346 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [December 



followed without getting over the ground so easily. After the 

 first 200 yards my own party came on with a swing that told 

 me at once that all would be well. We soon caught the others 

 and offered to take on more weight, but Evans' pride wouldn't 

 allow such help. Later in the morning we exchanged sledges 

 with Bowers, pulled theirs easily, whilst they made quite heavy 

 work with ours. I am afraid Cherry-Garrard and Keohane are 

 the weakness of that team, though both put their utmost into 

 the traces. However, we all lunched together after a satisfactory 

 morning's work. In the afternoon we did still better, and camped 

 at 6.30 with a very marked change in the land bearings. We 

 must have come 11 or 12 miles (stat.). We got fearfully hot 

 on the march, sweated through everything and stripped off jer- 

 seys. The result is we are pretty cold and clammy now, but 

 escape from the soft snow and a good march compensate every 

 discomfort. At lunch the blue ice was about 2 feet beneath us, 

 now it is barely a foot, so that I suppose we shall soon find it 

 uncovered. To-night the sky is overcast and wind has been blow- 

 ing up the glacier. I think there will be another spell of gloomy 

 weather on the Barrier, and the question is whether this part 

 of the glacier escapes. There are crevasses about, one about 

 eighteen inches across outside Bowers' tent, and a narrower 

 one outside our own. I think the sof< snow trouble is at an end, 

 and I could wish nothing better than a continuance of the present 

 surface. Towards the end of the march we were pulling our 

 loads with the greatest ease. It is splendid to be getting along 

 and to find some adequate return for the work we are putting 

 into the business. 



Friday, December 15. Camp 37. (Height about 2500. 

 Lat. about 84 8'.) Got away at 8; marched till 1; the sur- 

 face improving and snow covering thinner over the blue ice, 

 but the sky overcast and glooming, the clouds ever coming lower, 

 and Evans' is now decidedly the slowest unit, though Bowers' is 

 not much faster. We keep up and overhaul either without diffi- 

 culty. It was an enormous relief yesterday to get steady going 

 without involuntary stops, but yesterday and this morning, once 

 the sledge was stopped, it was very difficult to start again the 

 runners got temporarily stuck. This afternoon for the first time 

 we could start by giving one good heave together, and so for 

 the first time we are able to stop to readjust footgear or do 



