590 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [March 
the discussion ; I practically ordered Wilson to hand 
over the means of ending our troubles to us, so that 
any one of us may know how to do so. Wilson had no 
choice between doing so and our ransacking the medicine 
case. We have 30 opium tabloids apiece and he is left 
with a tube of morphine. So far the tragical side of our 
story. (R. 53.) 
The sky completely overcast when we started this 
morning. We could sec nothing, lost the tracks, and 
doubtless have been swaying a good deal since — 3*1 miles 
for the forenoon — terribly heavy dragging — expected it. 
Know that 6 miles is about the limit of our endurance 
now, if we get no help from wind or surfaces. We have 
7 days' food and should be about 55 miles from One 
Ton Camp to-night, 6 x 7 = 42, leaving us 13 miles 
short of our distance, even if things get no worse. 
Meanwhile the season rapidly advances. 
Monday > March 12. — We did 6*9 miles yesterday, 
under our necessary average. Things are left much the 
same, Oates not pulling much, and now with hands as well 
as feet pretty well useless. We did 4 miles this morning 
in 4 hours 20 min. — we may hope for 3 this afternoon, 
7 x 6 = 42. We shall be 47 miles from the depot. I 
doubt if we can possibly do it. The surface remains 
awful, the cold intense, and our physical condition running 
down. God help us ! Not a breath of favourable wind 
for more than a week, and apparently liable to head winds 
at anv moment. 
Wednesday , March 14. — No doubt about the going 
downhill, but everything going wrong for us. Yesterday 
