SHELTERLESS IN A BLIZZARD 
365 
wind, instead of striking them directly, was deflected on 
to them in furious whirling gusts. Heavy blocks of snow 
and rock placed on the roof were whirled away and the 
canvas ballooned up, tearing and straining at its securings 
— its disappearance could only be a question of time. 
They had erected their tent with some valuables inside 
close to the hut ; it had been well spread and more than 
amply secured with snow and boulders, but one terrific 
gust tore it up and whirled it away. Inside the hut they 
waited for the roof to vanish, wondering what they could 
do if it went, and vainly endeavouring to make it secure. 
After fourteen hours it went, as they were trying to pin 
down one corner. The smother of snow was on them, 
and they could only dive for their sleeping-bags with a 
gasp. Bowers put his head out once and said, * We're 
all right, 5 in as near his ordinary tones as he could compass. 
The others replied c Yes, we're all right,' and all were 
silent for a night and half a day whilst the wind howled 
on ; the snow entered every chink and crevice of the 
sleeping-bags, and the occupants shivered and wondered 
how it would all end. 
This gale was the same (July 23) in which we registered 
our maximum wind force, and it seems probable that it 
fell on C. Crozicr even more violently than on us. 
The wind fell at noon the following day ; the forlorn 
travellers crept from their icy nests, made shift to spread 
their floorcloth overhead, and lit their primus. They 
tasted their first food for forty-eight hours and began to 
plan a means to build a shelter on the homeward route. 
They decided that they must dig a large pit nightly and 
