THE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
They scetncd to he getting out of the huge 
basin for the lodgment of snow which extended 
as far as the Cloudmaker Mountain. Optimism, 
never far away, reasserts itself. “ I think 
the soft snow trouble is at an end, and I could 
wish nothing better than a continuance of 
l he present surface. Towards the end of 
the march we were pulling our loads with the 
greatest ease. It is splendid to be getting 
along and to find some adequate return for 
the work we are putting into the business.” 
December 15th the improvement con- 
tinued ; the covering of snow thinned out 
steadily. “ It was an enormous relief yester- 
day to get steady going without involuntary 
stops, but yesterday and this morning, once 
the sledge was stopped, it was very difficult 
to start, again — the runners got temporarily 
stuck. This afternoon for the first time we 
could start by giving one good heave together, 
and so for the first time we are able to stop to 
readjust foot-gear or do any other desirable 
task. This is a second relief for which we arc 
most grateful." 
Hut the good march was cut short by a 
thick snowstorm. “ Pray Heaven we are not 
going to have this wretched snow in the 
worst part of the Glacier to come.” 
“ The Worst Part to Come.” 
That “ worst part ” included steep slopes 
and ice- falls, pressure ridges, and c.revasscd 
areas, which drove them away from the 
direct line, as Shacklcton had been driven, 
towards the Cloudmaker, though later they 
returned successfully to the centre of the 
Glacier. On the 16th a gloomy morning 
gave way to a gloriously fine evening. In 
the afternoon a peculiarly difficult surface — 
• Id hard sastrugi underneath, with pits and 
high, soft sastrugi , due to very recent snow- 
falls often bringing the sledges up short, 
compelled the men to discard skis, thus 
making better progress, but for the time with 
very excessive labour, as the brittle crust 
held for a pace or two, and then “ let one 
down with a bump some eight or ten inches,” 
or sent the leg slipping down a crack in the 
hard ice beneath. 
“ We must push on all we can, for We are 
now six days behind Shacklcton, all due to 
that wretched storm. So far, since we got 
amongst the disturbances we have not seen 
such alarming crevasses as 1 had expected — 
certainly dogs could have come up as far as 
this. At present one gets terribly hot and 
perspiring on the march, and quickly cold 
wlien halted, but the sun makes up for all 
evils. It is very difficult to know what to do 
about the ski ; their weight is considerable, 
and yet, under certain circumstances, they 
are extraordinarily useful. Everyone is very 
satisfied with our summit ration. The party 
which has been man -hauling for so long say 
they are far less hungry than they used to be. 
It is good to think that the majority will 
keep up this good feeding all through. * 
“Sunday, December 17th. Soon after 
starting found ourselves in rather a mess ; 
bad pressure ahead and long waves between 
us and the land. Blue ice showed on the 
crests of the waves ; very soft snow lay in the 
hollows. We had to cross the waves in places 
thirty feet from crest to hollow, and we did 
it by sitting on the sledge and letting her go. 
Thus we went down with a rush, and our 
impetus carried us some way up the other 
side ; then followed a fearfully tough drag to 
rise the next crest. After two hours of this 
I saw a larger wave, the crest of which 
continued hard ice up the Glacier; we 
reached this, and got excellent travelling for 
two miles on it, then rose on a steep gradient, 
and so topped the pressure ridge. 
u If we can keep up the pace, we gain on 
Shacklcton, and I don't see any reason why 
we shouldn’t, except that more pressure is 
showing up ahead. For once one can sav, 
‘ Sufficient for the day is the good thereof. 7 
Our luck may be on the turn — 1 think we 
deserve it. In spite of the hard work everyone 
is very fit and very cheerful, feeling well fed 
and eager for more toil. Eyes are much 
better, except poor Wilson’s ; lie has caught 
a very bad attack. 
“ We get fearfully thirsty and chip up ice 
on the march, as well as drinking a great deal 
of water 011 halting. Our fuel only just does 
it, but that is all we want, and we have a bit 
in hand for the summit. . . . We have worn 
our crampons all day and are delighted with 
them. P.O. Evans, the inventor of both 
crampons and ski shoes, is greatly pleased, 
and certainly we owe him much.” 
On the 1 8th it was again overcast and 
snowing. 'Better followed on the 19th and 
20th. “ Things are looking up. Started on 
good surface, soon came to very annoying 
criss-cross cracks. Fell into two and have 
bad bruises on knee and thigh, but we got 
along all the time until we reached an 
admirable smooth ice surface excellent for 
travelling. 'Flic last mile, niv6 predominating, 
and, therefore, the pulling a trifle harder, we 
have risen into the upper basin of the Glacier. 
Seemingly close about us are the various land 
masses which adjoin the summit ; it looks as 
