336 WITH SGOTT : THE SILVER LINING 



We had only about ioo lbs. to pull and yet the twenty 

 miles (twenty-three statute) was a hard journey. I hoped 

 to be in by noon, but the surface was very bad. We had tea 

 and a biscuit at six and another short meal at noon. We could 

 see the four isles off Cape Evans all the time, and I think our 

 chief occupation while sledging was in watching them take up 

 various angles in front of the Cape as we gradually got nearer 

 the hut. We crossed some landmarks in the shape of the 

 huge shear cracks. One at nine miles, one at four and a half, 

 and a small one two and a half miles from the hut. The last 

 six miles were awful, for the erstwhile mirror-like ice near 

 the Cape was now covered with a sticky film of snow over 

 which we could hardly pull the empty sledge. 



However we began to see dead penguins, and then we 

 knew we were within a " dog's walk " of the hut — for these 

 were relics of their occupation. Next we reached the 

 triangular area to leeward (north) of the hut, which viewed 

 from the Ramp was of a yellow tinge from the straw and other 

 debris blown there by the blizzards. And so at 4.30 p.m., 

 just twelve hours after starting we arrived. I immediately 

 rushed Clissold the cook for tinned pears, and found none left. 

 So I started on three rounds of toast. We then had soup, 

 rissoles, and fruit tart. I had three helps of the former and 

 two of the latter and still felt hungry. Debenham's leg had 

 not been going on very well, but was better than on Wednes- 

 day. They had had no drift at the hut on Tuesday ! 



After another council 1 decided to take advantage of 

 Nelson's kind offer. He would accompany us with the little 

 Russian groom Anton. If all went well they could return ; 

 if Debenham were too lame to proceed they could bring him 

 back, and Gran, Forde, and myself would push on to Granite 

 Harbour as a three-man party. 



Sunday and Monday passed quietly in the hut though 

 the weather was bad outside. On Tuesday it was very un- 

 promising until 3 p.m., when we could just make out the 

 Western Mountains. At 3.20 we made our final start with 

 Nelson and Anton as a convoy. Debenham hobbled along- 

 side, and as the surface was better than previously and the 

 wind blew to the west we made fair progress. This time we 

 took on our cameras and Day's blubber stove. At six miles 

 we pitched camp and were starting supper when I discovered 



