OATES' CASE HOPELESS 589 
pathetic to watch him ; one cannot but try to cheer 
him up. 
Yesterday we marched up the depot, Mt. Hooper. 
Cold comfort. Shortage on our allowance all round. 
I don't know that anyone is to blame. The dogs 
which would have been our salvation have evidently 
failed.* Mearcs had a bad trip home I suppose. 
This morning it was calm when we breakfasted, but 
the wind came from the W.N.W. as we broke camp. It 
rapidly grew in strength. After travelling for half an 
hour I saw that none of us could go on facing such 
conditions. We were forced to camp and are spending 
the rest of the day in a comfortless blizzard camp, wind 
quite foul. (R. 52.) 
Sunday, March n.— Titus Oates is very near the end, 
one feels. What we or he will do, God only knows. We 
discussed the matter after breakfast ; he is a brave fine 
fellow and understands the situation, but he practically 
asked for advice. Nothing could be said but to urge him 
to march as long as he could. One satisfactory result to 
* For the last six days the dogs had been waiting at One Ton 
Camp under Cherry-Garrard and Dcmetri. The supporting party 
had come out as arranged on the chance of hurrying the Pole travel- 
lers back over the last stages of their journey in time to catch the 
ship. Scott had dated his probable return to Hut Point anywhere 
between mid-March and early April. Calculating from the speed of the 
other return parties, Dr. Atkinson looked for him to reach One Ton 
Camp between March 3 and 10. Here Cherry-Garrard met four days 
of blizzard ; then there remained little more than enough dog food to 
bring the teams home. He could either push south one more march 
and back, at imminent risk of missing Scott on the way, or stay two 
days at the Camp where Scott was bound to come, if he came at all. 
His wise decision, his hardships and endurance are recounted by 
Dr. Atkinson in Vol. II., 1 The Last Year at Cape Evans.' 
