Ci^apter four 



THE BLUFF DEPOT JOURNEY 



T HAD left instructions at the winter quarters that 

 a party should proceed to Minna Bluff at the 

 beginning of the new year, and place at a point 

 opposite the Bluff a depot of stores for the use of the 

 Southern Party on its return journey. Joyce was to 

 take charge of this work, and it was of very considerable 

 importance, since we four of the Southern Party would 

 be depending on the depot to supply us with the pro- 

 visions necessary for the last hundred miles or so of 

 the journey back to the winter quarters. Joyce was 

 accompanied by Mackintosh, Day and Marston, and 

 he found that as the snow surface was very soft it 

 would be necessary to make two journeys to the Bluff, 

 one with ordinary sledging provisions, and the other 

 with special luxuries from the ship. The party left 

 the winter quarters at Cape Royds on January 15, with 

 one sledge and 500 lb. of provisions, drawn by eight 

 dogs. Early in the afternoon they encountered soft 

 ice, sticky with salt, and the travelling became very 

 heavy. They kept well away from the land, but Joyce, 

 Mackintosh and Marston all fell through at different 

 times, the soft surface giving away under them, and 

 they got wet up to their waists. Their clothing froze 

 stiff at once. They camped for the night at Glacier 

 Tongue, and the next morning found the weather so 

 bad that they were unable to march. There was a 

 strong southerly wind, with drift, and this soon turned 

 into a howling bhzzard. A calm succeeded at mid- 

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