472 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [Novnon 
for the poor beasts. There arc also more patches in 
which the men sink, so that walking is getting more 
troublesome, but, speaking broadly, the crusts arc not 
comparatively bad and the surface is rather better than 
it was. If the hot sun continues this should still further 
improve. One cannot sec any reason why the crust 
should change in the next 100 miles. (Temp. +2°.) 
The land is visible along the western horizon in patches. 
Bowers points out a continuous dark band. Is this the 
dolcritc sill ? 
Thursday, November 23 . — Camp 19. Getting along. I 
think the ponies will get through; wc are now 150 geo- 
graphical miles from the Glacier. But it is still rather touch 
and go. If one or more ponies were to go rapidly down 
hill wc might be in queer street. The surface is much 
the same I think ; before lunch there seemed to be a 
marked improvement, and after lunch the ponies marched 
much better, so that one supposed a betterment of the 
friction. It is banking up to the south (T. +9 0 ) and I'm 
afraid wc may get a blizzard. I hope to goodness it is not 
going to stop one marching ; forage won't allow that. 
Friday, November 24.— Camp 20. There was a cold 
wind changing from south to S.E. and overcast sky all day 
yesterday. A gloomy start to our march, but the cloud 
rapidly lifted, bands of clear sky broke through from 
cast to west, and the remnants of cloud dissipated. Now 
the sun is very bright and warm. Wc did the usual 
march very easily over a fairly good surface, the ponies 
now quite steady and regular. Since the junction with 
the Motor Party the procedure has been for the man- 
