APPENDIX 
621 
We fed them and I walked half-way back to Castle Rock with 
them. 
March 4. Mearcs, Gran, and I walked up Ski Slope towards Castle 
Rock to meet Evans's party and pilot them and the dogs safely to Hut 
Point, but half-way we met Atkinson, who told us that they had now 
been joined by Scott and all the catastrophe party, who were safe, but 
who had lost all the ponies except one — a great blow. However, no 
lives were lost and the sledge loads and stores were saved, so Mearcs 
and I returned 1o Hut Point to make stables for the only two ponies 
that now remained, both in wretched condition, of the eight with 
which we started. [Dr. Wilson's Journal.] 
Note 15, p. 202. — March 12. Thawed out some old magazines 
and picture papers which were left here by the Discovery, and gave us 
very good reading. [Dr. Wilson's Journal.] 
Note 16, p. 218. — April 4. Fun over a fry I made in my new 
penguin lard. It was quite a success and tasted like very bad sardine 
oil. [Dr. Wilson's Journal.] 
Note 17, p. 244. — 1 Voyage of the Discovery/ chap. ix. 1 The 
question of the moment is, what has become of our boats ? Early 
in the winter they were hoisted out to give more room for the 
awning, and were placed in a line about one hundred yards from 
the ice foot on the sea ice. The earliest gale drifted them up nearly 
gunwale high, and thus for two months they remained in sight 
whilst we congratulated ourselves on their security. The last gale 
brought more snow, and piling it in drifts at various places in the bay, 
chose to be specially generous with it in the neighbourhood of our 
boats, so that afterwards they were found to be buried three or four 
feet beneath the new surface. Although we had noted with interest 
the manner in which the extra weight of snow in other places was 
pressing down the surface of the original ice, and were even taking 
measurements of the effects thus produced, we remained fatuously 
blind to the risks our boats ran under such conditions. It was from 
no feeling of anxiety, but rather to provide occupation, that I directed 
that the snow on top of them should be removed, and it was not until 
we had dug down to the first boat that the true state of affairs dawned 
on us. She was found lying in a mass of slushy ice, with which also she 
was nearly filled. For the moment we had a wild hope that she could 
be pulled up, but by the time we could rig shears the air temperature 
had converted the slush into hardened ice, and she was found to be 
stuck fast. At present there is no hope of recovering any of the boats : 
as fast as one could dig out the sodden ice, more sea-water would How 
in and freeze. . . . The danger is that fresh gales bringing more snow 
will sink them so far beneath the surface that we shall be unable to 
recover them at all. Stuck solid in the floe they must go down with 
