SETTING OUT 153 



' I approve your plan to employ your time thereafter ap- 

 proximately as follows: 



4 During what remains of the first fortnight of November in 

 exploring north of Granite Harbour. 



' During the last fortnight of November in exploring south 

 of Granite Harbour.' 



It was originally intended that we were to have the honour 

 of starting the * long trails ' during the second summer. But 

 owing to an unfortunate accident Debenham injured his knee, 

 and when the time came for our start he was quite unable to 

 leave his bunk. The motor party left and then the Pole party. 

 We had probably a month's sledging on the sea ice ahead of us 

 -^-and we knew that the ice might break up and float north early 

 in December, so that it became a serious question how long I 

 could delay the start. On the 5th Gran, Forde, and I pulled 

 our heavy sledge beyond the great shear crack (2^/2 miles) and 

 left it there. 



On November 7 Dr. Simpson, Debenham, Nelson and myself 

 held a council. We decided that Debenham could not do any- 

 thing safely for a week. If he tried to hobble along his leg 

 would never improve and it would probably lame him for life. 

 Nelson very kindly volunteered to take Debenham's place and 

 help us across to Butter Point with our sledges. Then we would 

 return by Friday night when we trusted to find Debenham able 

 to start. 



We pushed off at 9.45 with the small sledge and in about 

 an hour picked up the other and then our troubles began. We 

 found that we could only just drag the two along at the rate of 

 about one mile an hour. We were all pretty soft after the 

 winter and as usual found the first day or two extra special hard 

 work. Crossing the thicker snow drifts the sledge runners stuck 

 so much that the waist belt on which one pulled seemed to dis- 

 locate one's pelvis ! 



At one o'clock we were only 4^ miles from the hut. As 

 we were pitching the lunch camp the drift was rising rapidly 

 and before we could get the tent properly fixed a blizzard was 

 upon us. Everything was soon obliterated. At first I thought 

 I could see the Western Mountains 30 miles away, but later 

 found out that I was gazing at a snow ' pressure ridge ' about 

 ten yards off ! 



