CAPTAIN SCOTT’S OWN STORY . 
261 
i imilarly north of the wild 
I lountains is another strait and 
I nother mass of land. The 
I arious straits are undoubtedly 
I verflows, and the masses of 
I and mark the inner fringe of 
I he exposed coastal mountains, 
I he general direction of which 
I .eems about S.S.E., from which 
I t appears that one could be 
I nuch closer to the Pole on the 
Barrier by continuing on it to 
the S.S.E. We ought to know 
'j more of this when Evans’s 
l' observations are plotted.” 
Christmas Dinner — “after 
which it was difficult to 
move.” 
What would Christmas be 
without its Christmas dinner — 
| above all in the ice ? 
“ 1 must write a word of our 
supper last night. We had four 
1 courses. The first, pemmican, 
full whack, with slices of horse- 
meat flavoured with onion and 
curry powder and thickened 
! with biscuit ; then an arrow- 
' root, cocoa, and biscuit hoosh 
1 sweetened ; then a plum - pud- 
ding ; then cocoa wdth raisins, 
and finally a dessert of caramels 
and ginger. After the feast it 
was difficult to move. Wilson 
and I couldn’t finish our share 
of plum-pudding. We have all 
slept splendidly and feel tho- 
roughly warm — such is the 
effect of full feeding.” 
Next day “ perhaps a little 
slow after plum - pudding ” ; 
yet “ it seems astonishing to 
be disappointed with a march 
of fifteen (statute) miles w'hen 
I had contemplated doing little 
more than ten with full loads.” 
On the 27th “ the pulling 
was heavy. Everyone sweated. 
We have been going up and 
down, the up grades very 
tiring, especially w'hen we get 
among sastrugi , w r hich jerk the 
sledge about.” In the after- 
noon “ we were once more in 
the midst of crevasses and dis- 
turbances. At the summit of 
the ridge we came into another 
PETTY-OFFICER EVANS. 
WHO, IN CAPTAIN SCOTT’S WORDS, WAS ‘*A TOWER OF 
STRENGTH ” TO THE EXPEDITION. 
