2l8 
SCOTTS LAST EXPEDITION 
[March 
by the sight of a patch of smooth surface ahead of us. 
Though only four miles off it took us nearly two days to 
reach it. Bad sandy patches delayed us and ruined the 
runners. On returning with the second sledge we could 
often see what looked like wisps of yellow tobacco in the 
lee of the jagged points of ice. These were long filaments 
of ash torn from our unfortunate runners. 
So passed Edgar Evans' birthday, in honour of which 
we had some superfine chocolates which seemed in some 
way to bring us in touch with civilisation again. 
At noon on the loth we reached sea ice again beyond 
the Pinnacles and liad good hopes of reaching Hut Point 
by night, for it was only a little over ten miles away. I 
wrote in my diary : ' The surface got so much better that 
we decided to get to Hut Point or bust ! About 5 p.m. 
we decided to bust, for there was five miles of water 
between us and the hut. So we deviated with what speed 
we might to the south, gradually veering in the teeth of a 
young blizzard.' 
In the morning we could see frost smoke rising from 
the water apparently for miles right across our track. 
In place of reaching the hut in one day we evidently had 
a long detour to make to get around the open water. We 
called tJiis place ' Camp Had Again ' for obvious reasons, 
and started off, after digging out the sledges and tent, 
once more directly away from our objective. 
We pulled six miles south before lunch, leaving Hut 
Point behind us on the left. The end of the great bay 
seemed in sight now and I felt justified in bearing east 
a little. We were onlv half a mile from the water when 
