19"] FOOD ALLOWANCE AMPLE 105 



I sent Gran to the Discovery hut with our last mail. He 

 went on ski and was nearly 4 hours away, making me rather 

 anxious, as the wind had sprung up and there was a strong 

 surface-drift; he narrowly missed the camp on returning and 

 I am glad to get him back. 



Our food allowance seems to be very ample, and if we 

 go on as at present we shall thrive amazingly. 



Thursday, February 2. Camp 4. Made a start at last. 

 Roused out at 7, left camp about 10.30. Atkinson and Crean 

 remained behind very hard on the latter. Atkinson suffering 

 much pain and mental distress at his condition for the latter 

 I fear I cannot have much sympathy, as he ought to have re- 

 ported his trouble long before. Crean will manage to rescue 

 some more of the forage from the Barrier edge I am very 

 sorry for him. 



On starting with all the ponies (I leading Atkinson's) I 

 saw with some astonishment that the animals were not sinking 

 deeply, and to my pleased surprise we made good progress at 

 once. This lasted for more than an hour, then the surface got 

 comparatively bad again but still most of the ponies did well 

 with it, making 5 miles. Birdie's * animal, however, is very 

 heavy and flounders where the others walk fairly easily. He 

 is eager and tries to go faster as he flounders. As a result he 

 was brought in, in a lather. I inquired for our one set of snow- 

 shoes and found they had been left behind. The difference in 

 surface from what was expected makes one wonder whether 

 better conditions may not be expected during the night and in 

 the morning, when the temperatures are low. My suggestion 

 that we should take to night marching has met with general 

 approval. Even if there is no improvement in the surface the 

 ponies will rest better during the warmer hours and march better 

 in the night. 



So we are resting in our tents, waiting to start to-night. 

 Gran has gone back for the snow-shoes he volunteered good- 

 naturedly certainly his expertness on ski is useful. 



Last night the temperature fell to -6 after the wind dropped 

 to-day it is warm and calm. 



* The favorite nickname for Bowers. 



