ACCIDENT TO SCOTT 559 
a curious circumstance towards the end of the forenoon. 
The tracks were drifted over, but the drifts formed a sort 
of causeway along which we pulled. In the afternoon 
we soon came to a steep slope— the same on which we 
exchanged sledges on December 28. All went well till, in 
trying to keep the track at the same time as my feet, on 
a very slippery surface, I came an awful ' purler ' on my 
shoulder. It is horribly sore to-night and another sick 
person added to our tent— three out of five injured, and the 
most troublesome surfaces to come. We shall be lucky if 
we get through without serious injury. Wilson's leg is 
better, but might easily get bad again, and Evans' fingers. 
At the bottom of the slope this afternoon we came on a 
confused sea of sastrugi. We lost the track. Later, on 
soft snow, we picked up E. Evans' return track, which we 
are now following. We have managed to get off 17 miles. 
The extra food is certainly helping us, but we are getting 
pretty hungry. The weather is already a trifle warmer 
and the altitude lower, and only 80 miles or so to Mount 
Darwin. It is time we were off the summit— Pray God 
another four days will sec us pretty well clear of it. Our 
bags arc getting very wet and we ought to have more sleep. 
Saturday, February 3.— R. 17. Temp.: Lunch -20 0 ; 
Supper -20 0 . Height 9040 feet. Started pretty well on 
foot ; came to steep slope with crevasses (few). I went 
on ski to avoid another fall, and we took the slope gently 
with our sail, constantly losing the track, but picked up a 
much weathered cairn on our right. Vexatious delays 
searching for tracks, &c, reduced morning march to 8'i 
miles. Afternoon, came along a little better, but again 
