i 9 ti] BOWERS AND CHERRY-GARRARD 169 
comfortable shelter. We are five in a tent yet fairly 
comfortable. 
Our ponies' coats arc certainly getting thicker and I sec 
no reason why wc shouldn't get to the 80th parallel if 
only the weather would give us a chance. 
Bowers is wonderful. Throughout the night he has 
worn no head-gear but a common green felt hat kept on 
with a chin stay and affording no cover whatever for the 
ears. His face and ears remain bright red. The rest 
of us were glad to have thick Balaclavas and wind helmets. 
I have never seen anyone so unaffected by the cold. 
To-night he remained outside a full hour after the rest of us 
had got into the tent. He was simply pottering about 
the camp doing small jobs to the sledges, &c. Cherry- 
Garrard is remarkable because of his eyes. He can only 
see through glasses and has to wrestle with all sorts of 
inconveniences in consequence. Yet one could never 
guess it — for he manages somehow to do more than his 
share of the work. 
Tuesday, February 14. — 13 Camp. 7 miles 650 yards. 
A disappointing day : the weather had cleared, the night 
was fine though cold, temperature well below zero with a 
keen S.W. breeze. Soon after the start we struck very 
bad surface conditions. The ponies sank lower than their 
hocks frequently and the soft patches of snow left by the 
blizzard lay in sandy heaps, making great friction for the 
runners. We struggled on, but found Gran with Weary 
Willy dropping to the rear. I consulted Oates as to 
distance and he cheerfully proposed 15 miles for the 
day ! This piqued me somewhat and I marched till the 
