120 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 
will remember that it was at the Bluff Camp that Teddy 
Evans returned with the three weak ponies, so there were 
plenty of traces of our march now. Just on four miles from 
the start I saw a small mound some distance to the west, 
and struck over there: it was a small cairn without the 
signs of a camp and rather puzzled me at the time. As I 
shall mention it later I will call it X for convenience. We 
then pushed on and I found steering most difficult. In the 
fuzzy nothingness ahead one could see no point on which to 
fix the eye, and the compass required standing still to look 
at it every time. Our sledging compasses are spirit ones, 
and as steady as a small hand compass could possibly be. 
You will understand, however, that owing to the proximity 
of the Magnetic Pole the pull on the needle 1s chiefly down- 
wards. It is forced into a horizontal position by a balancing 
weight on the N. side, so it is obvious that its direction 
power is greatly reduced. On the ship, owing to the vibra- 
tion of the engines and the motors, we were absolutely 
unable to steer by the compass at all when off the region 
of the Magnetic Pole. 
On this occasion (February 21) we zig-zagged all over 
the place—first I went ahead, and Oates said I zig-zagged, 
then he went ahead, and I understood at once, as it was 
impossible to walk straight for two consecutive minutes. 
However, we plodded along with frequent stoppages till 
the wind came away, and then having determined the 
direction of that, steered by keeping the snow on our backs. 
The wind was not strong enough to be unpleasant, and all 
was well. We legged it into the void for nearly seven miles 
beyond X Cairn when I suddenly found myself only a few 
yards away from another cairn. This shows that somehow, 
without the use of tracks or landmarks, we had marched 
seven miles without being able to see thirty yards, and had 
yet hit off the direct track toa T’; of course, it was only 
coincidence, though some people might credit themselves 
with superlative navigating powers on such evidence. The 
wind increased, and with the knowledge I now have of 
blizzards I would camp at once. Then I thought it better 
to shove on, as the ponies were marching splendidly. The 
