STILL GOING UPHILL 



of this bad travelling, so that we can stretch out our legs 

 for the Pole. 



December 24. — A much better day for us; indeed, 

 the brightest we have had since entering our Southern 

 Gateway. We started off at 7 a.m. across waves and 

 undulations of ice, with some one or other of our little 

 party falling through the thin crust of snow every now 

 and then. At 10.30 a.m. I decided to steer more to the 

 west, and we soon got on to a better surface, and cov- 

 ered 5 miles 250 yards in the forenoon. After lunch, as 

 the surface was distinctly improving, we discarded the 

 second sledge, and started our afternoon's march with 

 one sledge. It has been blowing freshly from the south 

 and drifting all day, and this, with over 40° of frost, 

 has coated our faces with ice. We get superficial frost- 

 bites every now and then. During the afternoon the 

 surface improved greatly, and the cracks and crevasses 

 disappeared, but we are still going uphill, and from 

 the summit of one ridge saw some new land, which runs 

 south-south-east down to latitude 86° South. We 

 camped at 6 p.m., very tired and with cold feet. We 

 have only the clothes we stand up in now, as we deputed 

 everything else, and this continued rise means lower 

 temperatures than I had anticipated. To-night we are 

 9095 ft. above sea-level, and the way before us is still 

 rising. I trust that it will soon level out, for it is 

 hard work pulling at this altitude. So far there is 

 no sign of the very hard surface that Captain Scott 

 speaks of in connection with his journey on the North- 

 ern Plateau. There seem to be just here regular layers 

 of snow, not much wind-swept, but we will see better 

 the surface conditions in a few days. To-morrow will 

 be Christmas Day, and our thoughts turn to home and 

 all the attendant joys of the time. One longs to hear 

 " the hansoms slurring through the London mud." In- 



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