54 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [July 
ask Bill to let us have enough morphia to deaden the 
pain when, as I think still it must have come, the cold 
became too much to live. With a steep icy slope below 
us, ending in an ice-cliff which itself led into the pressure, 
I don't know whether any of us had much hope of find- 
ing the tent— though afterwards as the wind went down 
we said we had. Without the tent I think we must have 
died. 
I suppose at times all through this blizzard we must 
have dozed — I remember waking once after this to hear 
Bill singing hymns — every now and then I could hear a 
little, and Bill says Biidie was doing the same : I chimed 
in a bit, but not very much. Early Monday morning 
there were decided lulls in the wind, and the blizzard 
had practically blown itself out. Before daylight, while 
it was still blowing, we turned out and went down the 
slope to try and find the tent. We could see nothing, 
and were forced to return. It was now 48 hours since 
we had had a meal, and we managed about the weirdest 
meal ever eaten N. or South. We got the floorcloth 
under the heads of our bags, then got into our bags and 
drew the floorcloth over our heads and got the primus 
going in this shelter, and the cooker held by hand over 
the primus. In time we got both tea and pemmican — 
the blubber left in the cooker burnt and gave the tea 
a burnt taste — none of us will ever forget that meal. 
I enjoyed it as much as such a meal ever could be enjoyed, 
and that burnt taste will always bring back that memory. 
A little glow of light began to come up and we turned 
out to have a further search for the tent. Birdie went off 
