i 9 o 3 ] RETURNING OVER THE PLATEAU 199 



year, and therefore it was not new to me ; but, as I have 

 pointed out, at the high altitude to which we had climbed, 

 and with the low temperatures that prevailed, to find banks 

 of cloud still above us was unexpected and added a most 

 alarming circumstance to our situation. For, as will be seen, 

 we had placed ourselves in a position from which we could 

 only hope to retreat by relying on our hard condition and 

 utilising all our marching powers ; a simple arithmetic sum 

 showed that we could not afford an hour's delay, and to be 

 forced to lie idle in our tent was one of the most serious 

 misfortunes that could overtake us. But this black outlook 

 was not to remain for long, and later this day I was able to 

 make a more cheering entry : 



1 After we had lain for two hours in the bag in a highly 

 disconsolate frame of mind, Evans suddenly put his head 

 outside and in his usual matter-of-fact tones remarked that the 

 sun was shining. We were up in a moment. I do not believe 

 sledges have ever been packed so quickly j it was certainly 

 less than ten minutes before we were in our harness and away. 

 As this meant shifting foot-gear, packing everything, and 

 hoisting our sail, it can be imagined how we flew about. 

 Strangely enough, by a good light we found the surface we 

 had been struggling with in the morning was by no means 

 bad, and now that we could see where to step, we got on at a 

 great pace. In spite of our distressing delay we have covered 

 a good distance. My companions are undefeatable. However 

 tiresome our day's march or however gloomy the outlook, they 

 always find something to jest about. In the evenings we have 

 long arguments about naval matters, and generally agree that 

 we could rule that Service a great deal better than any Board 

 of Admiralty. Incidentally I learn a greal deal about lower- 

 deck life — more than I could hope to have done under ordinary 

 conditions.' 



'■December 3. — . . . About an hour after lunch we 

 suddenly came on one of our outward-bound night camps, 

 and from that we followed our old track with some difficulty 

 till we came to what I think must be our lunch camp of the 



