i9i i] BOWERS AND CHERRY-GARRARD 117 



reason why we shouldn't get to the 80th parallel if only the 

 weather would give us a chance. 



Bowers is wonderful. Throughout the night he has worn 

 no head-gear but a common green felt hat kept on with a chin 

 stay and affording no cover whatever for the ears. His face 

 and ears remain bright red. The rest of us were glad to have 

 thick Balaclavas and wind helmets. I have never seen anyone 

 so unaffected by the cold. To-night he remained outside a full 

 hour after the rest of us had got into the tent. He was simply 

 pottering about the camp doing small jobs to the sledges, &c. 

 Cherry-Garrard is remarkable because of his eyes. He can only 

 see through glasses and has to wrestle with all sorts of incon- 

 veniences in consequence. Yet one could never guess it for 

 he manages somehow to do more than his share of the work. 



Tuesday, February 14. 13 Camp. 7 miles 650 yards. A 

 disappointing day: the weather had cleared, the night was fine 

 though cold, temperature well below zero with a keen S.W. 

 breeze. Soon after the start we struck very bad surface condi- 

 tions. The ponies sank lower than their hocks frequently and 

 the soft patches of snow left by the blizzard lay in sandy heaps, 

 making great friction for the runners. We struggled on, but 

 found Gran with Weary Willy dropping to the rear. I con- 

 sulted Oates as to distance and he cheerfully proposed 15 miles 

 for the day! This piqued me somewhat and I marched till the 

 sledge meter showed 6 l / 2 miles. By this time Weary Willy 

 had dropped about three-quarters of a mile and the dog teams 

 were approaching. Suddenly we heard much barking in the 

 distance, and later it was evident that something had gone 

 wrong. Oates and then I hurried back. I met Meares, who 

 told me the dogs of his team had got out of hand and attacked 

 Weary Willy when they saw him fall. Finally they had been 

 beaten off and W.W. was being led without his sledge. W.W. 

 had been much bitten, but luckily I think not seriously: he ap- 

 pears to have made a gallant fight, and bit and shook some of 

 the dogs with his teeth. Gran did his best, breaking his ski 

 stick. Meares broke his dog stick one way and another the 

 dogs must have had a rocky time, yet they seemed to bear 

 charmed lives when their blood is up, as apparently not one of 

 them has been injured. 



After lunch four of us went back and dragged up the load. 



