I9I2] A LAST EFFORT IN GREAT COLD 309 
On March. 26 Keohane and I, having eighteen days' 
food for ourselves and the major portion of a week's 
ration for the Polar Party, started south. On the first 
day we made good about nine miles after a very hard pull. 
The temperature was exceedingly low but the weather 
fair. Our minimum thermometer failed on this journey, 
so that there was no accurate record of the temperatures. 
After a sleepless night we started at 8.30 and made good 
another nine miles. The day was overcast and there 
was no point to steer by. The weather continued cold 
and there was practically no sleep at night in the tent 
occupied by only two men. 
On March 29 it was again overcast, with strong 
breeze ; we made good eleven miles and then, the weather 
clearing, we realised that we were too far in to White 
Island amongst the pressure. 
On the 30th we made out from White Island, then a 
few miles south of Corner Camp, We returned to the 
motor, taking up the sledge left there by Lieutenant 
Evans, and then on to Corner Camp. Taking into con- 
sideration the weather and temperatures and the time 
of the year, and the hopelessness of finding the party 
except at any definite point like a depot, I decided to 
return from here. We depoted the major portion of a 
week's provisions to enable them to commimicate with 
Hut Point in case they should reach this point. At this 
date in my own mind I was morally certain that the 
party had perished, and in fact on March 29 Captain Scott, 
II miles south of One Ton Depot, made the last entry in 
his diary. 
