19"] AT ONE TON CAMP 465 
Wednesday, November 1 5 . — Ca mp 12. Fou n d our 
One Ton Camp without any difficulty [130 geographical 
miles from Cape Evans]. About 7 or 8 miles. After 
5^ miles to lunch camp, Chinaman was pretty tired, but 
went on again in good form after the rest. All the other 
ponies made nothing of the march, which, however, was 
over a distinctly better surface. After a discussion we 
had decided to give the animals a day's rest here, and 
then to push forward at the rate of 13 geographical miles 
a day. Oates thinks the ponies will get through, but that 
they have lost condition quicker than he expected. Con- 
sidering his usually pessimistic attitude this must be 
thought a hopeful view. Personally I am much more 
hopeful. I think that a good many of the beasts arc 
actually in better form than when they started, and that 
there is no need to be alarmed about the remainder, always 
excepting the weak ones which we have always regarded 
with doubt. Well, we must wait and see how things go, 
A note from Evans dated the 9th, stating his party has 
gone on to 8o° 30', carrying four boxes of biscuit. He 
has done something over 30 miles (geo.) in 2^ days — 
exceedingly good going. I only hope he has built lots of 
good cairns. 
It was a very beautiful day yesterday, bright sun, but 
as we marched, towards midnight, the sky gradually 
became overcast ; very beautiful halo rings formed around 
the sun. Four separate rings were very distinct. Wilson 
descried a fifth — the orange colour with blue interspace 
formed very fine contrasts. We now clearly see the 
corona ring on the snow surface. The spread of stratus 
