3 88 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 



which was we knew a risky thing to do. It took us up to 

 lunch time to reach the valley, where we camped for lunch, 

 where we all felt greatly relieved, having accomplished the 

 thing safely, no damage to ourselves or the sledge, but we 

 lost one of Crean's ski sticks. Some of the crevasses we 

 crossed were ioo to 200 feet wide, but well bridged in the 

 centre, but the edges were very dangerous indeed. This is 

 where the snow and ice begins to roll down the glacier. 

 After starting on our way again we found we had to climb 

 the hill. Things dont look very nice ahead again to-night. 

 We dont seem to be more than a day's run from the depot, 

 but it will surprise me if we reach it by to-morrow night ; 

 if not we shall have to go on short rations, as our supply is 

 nearly run out, and we have not lost any time, but we knew 

 on starting we had to average 1 5^ miles per day to reach it 

 in time. 



13M January 19 12. 



This has been a very bad day for us, what with ice-falls 

 and crevasses. We feel all full up to-night. The strain is 

 tremendous some days. We are camped, but not at the 

 depot, but we hope to pick it up some time to-morrow. 

 We shall be glad to get off the Summit, as the temperature 

 is very low. We expected the party would have reached the 

 Pole yesterday, providing they had anything of luck. 



[Scott reached the Pole on January 17.] 



\\th January 19 12. 



Sunday, we reached the Mt. Darwin Depot at 2 p.m. 

 and camped for lunch. We had just enough now for our 

 meal ; this is cutting it a bit fine. We have now taken our 

 3^ days' allowance, which has got to take us another 57 

 miles to the Cloudmaker Depot. This we shall do if we all 

 keep as fit as we seem just now. We left a note at the depot 

 to inform the Captain of our safe arrival, wishing them the 

 best of a journey home. We are quite cheerful here to-night, 

 after having put things right at the depot, where we found 

 the sugar exposed to the sun ; it had commenced to melt, 

 but we put everything alright before we left, and picked up 



