548 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [January 
formed over them. It looks as though this sandy snow 
was drifted about like sand from place to place. How 
account for the present state of our three day old tracks 
and the month old ones of the Norwegians ? 
It is warmer and pleasanter marching with the wind, 
but I'm not sure we don't feel the cold more when we 
stop and camp than we did on the outward march. We 
pick up our cairns easily, and ought to do so right through, 
I think ; but, of course, one will be a bit anxious till the 
Three Degree Depot is reached* I'm afraid the return 
journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous. 
Saturday, January 20.— Lunch camp, 9810. We have 
come along very well this morning, although the surface 
was terrible bad— 9*3 miles in 5 hours 20 m. This has 
brought us to our Southern Depot, and we pick up 4 days' 
food. We carry on 7 days from to-night with 55 miles 
to go to the Half Degree Depot made on January 10. 
The same sort of weather and a little more wind, sail 
drawing well. 
Night Camp R. 3. 9860. Temp. - 18 0 . It was blowing 
quite hard and drifting when we started our afternoon 
march. At first with full sail we went along at a great 
rate ; then we got on to an extraordinary surface, the 
drifting snow lying in heaps ; it clung to the ski, which 
could only be pushed forward with an effort. The pulling 
was really awful, but we went steadily on and camped 
a short wav beyond our cairn of the 14th. I'm afraid 
we are in for a bad pull again to-morrow, luckily the wind 
* Still over 150 miles away. They had marched 7 miles on the 
homeward track the first afternoon, 18 J the second day. 
