SUSPENSE 423 



ting the teams up on to the Peninsula and along it and 

 down the other side would be almost more than we could 

 do : there was an ominous open-water sky ahead. 



On March 15 we were held up all day by a strong bliz- 

 zard. But by 8 a.m. the next morning we could see just the 

 outline of White Island. I was very anxious, for Dimitri 

 said that he had nearly fainted, and I felt that we must get 

 on somehow, and chance the sea-ice being in. He stayed 

 inside the tent as long as possible, and my spirits rose as 

 the land began to clear all round while I was packing up 

 both sledges. From Safety Camp the mirage at the edge 

 of the Barrier was alarming, but as we approached the edge 

 to my very great relief I found that the sea-ice was still in, 

 and that what we had taken for frost smoke was only drift 

 over Cape Armitage. 



Pushing into the drift round the corner I found Atkin- 

 son on the sea-ice, and Keohane in the hut behind. In a 

 few minutes we had the gist of one another's news. The 

 ship had made attempt after attempt to reach Campbell 

 and his five men, but they had not been taken off from 

 Evans Coves when she finally left McMurdo Sound on 

 March 4: she would make another effort on her way to 

 New Zealand. Evans was better and was being taken 

 home. Meanwhile there were four of us at Hut Point and 

 we could not communicate with our companions at Cape 

 Evans until the Sound froze over, for the open sea was 

 washing the feet of Vince's Cross. 



We were not unduly alarmed about the Polar Party at 

 present, but began to make arrangements for further sledg- 

 ing if necessary. It was useless to think of taking the dogs 

 again for they were thoroughly done. The mules and the 

 new dogs were at Cape Evans. " In four or five days 

 Atkinson wishes to start South again to see what we can 

 do man-hauling, if the Polar Party is not in. I agree with 

 him that to try and go west to meet Campbell is useless just 

 now. If we can go north, they can come south, and to put 

 two parties there on the new sea-ice is to double the risk." 



" March 1 7. A blizzard day but only about force 5-6. I 



