SOUTH 
found that two of the dogs had died during the storm, leaving 
seven dogs to haul the sledge. They marched a mile and a 
half to the westward and built a cairn, but the weather was 
very thick and they did not think it wise to proceed farther. 
They could not see more than a hmidred yards and the tent 
was soon out of sight. They returned to the camp, and stayed 
there until the morning of February 24, when they started the 
return march with snow still falling. We did get off from 
our camp," says Mackintosh, but had only proceeded about 
four hundred yards when the fog came on so thick that we 
could scarcely see a yard ahead, so we had to pitch the tent 
again, and are now sitting inside hoping the weather will clear. 
We are going back with only ten days' provisions, so it means 
pushing on for all we are worth. These stoppages are truly 
annoying. The poor dogs are feeling hungry ; they eat their 
harness or any straps that may be about. We can give them 
nothing beyond their allowance of three biscuits each as we 
are on bare rations ourselves ; but I feel sure they require 
more than one pound a day. That is what they are getting 
now. . . . After lunch we found it a little clearer, but a very 
bad light. We decided to push on. It is weird travelling in 
this light. There is no contrast or outline ; the sky and the 
surface are one, and we cannot discern undulations, which we 
encounter with disastrous results. We picked up the first of 
our outward cairns. This was most fortunate. After passing 
a second cairn everything became blotted out, and so we were 
forced to camp, after covering 4 miles 703 yds. The dogs are 
feeling the pangs of hunger and devouring everything they see. 
They will eat anything except rope. If we had not wasted 
those three days we might have been able to give them a good 
feed at the Bluff depot, but now that is impossible. It is 
snowing hard." 
The experiences of the next few days were unhappy. Another 
blizzard brought heavy snow and held the party up throughout 
the 25th and 26th. Outside is a scene of chaos. The snow, 
whirling along with the wind, obliterates everything. The 
dogs are completely buried, and only a mound with a ski 
sticking up indicates where the sledge is. We long to be off, 
252 
