i9o 3 ] FINDING DEPOT <B' 73 



comparison difficult. However, the pulling has been so 

 severe lately that I cannot but think that, however bad the 

 wood may be, it cannot be worse than the German silver, and, 

 though we may not gain by stripping our runners, we cannot 

 very well lose ; so to-morrow morning I intend to strip one 

 of the sledges for trial, and we are looking forward with some 

 anxiety to the result of the experiment.' 



1 January 13, noon. — This morning we stripped a sledge 

 and then started on our march. Everything was as bad as 

 it could be. There was not a sign of the land ; the whole 

 outlook was one monotonous grey, and when we started to 

 march we found the surface in the most trying condition. 

 Steering could only be done by one person pulling behind, 

 catching the shadow of the others on the light sastrugi, and 

 constantly directing right or left ; we were obliged to put every 

 ounce of our strength on the traces, and even thus advanced 

 at a rate which was something less than three-quarters of a 

 mile an hour. The whole thing was heartbreaking, and after 

 three hours of incessant labour we decided to halt. I am now 

 writing in the tent, and, I am bound to say, in no very cheerful 

 frame of mind. We have thought it wise to reduce our meals 

 still further, so that luncheon has been the very poorest ray 

 of comfort. 



1 And so here we lie, again waiting for a favourable change. 

 Little has been said, but I have no doubt we have all been 

 thinking a good deal. The food-bag is a mere trifle to lift ; 

 we could finish all that remains in it at one sitting and still 

 rise hungry ; the depot cannot be far away, but where is it 

 in this terrible expanse of grey ? And with this surface, even 

 if we pick it up, how are we to carry its extra weight when we 

 cannot even make headway with our light sledges ? 



C I have been staring up at the green canvas and asking 

 myself these questions with no very cheering result.' 



1 January 13, midnight. — Catching a glimpse of the sun 

 in the tent to-day, I tumbled out of my sleeping-bag in hopes 

 of getting a meridional altitude ; it was one of those cases 

 which have been common of late when observation is very 



