i9ii} CHAOS WITHOUT ; COMFORT WITHIN i6r 
our small frail tent is being well tested. One imagines 
it cannot continue long as at present, but remembers our 
proximity to Cape Crozicr and the length of the blizzards 
recorded in that region. As usual we sleep and eat, con- 
versing as cheerfully as may be in the intervals. There 
is scant news of our small outside world — only a report 
of comfort and a rumour that Bowers' pony has eaten 
one of its putties ! ! 
ii p.m. — Still blowing hard — a real blizzard now with 
dusty, floury drift — two minutes in the open makes a 
white figure. What a wonderful shelter our little tent 
affords ! We have just had an excellent meal, a quiet 
pipe, and fireside conversation within, almost forgetful for 
the time of the howling tempest without ; — now, as we 
lie in our bags warm and comfortable, one can scarcely 
realise that ' hell 5 is on the other side of the thin sheet of 
canvas that protects us. 
Monday, February 6. — Corner Camp, No. 6. 6 p.m. 
The wind increased in the night. It has been blowing 
very hard all day. No fun to be out of the tent — but 
there are no shirkers with us. Oatcs has been out regularly 
to feed the ponies ; Mearcs and Wilson to attend to the 
dogs ; the rest of us as occasion required. The ponies 
are fairly comfortable, though one sees now what great 
improvements could be made to the horse clothes. The 
dogs ought to be quite happy. They are curled snugly 
under the snow and at meal times issue from steaming 
warm holes. The temperature is high, luckily. We are 
comfortable enough in the tent, but it is terribly trying 
to the patience — over fifty hours already and no sign of 
VOL. I. M 
