30 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. 



crew, and the quantity of provisions remaining, I think 

 it advisable to turn back for the ship to-day. The 

 biscuit remaining is five days' full allowance, which 

 with a healthy crew would be ample, but looking, as I 

 must, to marches not much better than we have been 

 performing lately, it will have to last ten days. 



' With this in view, I left the tent pitched, and Mann 

 (who is not fit to march, but better than last night), 

 to look after the gear, while with the sledge, cooking 

 gear, luncheons, pickaxe, &c., the rest of us went on 

 for a half-journey to try and reach a place for building 

 a cairn, and to get a little more extended view of the 

 coast-line. A very clear and beautiful day. After 

 seeing Mann comfortable, and leaving him means of 

 cooking his tea, I soon overtook Doidge and the 

 Sergeant limping along several hundred yards in rear 

 of the sledge. I told them they had better go back, 

 but this they begged off, and continued their painful 

 journey. Overtaking the sledge I walked ahead up 

 a steady incline, which began about two miles from 

 the camp. After walking some four miles I came to 

 the conclusion there was no cape at all, but that the 

 coast-line trended round more to the southward after 

 clearing Yelverton Bay. The land was covered deeply 

 in snow, and there was no place within reach of 

 the party at all suitable for building a cairn. 



6 1 was now 200 feet above the sea or ice-level, 

 and had a very good and careful look all round. No 

 land was visible, except the coast along which we were 

 travelling, my view of which extended about seven 

 miles farther than our position, the trend being gradually 

 southward and westward. 



