SOUTH 
make the best of oiir way to the depot, which is anything up 
to twelve miles away. So we made them comfortable and left 
them about 3.40. I told Wild I should leave as much as pos- 
sible and get back 26th or 27th5 weather permitting, but just 
as we left them it came on to snow pretty hard, sun going in, 
and we found even with the four dogs we could not make more 
than one-half to three-quarters of a mile an hour. The surface 
is so bad that sometimes you go in up to your waist ; still in 
spite of all this we carried on until 6.35. Camped in a howling 
blizzard. I found my left foot badly frost-bitten. Now after 
this march we came into our banquet — one cup of tea and 
half a biscuit. Turned in at 9 o'clock. Situation does not 
look very cheerful. This is really the worst surface I have 
ever come across in all my journeys here." 
Mackintosh had stayed on his feet as long as was humanly 
possible. The records of the outward journey show clearly that 
he was really unfit to continue beyond the 82"" S. depot, and 
other members of the party would have liked him to have stayed 
with Spencer-Smith at lat. 83° S. But the responsibility for the 
work to be done was primarily his, and he would not give in. 
He had been sufiering for several weeks from what he cheer- 
fully called a sprained leg,'' owing to scurvy. He marched 
for half an hour on the 23rd before breaking down, but had to 
be supported partly by Richards. Spencer-Smith was sinking. 
Wild, who stayed in charge of the two involids, was in fairly 
good condition. Joyce, Eichards, and Hajrw^ard, who had 
undertaken the relief journey, were all showing symptoms of 
scurvy, though in varying degrees. Their legs were weak, their 
gums swollen. The decision that the invalids, with Wild, 
should stay in camp from February 24, while Joyce's party 
pushed forward to Bluff depot, was justified fully by the circum- 
stances. Joyce, Richards, and Hayward had difficulty in 
reaching the depot with a nearly empty sledge. An attempt 
to make their journey with two helpless men might have 
involved the loss of the whole party. 
" Fehritary 24, Thursday. — ^Up at 4.30 ; had one cup of tea, 
half biscuit ; under way after 7. Weather, snowing and blow- 
ing like yesterday. Richards, laying the cairns, had great 
286 
