126 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [February 
February 14 and 15. — Priestley and I spent the 
two days collecting and surveying. On the night of the 
15 th it began to snow, and, a strong plateau wind getting 
up, we spent the i6th in our tent, the drift being too thick 
to do anything. 
February 17. — Still blowing hard, with drift, but 
clear overhead. In the afternoon we packed up, and 
pulled over to the main depot, as the ship was due the 
following day. We camped late in the evening in our old 
place under the moraine. Blowing a heavy gale all 
night. 
February I'i to 29.' — Most of this time while we were 
waiting for the Terra Nova the wind blew with uninter- 
rupted violence and the tents suffered considerably. Our 
own tent split near the cap, but after several failures we 
managed to tie a lashing round the top and so saved the 
split from spreading to the body of the canvas. 
Levick's tent also split near the opening, and Abbott 
was obliged to sew the rent up in spite of the coldness of 
the blizzard. 
On February 24 the blizzard lulled for a short time 
and we were enabled to get a little exercise, but the whole 
of this time was occupied with a not too cheerful discussion 
about food. 
Our sledging provisions were due to give out on the 
27th and it was necessary to reserve at least half of the 
depot food for the sledge journey down the coast in the 
spring which would become inevitable should the ship not 
relieve us. It was therefore necessary to reduce the ration 
at once, and I asked Priestley to take charge of all food 
