+ 68 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [Novemukr 
no saying how long or well the fitter animals may go. We 
had a horribly cold wind on the march. Temp. - i8°, 
force 3. The sun was shining but seemed to make little 
difference. It is still shining brightly, temp. n°. Behind 
the pony walls it is wonderfully warm and the animals 
look as snug as possible. 
Saturday November 18.— Camp 14. The ponies are 
not pulling well. The surface is, if anything, a little worse 
than yesterday, but I should think about the sort of thing 
we shall have to expect henceforward. I had a panic 
that we were carrying too much food and this morning 
we have discussed the matter and decided we can leave a 
sack. We have done the usual 13 miles (geo.) with a few 
hundred yards to make the 15 statute. The temperature- 
was - 21° when we camped last night, now it is - 3 0 . The 
crocks are going on very wonderfully. Oates gives 
Chinaman at least three days, and Wright says he may go 
for a week. This is slightly inspiriting, but how much 
better would it have been to have had ten really reliable 
beasts ! It's touch and go whether we scrape up to the 
Glacier ; meanwhile we get along somehow. At any rate 
the bright sunshine makes everything look more hopeful. 
Sunday, November 19.— Camp 15. We have struck 
a real bad surface, sledges pulling well over it, but ponies 
sinking very deep. The result is to about finish Jehu. 
He was terribly done on getting in to-night. He may go 
another march, but not more, I think. Considering the 
surface the other ponies did well. The ponies occasionally 
sink halfway to the hock, little Michael once or twice almost 
to the hock itself. Luckily the weather now is glorious 
