534 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 



more silent in the tent. We are making a spirit lamp to try 

 and replace the primus when our oil is exhausted. . . ." 



" Wednesday, March 7. A little worse, I fear. One of 

 Oates' feet very bad this morning ; he is wonderfully brave. 

 We still talk of what we will do together at home. 



" We only made 6\ miles yesterday. This morning in 

 4^ hours we did just over 4 miles. We are 16 from our 

 depot. If we only find the correct proportion of food there 

 and this surface continues, we may get to the next depot 

 [Mt. Hooper, 72 miles farther] but not to One Ton Camp. 

 We hope against hope that the dogs have been to Mt. 

 Hooper ; then we might pull through. If there is a 

 shortage of oil again we can have little hope. One feels 

 that for poor Oates the crisis is near, but none of us are 

 improving, though we ar wonderfully fit considering the 

 really excessive work we are doing. We are only kept 

 going by good food. No wind this morning till a chill 

 northerly air came ahead. Sun bright and cairns showing 

 up well. I should like to keep the track to the end." 



"Thursday, March 8. Lunch. Worse and worse in 

 morning; poor Oates' left foot can never last out, and time 

 over foot-gear something awful. Have to wait in night foot- 

 gear for nearly an hour before I start changing, and then 

 am generally first to be ready. Wilson's feet giving trouble 

 now, but this mainly because he gives so much help to 

 others. We did 4! miles this morning and are now 8iy 

 miles from the depot — a ridiculously small distance to feel 

 in difficulties, yet on this surface we know we cannot equal 

 half our old marches, and that for that effort we expend 

 nearly double the energy. The great question is : What 

 shall we find at the depot ? If the dogs have visited it we 

 may get along a good distance, but if there is another short 

 allowance of fuel, God help us indeed. We are in a very 

 bad way, I fear, in any case." 



" Saturday, March 10. Things steadily downhill. 

 Oates' foot worse. He has rare pluck and must know that 

 he can never get through. He asked Wilson if he had a 

 chance this morning, and of course Bill had to say he didn't 

 know. In point of fact he has none. Apart from him, if he 



