i9«] THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE 415 
third more than the summer allowance of fuel. This, 
with our double tent, allowed a cosy hour after breakfast 
and supper in which we could dry our socks, &c, and put 
them on in comfort. We shifted our footgear immediately 
after the camp was pitched, and by this means kept our 
feet glowingly warm throughout the night. Nearly all 
the time we carried our sleeping-bags open on the sledges. 
Although the sun does not appear to have much effect, 
I believe this device is of great benefit even in the coldest 
weather — certainly by this means our bags were kept 
much freer of moisture than they would have been had 
they been rolled up in the daytime. The inner tent gets 
a good deal of ice on it, and I don't see any easy way to 
prevent this. 
The journey enables me to advise the Geological 
Party on their best route to Granite Harbour : this is 
along the shore, where for the main part the protection 
of a chain of grounded bergs has preserved the ice from 
all pressure. Outside these, and occasionally reaching 
to the headlands, there is a good deal of pressed up ice 
of this season, together with the latest of the old broken 
pack. Travelling through this is difficult, as we found on 
our return journey. Beyond this belt we passed through 
irregular patches where the ice, freezing at later intervals 
in the season, has been much screwed. The whole shows 
the general tendency of the ice to pack along the coast. 
The objects of our little journey were satisfactorily 
accomplished, but the greatest source of pleasure to me is 
to realise that I have such men as Bowers and P.O. Evans 
for the Southern journey. I do not think that harder men 
