A MONTH IN THE OLD DISCOVERT HUT 207 



near Hutton Cliffs, but north of Glacier Tongue the sun 

 was in our eyes and we could not see if ice or water lay 

 between the Tongue and Cape Evans. 



On the 1 ith of April nine of us started for our own head- 

 quarters, leaving Wilson in charge of a party to bring over 

 the dogs and two ponies. [The track is shown on the map, 

 p. 88.] 



" The c relics ' helped us up the two snow slopes. Birdie 

 and Bill arranged signals with fireballs at 10 p.m. on the 

 first clear night in the next three. Dr. Bill had an under- 

 standing with Scott that he should not move with the ponies 

 and dogs until the sea-ice had stood a blizzard. We passed 

 Castle Rock and were going strong at noon. I had been 

 leading, giving Scott my shoulder, but here he shortened my 

 rope and I pulled just behind him. Beyond Castle Rock all 

 the land is untraversed. We kept for one mile along a steep 

 snow slope, seeing no crevasses, and easily reached the flat 

 top of the promontory. After about four miles we ap- 

 proached Hutton Cliffs and could see patches of blue ice on 

 the slopes ahead. Soon we met some crevasses, and both of 

 us fell into small ones. We got to a ridge of boulders 

 which showed where we were to get down to the bay ice, 

 if anywhere. 



" Quite suddenly it began to drift heavily from the south, 

 and we had to put up the tents and camp. We had some 

 tea and then prospected for a route to the cliff edge. There 

 were huge crevasses zigzagging across the blue ice below us, 

 but when the drift stopped we found a good track and soon 

 reached the cliff edge. Here it was thirty feet high with 

 snow whirling over on to the bay ice. Further south it was 

 a little lower, and here Scott lowered me on to some fallen 

 blocks on the sea-ice. Then Evans, Wright, and Bowers 

 followed, and we guided the sledge down, fully loaded, 

 without difficulty. Two bamboos were stuck in and the rope 

 passed round. Crean arranged this, and Scott came last, being 

 lowered from below. 



" We left the Hutton Cliffs about 5 p.m. and pulled north 

 over two miles of soft sea-ice to Glacier Tongue. We 

 anticipated trouble climbing the Tongue, but found a spot 

 where its edge was only ten feet high. Evans and I were 

 lifted up, and in ten minutes both sledges and men were on 



