6. — ... I am a little alarmed about our oil, 

 so have decided to march half an hour extra each night. 

 To-night the weather became overcast again, but luckily not 

 until our camping time had arrived. It is still terribly cold 

 work, but we all feel exceedingly iit. My trouble is want of 

 sleep, or, rather, it aoesn't seem to trouble me except as 

 regards the nuisance of lying awake in the bag. I have had 

 extraordinarily little sleep this last week, and none of us seems 

 to want much ; after our long marches we ought to be in a fit 

 state to go straight off into dreamland, but for some reason we 

 are not. 



' This afternoon two skua gulls were suddenly seen circling 

 around us. It was such a pleasant sight that we could almost 

 have cheered ; but how in the world they can have found us 



