LAYING THE DEPOTS 
the scurvy, his knees being stiff. In his case the disease took 
hmi off his feet very suddenly, apparently causing the muscles 
of his legs to contract till they could be straightened hardly 
more than a right angle. He had slight touches in the joints 
of the arms. In the cases of Joyce, AVild, and Richards, joints 
became stiff' and black in the rear, but general weakness was 
the worst symptom experienced. Captaiii Mackintosh's legs 
looked the worst in the party.'' 
The five men who were now at Hut Point found quickly 
that some of the whiter months must be spent there. They 
had no news of the ship, and were justified in assuming that 
she had not returned to the Sound, since if she had some message 
would have been awaiting them at Hut Point, if not farther 
south. The sea-ice had broken and gone north within a mile 
of the point, and the party must wait until the new ice became 
firm as far as Cape Evans. Plenty of seal meat was available, 
as well as dried vegetables, and the fresh food improved the 
condition of the patients very rapidly. Richards massaged the 
swollen joints and found that this treatment helped a good 
deal. Before the end of March Mackintosh and Hayward, the 
worst sufferers, were able to take exercise. By the second 
week of April Mackintosh was free of pain, though the backs 
of his legs were still discoloured. 
A tally of the stores at the hut showed that on a reason- 
able allowance the supply would last till the middle of June. 
Richards and Wild killed many seals, so that there was no 
scarcity of meat and blubber. A few penguins were also 
secured. The sole means of cooking food and heating the hut 
was an improvised stove of brick, covered with two sheets of 
iron. This had been used by the former Expedition. The 
stove emitted dense smoke and often made the hut very un- 
comfortable, while at the same time it covered the men and 
all their gear with clinging and penetrating soot. Cleanliness 
was out of the question, and this increased the desire of the 
men to get across to Cape Evans, During April the sea froze 
in calm weather, but winds took the ice out again. On April 23 
Joyce walked four miles to the north, partly on young ice two 
inches thick, and he thought then that the party might be able 
299 
