212 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Dec. 



sore, and weary, yet Lashly sang a merry stave as he stirred 

 the pot, and Evans and I sat on the sledge, shifted our foot- 

 gear, spread our garments out to dry, and chatted away merrily 

 the whole time. Evans's astonishment at the events of the 

 day seemed to grow ever deeper, and was exhibited in the 

 most amusing manner. With his sock half on he would 

 pause to think out our adventures in some new light and 

 would say suddenly, "Well, sir, but what about that snow 

 bridge?" or if so-and-so hadn't happened "where should we 

 be now? " and then the soliloquy would end with " My word, 

 but it was a close call ! " Evans generally manages to sum a 

 case up fairly pithily, and perhaps this last remark is a com- 

 prehensive description of our experiences of yesterday. 



• This morning the sun shines as brightly as ever, and there 

 is still no breath of wind. It is so warm in the tent that as I 

 write I have had to throw open my jacket. Meanwhile out- 

 side I can hear the tap of the hammer as my companions are 

 arming our sledge runners for the hard ice of the glacier.' 



We only found a very small quantity of food at the Depot 

 Nunatak, but it was enough to carry us to the main depot, 

 which lay several miles below, provided we marched hard, as 

 we were quite prepared to do. Luckily, here also we found a 

 new nine-foot sledge which had been left the previous year, and 

 to which we could now transfer the greater part of our load. 

 But one of our most pleasing discoveries at the Depot Nunatak 

 was the small folded notes which told us of the movements 

 of our fellow-travellers. By these I learnt to my relief that 

 Skelton and his companions had safely reached the glacier, 

 and that Ferrar's party was all well after it had left our Desola- 

 tion Camp. According to previous arrangements I found 

 these notes at various stated points in the glacier, and there 

 were few pleasanter things for us returning wayfarers than to 

 find these cheery documents. 



Starting our downward march on the afternoon of the 15th, 

 we stretched over the miles with ease. This sort of work was 

 mere child's play to our hardened muscles, and that night we 

 reached the broad amphitheatre below Finger Mountain. On 



