THE ROSS SEA PARTY 
which were moist, to freeze hard. We had no sleep and spent 
the night twisting and turning. The morning brought sunshine 
and pleasure, for the hot hoosh warmed our bodies and gave 
a glow that was most comforting. The sun was out, the 
weather fine and clear but cold. At 8.30 a.m. we made a start. 
We take a long time putting on our finneskoe, although we 
get up earlier to allow for this. This morning we were over 
four hours getting away. We had a fine surface this morning 
for marching, but we did not make much headway. We did 
the usual four miles before lunch. The temperature was 
- 23"^ Fahr. A mirage made the sastrugi appear to be dancing 
like some ice-goblins, Joyce calls them ' dancing jimmies.' 
After lunch we travelled well, but the distance for the day was 
only 7 miles 400 yds. We are blaming our sledge-meter for 
the slow rate of progress. It is extraordinary that on the 
days when we consider we are making good speed we do no 
more than on days when we have a tussle." 
''March 15. — The air temperature this morning was —35^ 
Fahr, Last night was one of the worst I have ever experienced. 
To cap ever}^thing, I developed toothache, presumably as a result 
of frost-bitten cheek. I v/as in positive agony. I groaned and 
moaned, got the medicine-chest, but could find nothing there 
to stop the pain. Joyce, who had wakened up, suggested methy- 
lated spirit, so I damped some cotton-wool, then placed it in 
the tooth, with the result that I burnt the inside of my mouth. 
All this time my fingers, being exposed (it must have been at 
least 50° below zero), were continually having to be brought 
back. After putting on the methylated spirit I went back to 
the bag, which, of course, was frozen stiff. I wriggled and 
moaned till morning brought relief by enabling me to turn out. 
Joyce and Wild both had a bad night, their feet giving them 
trouble. My feet do not affect me so much as theirs. The 
skin has peeled off the inside of my mouth, exposing a raw 
sore, as the result of the methylated spirit. My tooth is better 
though. We have had to reduce our daily ration. Frost-bites 
are frequent in consequence. The surface became very rough 
in the afternoon, and the light, too, was bad owing to cumulus 
clouds being massed over the sun. We are continually falling, 
R 257 
