224 SCOIT'S LAST EXPEDITION [November 
myself held a council. We decided that Dcbenham could 
not do anything safely for a week. If he tried to hobble 
along his leg would never improve and it would probably 
lame him for life. Nelson very kindly volunteered to 
take Debenham's place and help us across to Butter Point 
with our sledges. Then we would return by Friday night, 
when we trusted to find Debenham able to start. 
We pushed off at 9.4s with the small sledge, and in 
about an hour picked up the other, and then our troubles 
began. We found that we could only just drag the two 
along at the rate of about one mile an hour. We were 
all pretty soft after the winter and as usual found the 
first day or two extra special liard work. Crossing the 
thicker snow drifts the sledge runners stuck so much 
that the waistbelt on which one pulled seemed to 
dislocate one's pelvis ! 
At one o'clock we were only 4^ miles from the hut. 
As we were pitching the lunch camp the drift was rising 
rapidly and before we could get the tent properly fixed 
a blizzard was upon us. Everything was soon obliterated. 
At first I thought I could see the Western Mountains 
30 miles away, but later found out that I was gazing at a 
snow ' pressure ridge ' about ten yards off ! 
Let us look round the tent and sec how we have 
profited by the previous season's sledging. In the roof 
is a larger ventilator. This, strangely enough, keeps us 
drier — for the steam from the cooker escapes instead 
of condensing on the bags and tent. By special request 
our floorcloth is eighteen inches wider, and now our 
cameras and instruments do not get buried in snow as 
