i9] THE HUT ROOFED IN 23 



and all led to further impasses until the daylight was two-thirds 

 gone, and we found ourselves faced in a large snow hollow by 

 a chaotic pile of ice blocks and snowdrifts standing almost ver- 

 tically in our path and all round us, to a height of some sixty feet, 

 and completely stopping all chance of progress forward [a great 

 cul-de-sac which probably formed the end of the two ridges, 

 where they butted on to the sea ice]. Here we had the mortifica- 

 tion of hearing the cries of Emperor penguins echoed to us by 

 the rock cliffs on our left. We were still, however, out of sight 

 of the rookery and we had still a quarter of a mile of chaotic 

 pressure to cross [to be caught in the night there was a horrible 

 idea], so we reluctantly gave up the attempt for the day and with 

 great caution and much difficulty owing to the failing light re- 

 traced the steps it had taken us about three hours to make. We 

 had been roped together the whole time and had used the sledge 

 continually over soft and rotten-looking snow bridges. It was 

 dark by the time we reached safe ground after clambering about 

 five hours to no purpose. [Birdie was very good at picking the 

 tracks up again. At last we lost them altogether and settled we 

 must go ahead. As a matter of fact we picked them up again, 

 and by then were out of the worst : but we were glad to see the 

 tent again.] 



During the day a light southerly breeze had been blowing 

 with a clear sky. The temp, had varied from 30 with south- 

 westerly wind of force 2 at 4 P.M. to 37, which had been the 

 minimum in the early morning between 3 A.M. and 9.30 A.M. 



There was again some frost smoke over the sea ice under the 

 Cape Cliffs and a small shining open lead of water in the offing. 



Thursday, July 20, 191 1. We turned out at 3 A.M. in order 

 to get our hut roof fixed on and made safe in calm weather, and 

 we had decided to make another attempt when day came at 9.30 

 A.M. to reach the Emperor rookery and get the blubber which we 

 now really began to need. We got the roof on the hut and made 

 it all safe. [Little did we think what that roof had in store for 

 us as we packed it in with snow blocks, stretching it over our sec- 

 ond 8-ft. sledge which we put athwartships in the middle of the 

 wall. The windward end came right down to the ground, and we 

 tied it down securely to rocks before packing it in. To do this 

 we had a good two feet or more of slack all round, and in every 

 case we tied it to rocks by lanyards at intervals of every two feet. 



