546 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
(i.e. northwards). Sights at lunch gave us \ to § of a mile 
from the Pole, so we call it the Pole Camp. (Temp. Lunch 
-2l°.) We built a cairn, put up our poor slighted Union 
Jack, and photographed ourselves — mighty cold work all 
of it — less than | a mile south we saw stuck up an old 
undcrrunncr of a sledge. This we commandeered as a yard 
for a floorcloth sail. I imagine it was intended to mark 
the exact spot of the Pole as near as the Norwegians could 
fix it. (Height 9500.) A note attached talked of the tent 
as being 2 miles from the Pole. Wilson keeps the note. 
There is no doubt that our predecessors have made 
thoroughly sure of their mark and fully carried out their 
programme. I think the Pole is about 9500 feet in 
height ; this is remarkable, considering that in Lat. 88° 
we were about 10,500. 
We carried the Union Jack about f of a mile north 
with us and left it on a piece of stick as near as we could 
fix it. I fancy the Norwegians arrived at the pole on 
the 15th Dec. and left on the 17th, ahead of a date quoted 
by me in London as ideal, viz. Dec. 22. It looks as 
though the Norwegian party expected colder weather on 
the summit than they got ; it could scarcely be otherwise 
from Shackleton's account. Well, we have turned our 
back now on the goal of our ambition and must face 
our 800 miles of solid dragging — and good-bye to most 
of the day-dreams ! 
