THE POLAR JOURNEY 509 



l\ months and were 800 miles from home. The glacier 

 had been a heavy grind : the plateau certainly not worse, 

 probably better, than was expected, as far as that place 

 where the Last Return Party left them. But then, in addi- 

 tion to a high altitude, a head wind, and a temperature 

 which averaged - 18.7 , came this shower of ice-crystals, 

 turning the surface to sand, especially when the sun was 

 out. They were living in cirrus clouds, and the extra- 

 ordinary state seems to have obtained that the surface of 

 the snow was colder when the sun was shining than when 

 clouds checked the radiation from it. They began to 

 descend. Things began to go not quite right : they felt the 

 cold, especially Oates and Evans : Evans' hands also were 

 wrong — ever since the seamen made that new sledge. The 

 making of that sledge must have been fiercely cold work : 

 one of the hardest jobs they did. I am not sure that enough 

 notice has been taken of that. 



And then : " The Norwegians have forestalled us and 

 are first at the Pole. It is a terrible disappointment, and I 

 am very sorry for my loyal companions. Many thoughts 

 come and much discussion have we had. To-morrow we 

 must march on to the Pole and then hasten home with all 

 the speed we can compass. All the day-dreams must go ; 

 it will be a wearisome return." " The Pole. Yes, but under 

 very different circumstances from those expected . . . com- 

 panions labouring on with cold feet and hands. . . . Evans 

 had such cold hands we camped for lunch . . . the wind is 

 blowing hard, T. - 2 1°, and there is that curious damp, 

 cold feeling in the air which chills one to the bone in no 

 time. . . . Great God ! this is an awful place. . . ." 1 



This is not a cry of despair. It is an ejaculation pro- 

 voked by the ghastly facts. Even now in January the tem- 

 perature near the South Pole is about 24° lower than it is 

 during the corresponding month of the year (July) near 

 the North Pole, 2 and if it is like this in mid-summer, what 

 is it like in mid-winter ? At the same time it was, with the 

 exception of the sandy surfaces, what they had looked for, 



1 Scott's Last Expedition, vol. i. pp. 543-544. 

 2 Simpson, B.A.E., igio-/ip/j, " Meteorology," vol. i. p. 40. 



