THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



an improved surface during the morning they kept 

 ahead of the ponies, who constantly broke through the 

 crust. As soon as we passed the end of White Island, 

 the surface became softer, and it was trying work for 

 both men and ponies. However, we did 9 miles 500 

 yards (statute) up to 1 p.m., the supporting party going 

 the whole time without being relieved. Their weights 

 had been reduced by nearly 100 lb., as we depoted that 

 amount of oil and provisions last night. In the after- 

 noon the surface was still softer, and when we came 

 to camp at 6 p.m. the ponies were plainly tired. The 

 march for the day was 16 miles 500 yards (statute), 

 over fourteen miles geographical, with a bad surface, so 

 we have every reason to be pleased with the ponies. 

 The supporting party pulled hard. The cloud rolled 

 away from Erebus this evening, and it is now warm, 

 clear and bright to the north, but dark to the south. 

 I am steering about east-south-east to avoid the 

 crevasses off White Island, but to-morrow we go south- 

 east. We fixed our position to-night from bearings, and 

 find that we are thirty-four miles south of Cape Royds. 

 Every one is fit and well. 



November 5. — On turning out this morning, we found 

 the weather overcast, with slight snow falling and only 

 a few landmarks visible to the north, nothing to the 

 south. We got under way at 8.15 a.m., steering by 

 compass. The light was so bad that the sastrugi could 

 not be seen, though of the latter there was not much, 

 for there was a thick coating of fallen snow. The 

 surface was very bad for ponies and men. The ponies 

 struggled gamely on through the tiring morning, and 

 we camped for lunch at 1 p.m., having done 8 miles 1200 

 yards. After lunch we started at 2.15 p.m. in driving 

 snow, but our steering was very wild. We had been 

 making a south-east course all the morning, but in the 



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