230 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [November 
and the snow surface more particularly ! So that in about 
two hours we had shifted our half ton a whole mile, and 
walked three in doing it. Then on again for another mile 
with the tent sledge. Here we pitched the lunch camp. 
Dcbenham boiled the tea and got the tent fixed while we 
three brought up the lighter biscuit sledge. In the after- 
noon we managed three of these stages, Debenham as 
before having the tent ready when we brought in the 
last sledge. 
On November 20 we reached Cape Bernacchi. It was 
an awful surface. We crossed a layer of loose ice crystals 
in which one sometimes sank to the knee. Debenham's 
knee got a very painful wrench so that he could do no relay- 
ing. However, he started the plane table survey which 
he carried on throughout the whole journey — thus pro- 
ducing by far the most detailed sledge map of any part of 
Victoria Land. 
We left a depot of one week's stores here, as ordered 
by Captain Scott. We stuck a bright tin on the pole 
(as well as tlie flag) which shows up well when the sun is 
bright. 
The outlook was not promising. Ahead of us was 
a wide bay filled with screw-pack. This is sea ice which 
has been jammed haphazard on to the coast. Many of the 
upturned blocks were eight feet high. Snow had fallen 
on this surface and filled in some of the hollows, and a 
more inviting man-trap or leg-breaker it would be difficult 
to imagine. However, by next day's noon we were through 
the worst of it. It was such hurried, tiring work that we 
had no leisure for photography. There was a quaint 
