4 i 8 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 



for a long way on the southern horizon, against a thin 

 strip of blue sky. We camped just in time to get the tent 

 pitched before a line of drift we saw coming out of the 

 sky hit us. It is now blowing a mild blizzard and drifting. 

 Forty-eight miles in two days is more than I expected : 

 may our luck continue. Dogs pulling very fit and not 

 done up. 



" February 28. I had my first upset just after starting, 

 the sledge capsizing on a great sastrugus like the Ramp. 

 Dimitri was a long way ahead and all behind was very 

 thick. I had to unload the sledge for I could not right it 

 alone. Just as I righted it the team took charge. I missed 

 the driving-stick but got on to the sledge with no hope of 

 stopping them, and I was carried a mile to the south, leav- 

 ing four boxes of dog-food, the weekly bag, cooker, and 

 tent poles on the ground. The team stopped when they 

 reached Dimitri's team, and by then the gear was out of 

 sight. We went back for it, and made good i6|- miles for 

 the day on a splendid surface. The sun went down at 

 1 1. 15 (10.15 A.T.), miraged quite flat on top. After he 

 had gone down a great bonfire seemed to blaze out from 

 the horizon. Now — 2 2° and we use a candle for the first 

 time. 



"February 29. Bluff Depot. If anybody had told me 

 we could reach Bluff Depot, nearly ninety miles, in four 

 days, I would not have believed it. We have had a good 

 clear day with much mirage. Dogs a bit tired." x 



The next three days' run took us to One Ton. On the 

 day we left Bluff Depot, which had been made a little more 

 than a year ago, when certain of the ponies were sent home 

 on the Depot Journey, 2 but which no longer contained 

 any provisions, we travelled 12 miles; there was a good 

 light and it was as warm as could be expected in March. 

 The next day (March 2) we did 9 miles after a cold and 

 sleepless night, - 24 and a mild blizzard from N.W. and 

 quite thick. On the night of March 3 we reached One Ton, 

 heading into a strongish wind with a temperature of - 24 . 

 These were the first two days on which we had cold weather, 



1 My own diary. 2 Seep. 115. 



