i9K] BAD CONDITIONS CONTINUE 463 
through all well, but they are being tried hard by the 
surface conditions. We followed tracks most of the way, 
neither party seeing the other except towards camping 
time. The crocks did well, all things considered ; Jehu 
is doing extremely well for him. As we camped the sun 
came out and the cold chilly conditions of the march passed 
away, leaving everything peaceful, calm, and pleasant. 
We shall be in a better position to know how we stand 
when we get to One Ton Camp, now only 17 or 18 miles, 
but I am anxious about these beasts — very anxious, they 
are not the ponies they ought to have been, and if they 
pull through well, all the thanks will be due to Oates. 
I trust the weather and surface conditions will improve ; 
both are rank bad at present. 
3 p.m. — It has been snowing consistently for some 
hours, adding to the soft surface accumulation inch upon 
inch. What can such weather mean ? Arguing it out, it 
is clearly necessary to derive this superfluity of deposition 
from some outside source such as the open sea. The 
wind and spread of cloud from the N.E. and the excep- 
tionally warm temperature seem to point to this. If this 
should come as an exception, our luck will be truly awful. 
The camp is very silent and cheerless, signs that things are 
going awry. The temperature in the middle of our tent 
this morning when the sun was shining on it was 50 0 ! 
outside - io°. 
Tuesday, November 14— Camp 11. The surface little 
improved, but a slightly better and much more cheerful 
march. The sun shone out midway, and although 
obscured for a time, it is now quite bright again. Now 
