AT HUT POINT 



At last we are out on the long trail, after four years' 

 thought and work. I pray that we may be successful, 

 for my heart has been so much in this. 



There are numbers of seals lying close to our camp. 

 They are nearly all females, and will soon have young. 

 Erebus is emitting three distinct columns of steam 

 to-day, and the fumaroles on the old crater can be seen 

 plainly. It is a mercy that Adams is better to-night. 

 I cannot imagine what he would have done if he had 

 been knocked out for the southern journey, his interest 

 in the expedition has been so intense. Temperature plus 

 2° Fahr., distance for the day, 14^ miles. 



October 30. — At Hut Point. Another gloriously fine 

 day. We started away for Hut Point at 10.30 a.m., 

 leaving the supporting party to finish grinding the 

 maize. The ponies were in good fettle and went away 

 well, Socks walking without a sledge, while Grisi had 

 500 lb., Quan 430 lb., and Chinaman 340 lb. Socks seems 

 better to-day. It is a wonderful change to get up in 

 the morning and put on ski-boots without any difficulty, 

 and to handle cooking vessels without " burning " 

 one's fingers on the frozen metal. I was glad to see 

 all the ponies so well, for there had been both wind 

 and drift during the night. Quan seems to take a 

 delight in biting his tether when any one is looking, 

 for I put my head out of the tent occasionally during 

 the night to see if they were all right, and directly I 

 did so Quan started to bite his rope. At other times they 

 were all quiet. 



We crossed one crack that gave us a little trouble, 

 and at 1.30 p.m. reached Castle Rock, travelling at 

 one mile and three-quarters per hour. There I changed 

 my sledge, taking on Marshall's sledge with Quan, 

 for Grisi was making hard work of it, the surface being 

 very soft in places. Quan pulled 500 lb. just as easily 



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