1903] AN ADVENTUROUS DAY 505 



^December 13. — Strong southerly wind with blinding drift 

 when we started this morning. Marched steadily on for four 

 hours, when Evans had his nose frost-bitten. Evans's nose 

 has always been the first thing to indicate stress of frost-biting 

 weather. For some weeks it has been more or less constantly 

 frost-bitten, and in consequence it is now the most curious- 

 looking object. He speaks of it with a comic forbearance, as 

 though, whilst it scarcely belonged to him, it was something 

 for which he was responsible, and had to make excuses. 

 When I told him of its fault to-day, he said in a resigned tone, 

 '* My poor old nose again ; well, there, it's chronic ! " When 

 this unruly member was brought round we found the storm 

 increasing, and the surface changed to the hard wind-swept 

 one which we encountered on our ascent. On this we slipped 

 badly, and when we stopped to search for our crampons the 

 wind had grown so strong that I thought it necessary to camp. 

 Before this was accomplished we were all pretty badly frost- 

 bitten, and we had to make some hot tea to bring us round. 

 After waiting for an hour there were some signs of clearance, 

 and as we cannot now afford to waste a single moment I 

 decided to push on. We held steadily to the east, and 

 towards the end of our march there could be no doubt that 

 we were commencing to descend. But it was uncanny work, 

 for I haven't any notion where we are, and the drift was so 

 thick about us that for aught we knew we might have been 

 walking over the edge of a precipice at any moment. To-night 

 it is as thick as ever; it is positively sickening, but, good 

 weather or bad, we must go on now.' 



^December 15. — W^e all agree that yesterday was the most 

 adventurous day in our lives, and we none of us want to have 

 another like it. It seems wonderful that I should be lying here 

 in ease and comfort to write of it, but as it is so, I can give its 

 incidents in some detail. 



'Very early in the morning I awoke to find that the storm 

 had passed, and that the land was all around us ; but the 

 clouds hung about the higher summits, and I was still unable 

 to recognise any peak with certainty. In this bewildered con- 



