THE POLAR JOURNEY 393 



brighter. After starting we soon got round the corner 

 from the Granite Pillars to between the mainland and Mt. 

 Hope, on rising up on the slope between the mountain and 

 the mainland, as soon as we sighted the Barrier, Crean let 

 go one huge yell enough to frighten the ponies out of their 

 graves of snow, and no more Beardmore for me after this. 

 When we began to descend on to the Barrier it only re- 

 quired one of us to drag the sledge down to within a mile 

 of the pony and sledge depot, after exchanging our sledge 

 as arranged, picking up a small amount of pony meat, and 

 fitted up bamboo for mast so that we shall be able to fix up 

 a sail when favourable, we proceeded on our way to cross 

 the Barrier. We have now 360 miles to travel geographic- 

 ally to get to Hut Point. Mr. Evans complained to me 

 while outside the tent that he had a stiffness at the back of 

 his legs behind the knees. I asked him what he thought it 

 was, and he said could not account for it, so if he dont soon 

 get rid of it I am to have a look and see if anything is the 

 matter with him, as I know from what I have seen and been 

 told before the symptoms of scurvy is pains and swelling 

 behind the knee round the ankle and loosening of the teeth, 

 ulcerated gums. To-night I watched to see his gums, and 

 I am convinced he is on the point of something anyhow, 

 and this I have spoken to Crean about, but he dont seem 

 to realise it. But I have asked him to wait developments 

 for a time. It seems we are in for more trouble now, but 

 lets hope for the best. 



lyd January 19 12. 



We got away pretty well and did a good journey, 

 having covered about 14 miles over a fairly good surface. 

 We have passed the Blizzard Camp and glad of it too, 

 again to-day we saw in several places where the bridges on 

 the crevasses had fallen through. A good job they none of 

 them fell through when we were going over them as the 

 width would have taken all through with them, and in 

 every case where they had fallen through was where we 

 had gone over, as the mark of the sledge was very distinct 

 in each case. Mr. Evans seems better to-day. 



