THE SEARCH JOURNEY 475 



Midnight, November 4-5. It has been blowing and drift- 

 ing all day. We turned out again at mid-day on the 4th, 

 and re-made the depot with what we were to leave owing 

 to the new programme. This is all rather sad, but it can't 

 be helped. It was then blowing a summer blizzard, and 

 we were getting frost-bitten when we started, following the 

 mule tracks. There were plenty of cairns for us to pick up, 

 and with the lighter loads and a very good surface we came 

 along much better. Lunching at eight miles we arrived 

 just as the mule party had finished their hoosh preparatory 

 to starting, and it has been decided that the mules are not 

 to go on to-night, but we will all start marching together 

 to-morrow. 



The news from this party is on the whole good, not the 

 least good being that the sledge-meter is working again, 

 though not very reliably. They are marching well, and at 

 a great pace, except for Khan Sahib. Gulab, however, is 

 terribly chafed both by his collar and by his breast harness, 

 both of which have been tried. He has a great raw place 

 where this fits on one side, and is chafed, but not so badly, 

 on the other side. Lai Khan is pulling well, but is eating 

 very little. Pyaree is doing very well, but has some diffi- 

 culty in lifting her leg when in soft snow. Abdullah seems 

 to be considered the best mule at present. On the whole 

 good hearing. <. 



Wright's sleeping-bag is bad, letting in light through 

 cracks in a good many places. But he makes very little of 

 it and does not seem to be cold — saying it is good venti- 

 lation. The mule cloths, which have a rough lining to 

 their outside canvas, are collecting a lot of snow, and all 

 the mules are matted with cakes of snow. They are terrible 

 rope-eaters, cloth-eaters, anything to eat, though they are 

 not hungry. And they have even learnt to pull their 

 picketing buckles undone, and go walking about the camp. 

 Indeed Nelson says that the only time when Khan Sahib 

 does not cast himself adrift is when he is ready to start on 

 the march. 



November 6. Early morning. We had a really good lie- 

 in yesterday, and after the hard slogging with the dogs 



