292 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [October 



appears that Clissold was acting as Ponting's ' model ' and that 

 the two had been climbing about the berg to get pictures. As 

 far as I can make out Ponting did his best to keep Clissold in 

 safety by lending him his crampons and ice axe, but the latter 

 seems to have missed his footing after one of his ' poses ' ; he 

 slid over a rounded surface of ice for some 1 2 feet, then dropped 

 6 feet on to a sharp angle in the wall of the berg. 



He must have struck his back and head; the latter is con- 

 tused and he is certainly suffering from slight concussion. He 

 complained of his back before he grew unconscious and groaned 

 a good deal when moved in the hut. He came to about an hour 

 after getting to the hut, and was evidently in a good deal of 

 pain; neither Atkinson nor Wilson thinks there is anything very 

 serious, but he has not yet been properly examined and has had 

 a fearful shock at the least. I still feel very anxious. To-night 

 Atkinson has injected morphia and will watch by his patient. 



Troubles rarely come singly, and it occurred to me after 

 Clissold had been brought in that Taylor, who had been bicycling 

 to the Turk's Head, was overdue. We were relieved to hear 

 that with glasses two figures could be seen approaching in South 

 Bay, but at supper Wright appeared very hot and said that 

 Taylor was exhausted in South Bay he wanted brandy and hot 

 drink. I thought it best to despatch another relief party, but 

 before they were well round the point Taylor was seen coming 

 over the land. He was fearfully done. He must have pressed 

 on towards his objective long after his reason should have 

 warned him that it was time to turn; with this and a good deal 

 of anxiety about Clissold, the day terminates very unpleasantly. 



Tuesday, October 10. Still anxious about Clissold. He 

 has passed two fairly good nights but is barely able to move. 

 He is unnaturally irritable, but I am told this is a symptom of 

 concussion. This morning he asked for food, which is a good 

 sign, and he was anxious to know if his sledging gear was being 

 got ready. In order not to disappoint him he was assured that 

 all would be ready, but there is scarce a slender chance that he 

 can fill his place in the programme. 



Meares came from Hut Point yesterday at the front end of 

 a blizzard. Half an hour after his arrival it was as thick as 

 a hedge. He reports another loss Deek, one of the best pulling 

 dogs, developed the same symptoms which have so unaccountably 



