1903] 



ANXIOUS DAYS 81 



snow-waves in his shadow. But the expedients to which we 

 were reduced and the troubles they brought can be gathered 

 from my tale, and it will be understood why the continuance 

 of overcast weather should have caused them to be so frequently 

 mentioned at this time. 



'■January 1 7 {continued). — This morning we started with an 

 overcast sky and an unshaded wall of grey ahead. A rapidly 

 closing bright patch on our starboard beam was the only guide. 

 After two hours I had to give up leading ; Wilson went ahead, 

 but by lunch his eyes had had enough, and I finished the 

 afternoon. It is difficult to describe the trying nature of this 

 work ; for hours one plods on, ever searching for some more 

 definite sign. Sometimes the eye picks up a shade on the sur- 

 face or a cloud slightly lighter or darker than its surroundings ; 

 these may occur at any angle, and have often to be kept in the 

 corner of the eye. Frequently there comes a minute or two of 

 absolute confusion, when one may be going in any direction 

 and for the time the mind seems blank. It can scarcely be 

 imagined how tiring this is or how trying to the eyes ; one's 

 whole attention must be given to it, without relaxing for a 

 moment the strain on the harness. At lunch to-day I fixed up 

 a new device by securing a small teased-out shred of wool to 

 the end of a light bamboo to act as a wind vane. The wind 

 was light and shifty, but the vane relieved my eyes.' 



1 January 18. — We started to-day on another abominable 

 " blind " march. For half an hour I could just see some ridges 

 and the slightest gleam in the sky to the north ; for another 

 spell, a very light easterly breeze kept my vane on the flutter. 

 The sastrugi under foot are light and confused, and when at 

 last the wind fell we were left with no guide at all, and were 

 forced to camp ; for the last ten minutes we had been four 

 points off* our course. Wilson says his eyes are on the point 

 of going ; mine, on which I see the party must principally 

 depend, are not quite right, but not yet painful. The situation 

 is startling, but we have not yet exhausted our resources. If 

 there is no improvement after lunch, Shackleton will start on 

 ahead with a flag, and when he has been directed for half a 

 VOL. 11. g 



