SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[DECEMBER 
Tuesday, December 19. — Lunch, rise 650. Dist. 8$ gco. 
Camp 41. Things are looking up. Started on good 
surface, soon came to very annoying criss-cross cracks. 
I fell into two and have bad bruises on knee and thigh, 
but we got along all the time until we reached an admir- 
able smooth ice surface excellent for travelling. The last 
mile, neve predominating and therefore the pulling a 
trifle harder, we have risen into the upper basin of the 
glacier. Seemingly close about us are the various land 
masses which adjoin the summit : it looks as though we 
might have difficulties in the last narrows. We are having 
a long lunch hour for angles, photographs, and sketches. 
The slight south-westerly wind came down the glacier as 
we started, and the sky, which was overcast, has rapidly 
cleared in consequence. 
Night. Height about 5800. Camp 41. We stepped 
off this afternoon at the rate of 2 miles or more an hour, 
with the very satisfactory result of 17 (stat.) miles to the 
good for the day. It has not been a strain, except perhaps 
for me with my wounds received early in the day. The 
wind lias kept us cool on the march, which has in conse- 
quence been very much pleasantcr ; we arc not wet in our 
clothes to-night, and have not suffered from the same 
overpowering thirst as on previous days. (T. -n°.) 
(Min. -5 0 .) Evans and Bowers are busy taking angles; 
as they have been all day, we shall have material for an 
excellent chart. Days like this put heart in one. 
Wednesday, December 20. — Camp 42. 6500 feet about. 
Just got off our best half march — 10 miles 1 1 50 yards (gco.), 
over 12 miles stat. With an afternoon to follow we should 
