CHAPTER XX 



THE LAST MARCH" 



Sunday, February 18. R.32. Temp. -5-5. At Shambles 

 Camp. We gave ourselves 5 hours' sleep at the lower glacier 

 depot after the horrible night, and came on at about 3 to-day 

 to this camp, coming fairly easily over the divide. Here with 

 plenty of horsemeat we have had a fine supper, to be followed 

 by others such, and so continue a more plentiful era if we can 

 keep good marches up. New life seems to come with greater 

 food almost immediately, but I am anxious about the Barrier 

 surfaces. 



Monday, February 19. Lunch T. - 16 . It was late (past 

 noon) before we got away to-day, as I gave nearly 8 hours 

 sleep, and much camp work was done shifting sledges * and 

 fitting up new one with mast, &c, packing horsemeat and per- 

 sonal effects. The surface was every bit as bad as I expected, 

 the sun shining brightly on it and its covering of soft loose 

 sandy snow. We have come out about 2' on the old tracks. 

 Perhaps lucky to have a fine day for this and our camp work, 

 but we shall want wind or change of sliding conditions to do 

 anything on such a surface as we have got. I fear there will not 

 be much change for the next 3 or 4 days. 



R. 33. Temp. - 17 . We have struggled out 4-6 miles in 

 a short day over a really terrible surface it has been like pull- 

 ing over desert sand, not the least glide in the world. If this 

 goes on we shall have a bad time, but I sincerely trust it is only 

 the result of this windless area close to the coast and that, as we 

 are making steadily outwards, we shall shortly escape it. It is 

 perhaps premature to be anxious about covering distance. In 

 all other respects things are improving. We have our sleeping- 

 bags spread on the sledge and they are drying, but, above all, 

 we have our full measure of food again. To-night we had a 



* Sledges were left at the chief dep6ts to replace damaged ones. 



