I9H] THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE 285 



marched on, wind as bad as ever; then I saw an ominous yellow 

 fuzzy appearance on the southern ridges of Erebus, and knew 

 that another snowstorm approached. Foolishly hoping it would 

 pass us by I kept on until Inaccessible Island was suddenly blotted 

 out. Then we rushed for a camp site, but the blizzard was on 

 us. In the driving snow we found it impossible to set up the 

 inner tent, and were obliged to unbend it. It was a long job 

 getting the outer tent set, but thanks to Evans and Bowers it 

 was done at last. We had to risk frostbitten fingers and hang 

 on to the tent with all our energy: got it secured inch by inch, 

 and not such a bad speed all things considered. We had some 

 cocoa and waited. At 9 p.m. the snow drift again took off, 

 and we were now so snowed up, we decided to push on in spite 

 of the wind. 



We arrived in at 1.15 a.m., pretty well done. The wind 

 never let up for an instant; the temperature remained about 

 1 6, and the 21 statute miles which we marched in the day 

 must be remembered amongst the most strenuous in my memory. 



Except for the last few days, we enjoyed a degree of com- 

 fort which I had not imagined impossible on a spring journey. 

 The temperature was not particularly high, at the mouth of the 

 Ferrar it was 40 , and it varied between 15 and 40 

 throughout. Of course this is much higher than it would be 

 on the Barrier, but it does not in itself promise much comfort. 

 The amelioration of such conditions we owe to experience. We 

 used one-third more than the summer allowance of fuel. This, 

 with our double tent, allowed a cosy hour after breakfast and 

 supper in which we could dry our socks, &c, and put them on 

 in comfort. We shifted our footgear immediately after the 

 camp was pitched, and by this means kept our feet glowingly 

 warm throughout the night. Nearly all the time we carried our 

 sleeping-bags open on the sledges. Although the sun does not 

 appear to have much effect, I believe this device is of great 

 benefit even in the coldest weather certainly by this means 

 our bags were kept much freer of moisture than they would 

 have been had they been rolled up in the daytime. The inner 

 tent gets a good deal of ice on it, and I don't see any easy way 

 to prevent this. 



The journey enables me to advise the Geological Party on 

 their best route to Granite Harbour: this is along the shore, 



