igxx] THE COLD ON THE WINTER JOURNEY 363 
looking up the records to-day and find that Amundsen 
on a journey to the N. magnetic pole in March encountered 
temperatures similar in degree and recorded a minimum 
of 79 0 ; but he was with Esquimaux who built him an 
igloo shelter nightly ; he had a good measure of daylight ; 
the temperatures given are probably ' unscreened ' from 
radiation, and finally, he turned homeward and regained 
his ship after five days' absence. Our party went outward 
and remained absent for five weeks. 
It took the best part of a fortnight to cross the coldest 
region, and then rounding C. Mackay they entered the 
wind-swept area. Blizzard followed blizzard, the sky was 
constantly overcast and they staggered on in a light 
which was little better than complete darkness ; some- 
times they found themselves high on the slopes of Terror 
on the left of their track, and sometimes diving into the 
pressure ridges on the right amidst crevasses and confused 
ice disturbance. Reaching the foothills near C. Crozier, 
they ascended 800 feet, then packed their belongings over 
a moraine ridge and started to build a hut. It took three 
days to build the stone walls and complete the roof with 
the canvas brought for the purpose. Then at last they 
could attend to the object of the journey. 
The scant twilight at midday was so short that they 
must start in the dark and be prepared for the risk of 
missing their way in returning without light. On the 
first day in which they set forth under these conditions it 
took them two hours to reach the pressure ridges, and to 
clamber over them roped together occupied nearly the 
same time ; finally they reached a place above the rookery 
