37 $ 
THE STRAND MAGAZINE. 
seemed cheerful, but twice dropped out of 
the pulling team, having “ worked his ski 
shoes adrift,” then lagged behind ; so that 
the rest, after a hard pull, “ seeing him a long 
way astern, camped for lunch” and waited 
for him. But “after lunch, Evans still not 
appearing, we looked out, to see him still 
afar off.” All four hurriedly skied back, to 
him ; “ he showed every sign of collapse,” 
and slowly said he “ thought he must have 
fainted.” By the time ihe sledge was 
fetched he was unconscious, and died in the 
tent soon after midnight. 
It was a swift ending for a gallant sailor. 
A chapter of accidents had converted the 
strongest man and handiest artificer into a 
drag upon the party he had done so much to 
help. “ It is a terrible thing to lose a com- 
panion in this way, but calm reflection shows 
that there could not have been a better 
ending to the terrible anxieties of the past 
week.” 
February 18th was spent in “ Shambles 
Camp,” where “ plenty of horse-meat ” was in 
store. “ Mew life seems to come with greater 
food almost immediately, but. I am anxious 
about the Barrier surface.” The last stage 
homeward began here ; no more mountains 
nor torn and splintered ice-falls had to be 
surmounted .; it was relatively plain going, 
but tired men without their strongest com- 
panion could not make the long marches 
that the ponies had made. Above all, the 
gloomy forebodings as to the surface of the 
Barrier were more than fulfilled. “It has 
been like desert sand, not. the least glide in 
the world.” To make bad worse, the 
southerly wind that should have filled their 
sail gradually failed, and by the 28th — 
contrary to all experience — blew too often from 
the north, hindering, not helping, and in the 
increasing cold — for that day the night 
temperature was - 40“. and - 32 0 when they 
began marching — the slightest breeze ahead 
was “ blighting.” “ Everything depends on 
the weather.” Vet out of the first fifteen 
marches on the Harrier, six were of thirteen 
miles and five averaged a full ten. 
Day after day the record of courage against 
odds continues with a growing consciousness 
of their slender chances. Once the wind 
sprang up and the drifting snow obliterated 
the “ faint track.” They got astray in the 
dimness, yet “ such untoward events fail to 
damp the spirit of the party.” 
Next day there was sun, though with con- 
sequent u loose ice crystals spoiling the sur- 
face.” “ Luckily Bowers took round of 
angles, and with help of chart we fogged out 
that we must be inside rather than outside 
tracks. The data were so meagre that it 
seemed a great responsibility to march out* 
and we were none of us happy about it„ 
But just as we decided to lunch, Bowers's; 
wonderful sharp eyes detected an old double.' 
lunch cairn, the theodolite telescope confirmed, 
it. and our spirits rose accordingly.” 
The track was only lost, again during part 1 
of one day. “ To have picked up this 
(the Southern Barrier) depot,” even with 
“a shortage of oil and Wilson’s fearful attack 
of snow-blindness, thrust anxieties aside for 
the time.” The nights were very cold now; 
the need of “ more food, more fat, more 1 
fuel ” made itself felt. “ ('old feet starting 
O ' 
march, as day footgear doesn’t dry at all.” 
The pace was better from February 25th; 
double figures were attained ; the human 
engines responded to a large ration as they 1 
drew near the next depot, which they trium- 
phantly reached on the afternoon of March 
1st, despite “ very heavy dragging.” 
They knew they were “ in a very tight 
place indeed, but none of us despondent 
yet, or at least we preserve every sem- I 
blance of good cheer,” and where all were 
“ unendingly cheerful among themselves,” 
the leader “ could only guess what each man 
feels in his heart.” 
Oates Begins to Fail. 
The marching was slow with a lame 
comrade; slower, for the “ appalling surface: 
one’s heart sinks as the sledge stops dead at 
some sastrugi , behind which the surface sand 
lies thickly heaped.” It is appalling to think 
that a rise of the thermometer “ to the 
minus twenties ” came as a relief ; that such 
a day “ made them all much more comfort- 
able.” “ But a colder snap was bound to 
come again soon,” and Oates, already so 
hard hit, would “ weather it very poorly.” 
The one hope lay in pushing on and finding 
“ extra food at the next depot.” 
By March 5th they were “ two pony 
marches and four miles (about) from the 
depot : such a short distance it would have 
appeared on the summit. ” a few weeks 
before ! “ Our fuel was dreadfully low, and 
poor Oates nearly done.” His feet were in a 
wretched condition, and he was very lame. 
His case was doubly “ pathetic because they 
could do nothing for him ; more hot food 
might do a little, but only a little.” None 
had expected to encounter “ these terribly 
low temperatures ” at this season. Of the 
three sound men, “ Wilson was feeling these- 
