462 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [November 
happening to the weather — it is all part of the general 
warming up, but I wish the sky would clear. In spite of 
the surface, the dogs ran up from the camp before last, 
over 20 miles, in the night. They are working splendidly 
so far. 
Sunday, November 12. — Camp 9. Our marches are 
uniformly horrid just at present. The surface remains 
wretched, not quite so heavy as yesterday, perhaps, but 
very near it at times. Five miles out the advance party 
came straight and true on our last year's Bluff depot 
marked with a flagstaff. Here following I found a note 
from E. Evans, cheerful in tone, dated 7 a.m. 7th inst. He 
is, therefore, the best part of five days ahead of us, which 
is good. Atkinson camped a mile beyond this cairn and 
had a very gloomy account of Chinaman. Said he couldn't 
last more than a mile or two. The weather was horrid, 
overcast, gloomy, snowy. One's spirits became very low. 
However, the crocks set off again, the rearguard came up, 
passed us in camp, and then on the march about 3 miles on, 
so that they camped about the same time. The Soldier 
thinks Chinaman will last for a good many days yet, an 
extraordinary confession of hope for him. The rest of 
the animals are as well as can be expected — Jehu rather 
better. These weather appearances change every minute. 
When we camped there was a chill northerly breeze, a 
black sky, and light falling snow. Now the sky is clearing 
and the sun shining an hour later. The temperature 
remains about - io° in the daytime. 
Monday, November 13. — Camp 10. Another horrid 
march in a terrible light, surface very bad. Ponies came 
