4*4 
SCO'lTS LAST EXPEDITION 
[DECEMBER 
all these difficulties we have managed to get 1 1 i miles 
south and to this camp at 7 p.m. — the conditions of 
marching simply horrible. 
The man-haulers led out 6 miles (gco.) and then 
camped. I think they had had enough of leading. We 
passed them, Bowers and I ahead on ski. We steered 
with compass, the drifting snow across our ski, and occa- 
sional glimpse of south-easterly sastrugi under them, till 
the sun showed dimly for the last hour or so. The whole 
weather conditions seem thoroughly disturbed, and if 
they continue so when we are on the Glacier, we shall be 
very awkwardly placed. It is really time the luck turned 
in our favour— we have had all too little of it. Every 
mile seems to have been hardly won under such conditions. 
The ponies did splendidly and the forage is lasting a little 
better than expected. Victor was found to have quite a 
lot of fat on him and the others arc pretty certain to have 
more, so that we should have no difficulty whatever as 
regards transport if only the weather was kind. 
Monday t December 4.— Camp 29, 9 a.m. I roused the 
party at 6. During the night the wind had changed from 
N.N.W. to S.S.E. ; it was not strong, but the sun was 
obscured and the sky looked heavy ; patches of land could 
be faintly seen and we thought that at any rate we could 
get on, but during breakfast the wind suddenly increased 
in force and afterwards a glance outside was sufficient to 
show a regular white floury blizzard. We have all been 
out building fresh walls for the ponies — an uninviting task, 
but one which greatly adds to the comfort of the animals, 
who look sleepy and bored, but not at all cold. The dogs 
