THE DEP6T REACHED 



been an immense help this way, though not outwards 

 for us. 



January 20. — Although we have not covered so much 

 ground to-day, we have had an infinitely harder time. 

 We started at 7 a.m. on our tracks of December 19, and 

 at 7.30 passed the camp of the evening of the 18th. For 

 two hours we were descending a snow-slope, with heavy 

 sastrugi, and then struck a patch of badly crevassed neve, 

 about half a mile across. After that we got on to blue 

 slippery ice, where our flnnesko had no hold. A gale 

 was blowing, and often fierce gusts came along, sweeping 

 the sledge sideways, and knocking us off our feet. We 

 all had many falls, and I had two specially heavy ones 

 which shook me up severely. When we reached the 

 steep slopes where we had roped the sledges up on our 

 outward journey, we lowered the sledge down by means 

 of the Alpine rope, using an ice-axe as a bollard to lower 

 by. On several occasions one or more of us lost our 

 footing, and were swept by the wind down the ice-slope, 

 with great difficulty getting back to our sledge and com- 

 panions. We arrived at our depot at 12.30 p.m. with 

 sore and aching bodies. The afternoon was rather better, 

 as, after the first hour, we got off the blue ice on to snow. 

 However bad as the day has been, we have said farewell 

 to that awful plateau, and are well on our way down the 

 glacier. 



January 21. — Started at 7.45 a.m. with a fresh 

 southerly breeze, so we still have valuable assistance 

 from our sail. The heavy falls I had yesterday have 

 so shaken me that I have been very ill to-day. I har- 

 nessed up for a while, but soon had to give up pulling 

 and walk by the sledge ; but, as the course has been down- 

 hill nearly all day and a fair wind has been assisting, 

 the others have had no difficulty in getting along at a 

 good pace, and we have covered 17 miles. The weather 



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