i9] STATE OF THE ICE-HOUSE 43 



rigging. One felt quite free from anxiety as to the ship, the 

 sails, the bergs or ice pressures. One calmly went below and 

 slept in the greatest comfort. One thought of the ponies, but 

 after all, horses have been carried for all time in small ships, 

 and often enough for very long voyages. The Eastern Party * 

 will certainly benefit by any delay we may make; for them the 

 later they get to King Edward's Land the better. The depot 

 journey of the Western Party will be curtailed, but even so if 

 we can get landed in January there should be time for a good 

 deal of work. One must confess that things might be a great 

 deal worse and there would be little to disturb one if one's re- 

 lease was certain, say in a week's time. 



I'm afraid the ice-house is not going on so well as it might. 

 There is some mould on the mutton and the beef is tainted. 

 There is a distinct smell. The house has been opened by order 

 when the temperature has fallen below 28 . I thought the effect 

 would be to ' harden up ' the meat, but apparently we need air 

 circulation. When the temperature goes down to-night we shall 

 probably take the beef out of the house and put a wind sail in 

 to clear the atmosphere. If this does not improve matters we 

 must hang more carcasses in the rigging. 



Later, 6 p.m. The wind has backed from S.E. to E.S.E. 

 and the swell is going down this seems to argue open water in 

 the first but not in the second direction and that the course we 

 pursue is a good one on the whole. 



The sky is clearing but the wind still gusty, force 4 to 7-; 

 the ice has frozen a little and we've made no progress since 

 noon. 



9 P.M. One of the ponies went down to-night. He has been 

 down before. It may mean nothing; on the other hand it is 

 not a circumstance of good omen. 



Otherwise there is nothing further to record, and I close this 

 volume of my Journal under circumstances which cannot be con- 

 sidered cheerful. 



* The party headed by Lieutenant Campbell, which, being unable to disembark on 

 King Edward's Land, was ultimately taken by the Terra Nova to the north part of Vic- 

 toria Land, and so came to be known as the Northern Party. The Western Party here 

 mentioned includes all who had their base at Cape Evans: the depots to be laid were 

 for the subsequent expedition to the Pole. 



