n8 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [NOVEMBER 



ing; then we turned into our bags and, quite torpid with food, 

 discussed our plans on arriving at Cape Evans. We had quite 

 decided we should find no one there, for we believed the whole 

 party had been blown north in the ship, while trying to reach us. 

 Still discussing plans we fell asleep. What with news from the 

 main party and food (although both were a year old) it was the 

 happiest day since we last saw the ship. I awoke in the night, 

 finished my share of the butter and most of my lard, then dozed 

 off again. 



October 30. The blizzard never came off. We turned out 

 to find a beautiful warm morning. After another big feed of 

 biscuits and a brain and liver hoosh we started in the highest 

 spirits. The change of diet has done Browning good already. I 

 took all the books, food, specimens, and records of Taylor's 

 party, leaving only the old clothes. 



I also left a note saying we were all well. The surface was 

 fairly good with occasional belts of rough pressure ice that de- 

 layed us considerably. Taylor's journal speaks of Glacier 

 Tongue having broken away from MacMurdo Sound and 

 grounded on the coast south of Dunlop Island. It will be inter- 

 esting to see if it is still there. At midday we camped for lunch, 

 and the hot tea and biscuit made a great difference to our march- 

 ing. This was the first hot lunch we had had and we all appre- 

 ciated it. Between 5 and 6 the pressure was very bad; not high, 

 but jagged and continuous, bruising our feet. Luckily we had 

 the iron runner sledge. Wooden runners would have been torn 

 to shreds. Camped at 6.15. Distance 8 miles. Dunlop Island 

 in sight about 3 miles ahead. 



October 31. A lovely morning. The south-west breeze of 

 the night had dropped and the day felt warm. We suffered the 

 same painful surface until within a mile of Dunlop Island, when 

 we reached a smooth surface. We lunched on the north side of 

 Dunlop Island. After lunch we searched it for records, but 

 found nothing. Priestley collected some specimens. Resuming 

 our march we got on to smooth ice between Dunlop Island and 

 the mainland and kept a good surface until we camped at 6.15, 

 half-way across the 'Bay of Sails.' Distance n miles: Mt. 

 Erebus rising to the height of several thousand feet. 



November i. 5 A.M. A fine morning with heavy clouds to 

 the south. We had a good surface and made good progress. 



