THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



the mounds were most useful. They remained after the sledge tracks 

 had disappeared, and they were a very great comfort to us during 

 the journey back from our furthest south point. 



November 16. — We started again this morning in 

 gloriously fine weather, the temperature minus 15° 

 Fahr. (down to minus 25° Fahr. during the night). The 

 ponies pulled splendidly. All the western mountains 

 stood up, miraged into the forms of castles. Even 

 the Bluff could be seen in the far distance, changed 

 into the semblance of a giant keep. Before starting, 

 which we did at 7.40 a.m., we made a mound of snow, 

 6 ft. high, as a guide to us on our homeward way, and 

 as it was built on a large sastrugi, we saw it for two 

 and a half statute miles after starting. At twenty 

 minutes to twelve, we halted for latitude observations, 

 and found that we had reached 79° 50' South. After 

 lunch the surface changed somewhat, but the going 

 was fairly good, in fact we covered 17 miles 200 yards 

 (statute) , a record day for us. This evening it is cloudy, 

 high cumulus going from south-east to north-west. 

 The temperature to-night is minus 5° Fahr., but it being 

 dead calm we feel quite warm. A hot sun during the 

 day dried our reindeer skin sleeping-bags, the water, or 

 rather ice, all drying out of them, so we sleep in dry 

 bags again. It has been a wonderful arid successful 

 week, so different to this time six years ago, when I 

 was toiling along five miles a day over the same ground. 

 To-night one can see the huge mountain range to the 

 south of Barne Inlet. In order to further economise 

 food we are saving three lumps of sugar each every 

 day, so in time we will have a fair stock. The great 

 thing is to advance our food-supply as far south as 

 possible before the ponies give out. Every one is in 

 splendid health, eyes all right again, and only minor 

 troubles, such as split lips, which do not allow us to 



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