200 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [SEPTEMBER 



thermometer at Hut Point showed 21 and on camping it was 

 42, with a sharp biting breeze coming away from the Barrier. 

 Minimum temp. 45. 



On the following day we started off in a light easterly wind, 

 temperature 36-5, and hauled our sledge to Safety Camp, 

 which is distant from Cape Evans 22 miles 452 yards (statute). 

 We dug out the depot, tallied stores, and then put up a wind 

 recorder of Simpson's. 



It was interesting to see how Safety Camp had drifted up 

 during the winter. It took many hours to dig it out, and al- 

 though this depot contained, amongst other things, 73 bales of 

 fodder, each of 107 Ibs. weight, the snow had completely cov- 

 ered it. 



After lunch we took 6 tins of paraffin from here and marched 

 8 miles 641 yards between 5.30 and 8.30 P.M. At 9 P.M. the 

 thermometer showed 45-2 below zero. 



The temperature fell a good deal during the night and we 

 could scarcely sleep. Gran, using an eiderdown bag inside his 

 sleeping-bag, was warmer than the other two of us, but later 

 on our journey the eiderdown bag was like a board and he had 

 very little if any advantage from it. 



On September 1 1, at 7 A.M., the temperature was 58-2, the 

 minimum for the night being 62-3. 



At 9 A.M. we started off, and marched 5^ miles by sledge- 

 meter (statute 6 miles 530 yards). 



We built cairns at every night and lunch camp, and small 

 ' top-hats ' whenever we had a halt. Corner Camp is very diffi- 

 cult to find, as landmarks are so often obscured by cloud and drift 

 in this vicinity. One of our objects was to mark the track clearly. 



We stopped for lunch at 2 ; the land was entirely obscured 

 by mist, although the sky was clear overhead. Thermometer 



at -43- 



The surface in the forenoon though variable was fairly good; 

 we marched another 5-^ miles by our sledgemeter during the 

 afternoon and camped at 8.30, the weather gradually becoming 

 worse, wind from W.S.W., with low drift. By the time our 

 tent was pitched a fair blizzard was on us. Temperature 34-5. 



By 10 P.M. the tent was well drifted up, weather squally, but 

 all snug inside. We had with us the new pattern double tent, 

 which is a horrible thing, it shortens the space down so, and is 



