4 6 4 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[November 
it is thoroughly warm, the air breathlessly still, and the 
ponies resting in great comfort. If the snow has finished, 
the surface deposit, which is three to four inches thick, 
ought to diminish rapidly. Yet it is painful struggling 
on through this snow, though the ponies carry it gallantly 
enough. Christopher has now been harnessed three times 
without difficulty. After One Ton Camp it ought to be 
possible to stop him for a midnight halt and so get through 
the easier on long marches. Nearly 12 statute miles with- 
out a stop must be a big strain on the rearguard animals. 
One Ton Camp is only about 7 miles farther. Meanwhile 
we passed two of Evans* cairns to-day and one old cairn 
of last year, so that we ought to have little difficulty 
in finding our depot. 
Although we have been passing the black land of the 
Bluff I have not seen a sign of this land for four days. I 
had not thought it possible that misty conditions could 
continue for so long a time in this region ; always before 
we have seen the land repeatedly. Either the whole sky- 
has been clear, or the overhanging cloud has lifted from 
time to time to show the lower rocks. Had we been 
dependent on land marks we should have fared ill. Evi- 
dently a good system of cairns is the best possible travelling 
arrangement on this great snow plain. Meares and Demetri 
up with the dogs as usual very soon after we camped. 
This inpouring of warm moist air, which gives rise 
to this heavy surface deposit at this season, is certainly 
an interesting meteorological fact, accounting as it does 
for the very sudden change in Barrier conditions from 
spring to summer. 
