THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



ettes were here, and it is difficult to describe the 

 enjoyment and luxury of a good smoke. I am sure 

 that the tobacco will make up for the shortage of food. 

 I do not doubt but that the Bluff Depot will have been 

 laid all right by Joyce. Anyhow we must stake on it, 

 for we have not enough food to carry us to the ship. 

 Joyce knows his work well, and we talk now of nothing 

 but the feeds that we will have when we reach the Bluff. 

 That depot has been the bright beacon ahead through 

 these dark days of hunger. Each time we took in another 

 hole in our belts we have said that it will be all right when 

 we get to the Bluff Depot, and now we are getting 

 towards it. 



February 21. — We got up at 4.40 a.m., just as it 

 commenced to blow, and the wind continued all day, a 

 blizzard with as low as 67° of frost. We could not get 

 warm, but we did twenty miles. In ordinary polar work 

 one would not think of travelling in such a severe bliz- 

 zard, but our need is extreme, and we must keep going. 

 It is neck or nothing with us now. Our food lies ahead, 

 and death stalks us from behind. This is just the time 

 of the year when the most bad weather may be ex- 

 pected. The sun now departs at night, and the dark- 

 ness is palpable by the time we turn in, generally about 

 9.30 p.m. We are so thin that our bones ache as we 

 lie on the hard snow in our sleeping-bags, from which a 

 great deal of the hair has gone. To-night we stewed 

 some of the scraps of Grisi meat, and the dish tasted 

 delicious. Too cold to write more. Thank God, we are 

 nearing the Bluff. 



February 22. — A splendid day. We did 20J4 miles, 

 and on the strength of the distance had a good feed. 

 About 11 a.m. we suddenly came across the tracks of 

 a party of four men, with dogs. Evidently the weather 

 has been fine and they have been moving at a good pace 



358 



