THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



and Mount Queensland of Captain Scott's chart. Later 

 Mawson concluded that the western of the two at any 

 rate was new and unnamed. 



There was still a strong plateau wind. We were 

 now at an altitude of about 4500 ft. Once more, as 

 in winter time, our breath froze into lumps of ice, 

 cementing our Burberry helmets to our beards and 

 moustaches. In putting up the tent for lunch in 

 the strong plateau wind, it became badly torn near 

 the cap piece. This wind had started before midnight 

 on the previous night, and was blowing strongly until 

 the afternoon, at from twelve to about fifteen miles an 

 hour. It carried along with it a little low drift. The 

 plateau wind did not die down until the evening. Our 

 distance travelled was eleven miles, and we were still 

 travelling on an up grade, being now nearly 5000 ft. 

 above sea-level. 



December 31 passed off without any special event 

 other than that after Mackay had repaired the tent in the 

 morning it became torn again at lunch-time when we 

 were fitting it over the tent-poles. Mawson took a fresh 

 set of magnetic observations. We camped for this 

 purpose at the bottom of a wide undulation in the neve 

 surface. We were disappointed at his announcement that 

 he made out that the Magnetic Pole was further inland 

 than had been originally estimated. What with the 

 observations with the Lloyd- Creak dip circle, and the time 

 occupied in repairing the rents in the tent, we ran our- 

 selves somewhat short of time for our sledging that 

 day, and did not camp until a little before midnight. 

 We were still dragging the sledge on an up grade; the 

 surface was softer and more powdery than before, and 

 the sastrugi heavier. Also since the previous Tuesday 

 we had been obliged to put ourselves on somewhat 

 shorter rations than before, as we had to take one- 



170 



