584 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [March 
reason. The surface, lately a very good hard one, is 
coated with a thin layer of woolly crystals, formed by 
radiation no doubt. These are too firmly fixed to be 
removed by the wind and cause impossible friction on 
the runners. God help us, we can't keep up this pulling, 
that is certain. Amongst ourselves we arc unendingly 
cheerful, but what each man feels in his heart I can only 
guess. Pulling on foot gear in the morning is getting 
slower and slower, therefore every day more dangerous. 
Sunday y March 4. — Lunch. Things looking very 
black indeed. As usual we forgot our trouble last night, 
got into our bags, slept splendidly on good hoosh, woke 
and had another, and started marching. Sun shining 
brightly, tracks clear, but surface covered with sandy 
frost-rime. All the morning we had to pull with all our 
strength, and in 4^ hours we covered 3^ miles. Last 
night it was overcast and thick, surface bad ; this morning 
sun shining and surface as bad as ever. One has little to 
hope for except perhaps strong dry wind — an unlikely 
contingency at this time of year. Under the immediate 
surface crystals is a hard sastrugi surface, which must 
have been excellent tor pulling a week or two ago. We 
are about 42 miles from the next depot and have a week's 
food, but only about 3 to 4 days' fuel — we are as 
economical of the latter as one can possibly be, and we 
cannot afford to save food and pull as we are pulling. 
We are in a very tight place indeed, but none of us 
despondent yet, or at least we preserve every semblance 
of good cheer, but one's heart sinks as the sledge stops 
dead at some sastrugi behind which the surface sand lies 
