i9l CAIRN BURIED IN SNOW 201 



the most trying thing to spread in a breeze. To quote my diary: 

 ' There is a sharp difference of opinion as to the value of this 

 invention. Naturally the maker, Petty Officer Evans, is very 

 proud of it, but the other seamen hate it. However we shall 

 give it a good test now, likewise the ski-shoes, which I like im- 

 mensely if they are the right size; if too big they are trodden 

 down and spoilt very soon, but if too small one's toes get frost- 

 bitten where the shoes pinch.' 



Tuesday, September 12, 1911. Blizzard continued till 

 8 A.M., when wind decreased to force 5 ; it however still con- 

 tinued to drift until 10 A.M., when wind dropped to force 3, 

 weather overcast and snowing. Temperature 19; the mini- 

 mum for the night being 40. The wind increased to force 6 

 with drift at 1 1 A.M., but by 2 P.M. it was fine enough to make 

 a start, which we did in a biting cold wind. We built a good cairn 

 here, but it was cold work. 



We marched this day till 8.30 P.M., when it was very nearly 

 dark and very misty. Surface bad after the blizzard; we cov- 

 ered 7 miles 783 yards (statute). Temperature on camping 

 -46. 



September 13, 1911. The diary continues: Having shiv- 

 ered in my bag all night, at 5 o'clock I told the others to get up, 

 both of them being awake. We cooked a meal and prepared to 

 scout for Corner Camp. On going out to take the meteorological 

 observations found min. temp. 73-3. Present temp. 58. I 

 don't think anyone was surprised, as it was very cold during the 

 night. I got a glimpse of Observation Hill and the sun, and 

 I found the bearing of the former was N. 70 W. instead of 

 N. 68 W., so we struck S.S.W. for a short distance and then 

 saw the flagstaff of Corner Camp. On arriving at the depot 

 found the whole cairn buried thus : 



so dug out all the forenoon and eventually got all stores out and 

 tallied. We left one tin of biscuits here, two bags of treacle, six 

 bags of butter, and six tins of paraffin. We put all biscuit tins 



