I9I2] TOWARDS MT. MELBOURNE 113 
Our stores were six weeks' sledging rations, one 
l2-ft, sledge (Priestley, Dickason, and myself), and one 
lo-ft. sledge (Levick, Abbott, and Browning). In addition 
to this I landed a depot consisting of seven boxes of 
biscuits, one box of cocoa (24 tins), one box of chocolate 
(36 lbs.), one box of sugar (56 lbs.), 4 weekly bags of 
pemmican (14 lbs. each), 2 weekly bags of raisins, 2 
cheeses, i bag of onions, 14 tins of oil, a little spare clothing, 
a spare sleeping-bag, and a spare tent and poles. Also 
my small primus stove, and two spare sledges, one of which 
was fitted with iron runners. By midnight we were 
camped, and saw the last of the ship steaming out of 
the bay. 
January 9. — Turned out at 6 a.m., but we did not get 
away until 10.30, shaping course N.W. for some foothills 
between us and Mt. Melbourne. Hard rough ice and a 
strong S.W. breeze made our sledges skid and did the 
runners no good. Crossed many thaw pools and channels 
covered with thin ice, through which we broke. After 
about an hour's pulling, however, wc got on to a snow 
surface, which was better going. We camped early to try 
and repair the sledgemcter. Got a good round of angles 
after hoosh. Night calm but overcast. Lengthened the 
traces as we may expect crevasses. 
January 10.— Overslept ourselves, not turning out 
until 7. It was 9 o'clock before we were under way. 
Our course lay over the piedmont ice, close under the 
northern foothills which lay between us and Mt. Mel- 
bourne. Some way ahead it looked as if a glacier from 
Mt. Melbourne came out on the piedmont, thereby giving 
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