36 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [JULY 



ward end, and then ripping into hundreds of pieces in about half 

 a minute. 



We got into our bags as best we could. I remember trying 

 to get Bill into his, as he was farther out than I was ; he wouldn't 

 let me ' Please get into your bag, Cherry.' Both Birdie's hands 

 went in getting back to his. We turned our bags over, flaps 

 under, as much as possible, and were gradually drifted up. 



It was a most appalling position. I knew that Peary had 

 once come through a blizzard lying in the open in his bag in the 

 summer. I had no idea that human beings could do so in winter 

 in the state in which we were already. I wondered whether it was 

 really worth trying to keep warm. I confess that I considered 

 that we were now come to the end. If we got out of the blizzard 

 and had, as we decided, to try and get back by digging ourselves 

 into the snow for the night, I meant to ask Bill to let us have 

 enough morphia to deaden the pain when, as I think still it must 

 have come, the cold became too much to live. With a steep icy 

 slope below us, ending in an ice-cliff which itself led into the pres- 

 sure, I don't know whether any of us had much hope of finding 

 the tent though afterwards as the wind went down we said 

 we had. Without the tent I think we must have died. 



I suppose at times all through this blizzard we must have 

 dozed I remember waking once after this to hear Bill singing 

 hymns every now and then I could hear a little, and Bill says 

 Birdie was doing the same : I chimed in a bit, but not very much. 

 Early Monday morning there were decided lulls in the wind, and 

 the blizzard had practically blown itself out. Before daylight, 

 while it was still blowing, we turned out and went down the slope 

 to try and find the tent. We could see nothing, and were forced 

 to return. It was now 48 hours since we had had a meal, and 

 we managed about the weirdest meal ever eaten N. or South. 

 We got the floorcloth under the heads of our bags, then got into 

 our bags and drew the floorcloth over our heads and got the 

 primus going in this shelter, and the cooker held by hand over the 

 primus. In time we got both tea and pemmican the blubber left 

 in the cooker burnt and gave the tea a burnt taste none of us 

 will ever forget that meal. I enjoyed it as much as such a meal 

 ever could be enjoyed, and that burnt taste will always bring back 

 that memory. 



A little glow of light began to come up and we turned out to 



