QUAN WAS TOUGH MEAT 



At one moment our thoughts are on the grandeur of 

 the scene, the next on what we would have to eat if 

 only we were let loose in a good restaurant. We are 

 very hungry these days, and we know that we are likely 

 to be for another three months. One of the granite 

 cliffs we are nearing is over 6000 ft. sheer, and much 

 bare rock is showing, which must have running water 

 on it as the hot sun plays down. The moon was visible 

 in the sky all day and it was something f amiliar, yet far 

 removed from these days of hot sunshine and wide white 

 pathways. The temperature is now plus 16° Fahr., and 

 it is quite warm in the tent. 



December 2. — Started at 8 a.m., all four of us hauling 

 one sledge, and Socks following behind with the other. 

 He soon got into our regular pace, and did very well 

 indeed. The surface during the morning was extremely 

 bad and it was heavy work for us. The sun beat down 

 on our heads and we perspired freely, though we were 

 working only in shirts and pyjama trousers, whilst our 

 feet were cold in the snow. We halted for lunch at 

 1 p.m., and had some of Quan cooked, but he was very 

 tough meat, poor old beast. Socks, the only pony 

 left now, is lonely. He whinnied all night for his lost 

 companion. At 1 p.m. to-day we had got close enough 

 to the disturbance ahead of us to see that it consisted 

 of enormous pressure ridges, heavily crevassed and 

 running a long way east, with not the slightest chance 

 of our being able to get southing that way any longer 

 on the Barrier. So after lunch we struck due south 

 in toward the land, which is now running in a south- 

 east direction, and at 6 p.m. we were close to the ridges 

 off the coast. There is a red hill about 3000 ft. in height, 

 which we hope to ascend to-morrow, so as to gain a view 

 of the surrounding country. Then we will make our 

 way, if possible, with the pony up a glacier ahead of 



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