62 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [July 
how helpless I believe we were to help ourselves, and 
how we were brought out of a very terrible series of 
experiences. 
When we started back I had a feeling that things 
might change for the better— and this day I had a distinct 
idea that we were to have one more bad experience and 
that after that we could hope for better things. Bill, I 
know, has much the same feeling about a divine providence 
which was looking after us.] 
We then got on well and soon reached safe land ice, 
having sounded for and found all the cracks in our path 
in time to avoid or cross tlicm safely. 
We next got on to a very long upward incline, and 
made good going till we had to camp, having covered 
7| miles in the day. 
The temp, varied from -45° to -47° during the day, 
but the weather was calm and clear cnougli later on for 
us to see something of where we were going, 
Friday^ July 28, 191 1. — We were away before daylight 
and found ourselves still on the upward slope of a very 
long gradient facing a gentle breeze, which as usual was 
flowing down the slope. The Bastion Crater was on our 
right with the Conical Hill surmounting it, a landmark 
visible from Observation Hill. 
We went on and on up this slope until at last we found 
ourselves in a calm on the divide witli a magnificent view 
of the Western Range, Mt. Discovery and the Hut Point 
Peninsula and all the other familiar landmarks showing 
very clearly in the dim daylight. [I cannot describe 
what a relief the light was to us.] We then knew we 
