IN WINTER QUARTERS WITH CAPTAIN SCOTT 285 



times read a book on my recommendation, while Meares, 

 Oates, and Nelson, always went for what I didn't like ! 



We had very strong winds about this time, and were 

 very anxious to know how the Cape Crozier party were pro- 

 gressing. They were due back, and had had awful weather 

 judging by our experience. On the 29th Atkinson and I 

 made our usual excursion up the Ramp to " Bertram." There 

 was no drift, but the wind rose to fifty miles per hour at times. 

 We could hardly keep up on the ice, and I was actually blown 

 bodily off the little cone on which Bertram was erected. 

 Later we went out to "Archibald," letting the wind blow us 

 there. Scott said he saw us start, and when he looked again 

 in a few minutes we " were mere dots on the horizon ! ' 



But it was not so easy getting back, and I only managed 

 it by bending double and watching our outward tracks. 



On the 1 st of August I went on night watch at 8 p.m. 

 Most of the men were turning in, when Hooper called out, 

 " Here's the Cape Crozier party." So we all rushed out and 

 there were the three of them. Cherry staggered in looking 

 like nothing human. " He had on a big noseguard covering 

 all but his eyes, and huge icicles and frost stuck out like 

 duck's bills from his lips ! They had been away five weeks 

 and a day, and it had been hell all the time practically. After 

 leaving Meares and Sunny Jim, they had pushed on and 

 camped four miles this side of the 1902 Hut. The next day 

 they camped on the Barrier. There had been but little snow 

 on the sea ice, though a snowdrift led them up on to 

 Barrier. Here awful soft snow began, and it was very cold. 

 They had to relay most of the way, and sometimes even with 

 one sledge they could hardly get a move on. It was like 

 pulling in soft sand, and often they only seemed to be 

 marking time. 



"It took them three weeks to get to Cape Crozier, and 

 they remained there ten days. They were unable to get any 

 blubber and had to return when only one tin of oil was left. 

 Blizzards held them up off Mount Terror, and here Birdie 

 is credited with sleeping three days and nights (bar meals). 

 The other two didn't ! They spent three days building a 

 stone igloo, and pitched the tent to leeward. A tremendous 

 blizzard came up and blew their tent away ! They had now 

 a poor chance of getting back, and proposed to dig snow holes 



