554 
scorrs last kxpkdition 
[January 
Saturday y "January 27. — R. 10. Temp. -16 0 (lunch), 
- 14'3° (evening). Minimum -19 0 . Height 9900. Baro- 
meter low ? Called the hands half an hour late, but we 
got away in good time. The forenoon march was over 
the belt of storm-tossed sastrugi ; it looked like a rough 
sea. Wilson and I pulled in front on ski, the remainder 
on foot. It was very tricky work following the track, 
which pretty constantly disappeared, and in fact only 
showed itself by faint signs anywhere — a foot or two of 
raised sledge-track, a dozen yards of the trail of the 
sledgcmeter wheel, or a spatter of hard snow-flicks where 
feet had trodden. Sometimes none of these were distinct, 
but one got an impression of lines which guided. The 
trouble was that on the outward track one had to shape 
course constantly to avoid the heaviest mounds, and 
consequently there were many zig-zags. We lost a good 
deal over a mile by these halts, in which we unharnessed 
and went on the search for signs. However, by hook or 
crook, we managed to stick on the old track. Came on 
the cairn quite suddenly, marched past it, and camped 
for lunch at 7 miles. In the afternoon the sastrugi 
gradually diminished in size and now we are on fairly 
level ground to-day, the obstruction practically at an 
end, and, to our joy, the tracks showing up much plainer 
again. For the last two hours we had no difficulty at all 
in following them. There has been a nice helpful southerly 
breeze all day, a clear sky and comparatively warm 
temperature. The air is dry again, so that tents and 
equipment arc gradually losing their icy condition imposed 
by the blizzard conditions of the past week. 
