 CHAPTER XI. A very beautiful day. We rebelled in the calm clear moonlight. The temperature has fallen to minus 26 degree. The surface of the flow, perfect for ski, had to run to south bay in four noon and was away in a long circuit around inaccessible island in the afternoon. Such weather the cold splendor of the scene is beyond description. Everything is satisfying, from the deep purple of the starry sky, to the gleaming bergs and the sparkle of the crystals underfoot. Some very brilliant patches of aurora over the southern shoulder of the mountain. Observed in exceedingly bright meteor, shoot across the sky to the northward. On my return found Devonham and Grand back from Cape Armitage. They had intended to start back on Sunday, but were prevented by bad weather. They seemed to have had stronger winds than we. On arrival, at the hut, they found poor little mucaca coiled up outside the door, looking pitifully thin and weak, but with enough energy to bark at them. This dog was run over and dragged for a long way under the sledge-runners, whilst we were landing in stores in January, the seventh. He has never been worth much since, but remained lively in spite of all the hardships of sludging work. At hut-point he looked a miserable object, as the hare refused to grow on his hind-quarters. It seemed as though he could scarcely continue in such a condition, and when the party came back to Cape Evans, he was allowed to run free alongside the sledge. On the arrival of the party I especially asked after the little animal and was told by Dmitri that he had returned, but later it transpired that this was a mistake, that he had been missed on the journey and had not turned up again, later, as was supposed. I learned this fact only a few days ago and had quite given up the hope of ever seeing the poor little beast again. It is extraordinary to realize that this poor, lame, half-clad animal has lived for a whole month by himself. He had blood on his mouth when found, implying the capture of his seal. But how he managed to kill it and then get through its skin is beyond comprehension. Hunger drives hard. Wednesday, June 14th. Storms are giving us little rest. We found a thin stratus over the sky this morning for boating ill. The wind came, as usual, with a rush, just after lunch. At first there was much drift. Now the drift has gone, but the gusts run up to 65 miles per hour. Had a comfortless stroll around the hut. How rapidly things change when one thinks of the delights of yesterday. Pay to visit to Wright's Ice Cave. The pendulum is installed and will soon be ready for observation. Wright anticipates the possibility of difficulty with ice crystals on the Agate Plains. He tells me that he has seen some remarkably interesting examples of the growth of ice crystals on the walls of the cave and has observed the same unaccountable confusion of the size of grains in the ice, showing how little history can be gathered from the structure of ice. This evening Nelson gave us his second biological lecture, starting with a brief reference to the scientific classification of the organism into kingdom phylum, group, class, order, genus, species. He stated the justification of a biologist in such an expedition as being to determine the condition under which organic substances exist in the sea. He receded to draw divisions between the bottom organisms without power of motion, menthan, the necton motile life in mid-water, and the plankton, or floating life. Then he led very prettily on to the importance of the tiny vegetable organisms as the basis of all life. In the killer well may be found a seal, in the seal a fish, in the fish a smaller fish, in the smaller fish a copepod, and in the copepod a diatom. If this be regular feeding throughout, the diatom or a vegetable is essentially the base of all. Light is the essential of vegetable growth or metabolism, and light quickly vanishes in depth of water, so that all ocean life must ultimately depend on the phytoplankton. To discover the conditions of this life is therefore to go to the root of matters. At this point came an interlude, descriptive of the various biological implements in use in the ship and on shore. The otter trawl, the aghast trawl, the deenet, and the ordinary dredger. A word or two on the using of deenets, and then explanation of sieves for classifying the bottom. It's nature causing variation in the organisms living on it. From this he took us amongst the townets, with their beautiful silk fabrics, meshes running 180 to the inch, and materials costing two guineas the yard. To the German townets for quantitative measurements, the object of the ladder and its doubtful accuracy, young fish trawls. From this to the chemical composition of seawater, the total salt about 3.5%, but variable. The proportions of the various salts do not appear to differ, thus the chlorine test detects the salinity quantitatively. Physically plankton life must depend on the salinity and also on temperature, pressure, light, and movement. If plankton only inhabits surface waters, then density, temperatures, etc. of surface waters must be the important factors. Why should biologists strive for deeper layers? Why should not deep sea life be maintained by dead vegetable matter? Here again the lecture branched off into descriptions of water bottles, deep sea thermometers, and current meters, the which I think have already received some notice in this diary. To what depth light may extend is the difficult problem and we had some speculation, especially in the debate on this question. Simpson suggested that laboratory experiment should easily determine, Atkinson suggested growth of bacteria on a scratched plate. The idea seems to be that vegetable life cannot exist without red rays, which probably do not extend beyond 7 feet or so. Against this is an extraordinary recovery of Holosphera ferritus by German expedition from 2000 fathoms. This seems to have been confirmed. Bowers caused much amusement by demanding to know if the picnogs, picnogonids were more nearly related to the arachnids, spiders, or crustaceans. As a matter of fact a very sensible question, but it caused amusement because of its sudden display of long names. Nelson is an exceedingly capable lecturer. He makes the subject very clear and is never too technical. Thursday, June 15th, keen cold wind overcast sky till 5.30 p.m. spent an idle day. Jimmy Pig had an attack of colic in the stable this afternoon. He was taken out and doctored on the flow, which seemed to improve matters, but on return to the stable he was off his feed. This evening the soldier tells me he is eating his food, so I hope all will be well again. Friday, June 16th, overcast again, little wind but also little moonlight. Jimmy Pig, quite recovered, went round the bergs in the afternoon. A great deal of ice has fallen from the irregular ones, showing that a great deal of weathering of bergs goes on during the winter, and hence that the life of a berg is very limited, even if it remains in high latitudes. Tonight Debenham lectured on volcanoes. His matter is very good, but his voice a little monotonous, so that there were signs of slumber in the audience, but all woke up for a warm and amusing discussion succeeding the lecture. The lecture first showed a world chart showing distribution of volcanoes, showing general tendency of eruptive explosions to occur in lines. After following these lines in other parts of the world, he showed difficulty of finding symmetrical linear distribution near McMurdo Sound. He pointed out, incidentally, the important imprints which could be drawn from the discovery of altered sandstones in the Oribis region. He went to the shapes of volcanoes. The massive type formed by very fluid lavas, Mauna Loa, Hawaii, Vesuvius, examples. The more perfect cones formed by Ash Talus, Fujiyama, discovery. The explosive type with parasitic cones. Oribis, morning, etna. Fisher eruption. Historic only in Iceland, but best prehistoric examples. Deccan, India, and Oregon, U.S. There is small ground for supposing relation between adjacent volcanoes. Activity in one is rarely accompanied by activity in the other. It seems most likely that vent tubes are entirely separate. Products of volcanoes. The lecture mentioned the escape of quantities of free hydrogen. There was some discussion on this point afterwards that water is broken up as easily understood, but what becomes of the oxygen? Simpson suggests the presence of much oxidizable material. CO2 as a nauseous gas, also mentioned and discussed, causes mythical upus trees. Sulfurous fumes attend final stages. Practically little or no heat escapes through sides of a volcano. There was argument over physical conditions influencing explosions, especially astrobarometric influence. There was a good deal of disjointing information on lavas, ropy or rapid flowing, and viscous, also on spatter cones and caverns. In all cases, lavas cool slowly. Heed has been found close to the surface after 87 years. On Etna, there is lava over ice. The lecturer finally reviewed the vulcanicity of our own neighborhood. He described various vents of arabus. Fing's castle rock, a plug. Here is some discussion. Observation hill, part of old volcano, nothing in common with crater hill. Inaccessible island seems to have no connection with arabus. Finally we had a few words on the origin of vulcanicity and afterwards some discussion on an old point, the relation to the sea. Wire volcanoes, close to sea. Debenham thinks not cause and effect, but two effects resulting from same cause. Great argument as to whether effective barometric changes on arabus vapor can be observed. Not much was said about the theory of volcanoes, but Debenham touched on American theories, the melting out from internal magma. There was nothing much to catch hold of throughout, but discussion of such a subject sorts one's ideas. Saturday, June 17th. Northerly wind, temperature changeable, dropping to minus 16 degree. Wind doubtful in the afternoon. Moon still obscured. It is very trying. Feeling dull in spirit today. Sunday, June 16th. Another blizzard. The weather is distressing. It ought to settle down soon, but unfortunately the moon is passing. Held the usual morning service. Hymns not quite successful today. Tonight, Akinson has taken the usual monthly measurement. I don't think there has been much change. Monday, June 19th. A pleasant change to find the air calm and the sky clear. Temperature down to minus 28 degrees. At 1.30 the moon vanished behind the western mountains, after which in spite of the clear sky it was very dark on the flow. Wind out on ski across the bay, then round about the cape and sew home facing the keen northerly wind on return. Akinson is making a new fish trap hole. From one cause and another, the breaking of the trap and the freezing of the hole. No catch has been made for some time. I don't think we shall get good catches during the dark season, but Akinson's own requirements are small, and the fish, though nice enough, are not such a luxury as to be greatly missed from our menu. Our day-the-routine has possessed a settled regularity for a long time. Cluseled is up about 7 a.m. to start the breakfast. At 7.30, Hooper starts sweeping the floor and setting the table. Between 8.00 and 8.30 the men are out and about, fetching ice from Alteen, etc. Anton is off to feed the ponies. Dmitri to see the dogs. Hooper bursts on the slumbers with repeated announcements at the time, usually a quarter of an hour ahead of the clock. There is a stretching of limbs and an interchange of morning greetings, garnished with sleepy humor. Wilson and Bowers meet in a state of nature, beside a washing basin, filled with snow and proceed to rub glistening limbs with this chilling substance. A little later, with less hardy-hood, some others may be seen making the most of a meagre allowance of water. Soon after 8.30, I manage to drag myself from a very comfortable bed and make my toilet with a bare pint of water. By about 10 minutes to 9, my clothes are on, my bed is made, and I sit down to my bowl of porridge. Most of the others are gathered about the table by this time, but there are a few laggards who run the 9 o'clock rule, very close. The rule is instituted to prevent delay in the day's work, and it has needed a little pressure to keep one or two up to its observance. By 9.20, breakfast is finished, and before the half hour is struck, the table has been cleared. From 9.30 to 1.30, the men are steadily employed on a program of preparation for sludging, which seems likely to occupy the greater part of the winter. The repair of sleeping bags and the alteration of tents have already been done, but there are many other tasks, uncompleted or not yet begun, such as the manufacture of provision bags, crampons, soak-skin soles, pony-clothes, etc. Hooper has another good sweep up the hut after breakfast, washes the mess traps, and generally tidies things. I think it's a good thing that in these matters the officers need not wait on themselves. It gives long and broken days of scientific work, and must therefore be an economy of brain in the long run. We meet for a midday meal at 1.30 or 1.45 and spend a very cheerful half hour over it. Afterwards the ponies are exercised, whether permitting. This employs all the men and a few of the officers for an hour or more. The rest of us generally take exercise in some form at the same time. After this the officers go on steadily with their work, whilst the men do odd jobs to a while away the time. The evening meal, our dinner, comes at 6.30 and is finished within the hour. Afterwards people read, ride, or play games, or occasionally finish some piece of work. The gramophone is usually started by some kindly disposed person, and on three nights of the week the lectures to which I have referred are given. These lectures still command full audiences and lively discussions. At 11 p.m. the acetylene lights are put out, and those who wish to remain on board a read and bed must depend on candlelight. The majority of candles are extinguished by midnight, and the night watchman alone remains awake to keep his visual by the light of an oil lamp. Day after day passes in this fashion. It is not a very active light perhaps, but certainly not an idle one. Few of us sleep more than eight hours out of the twenty-four. On Saturday afternoon, or Sunday morning, some extra bathing takes place. Chins are shaven and perhaps clean garments donned. Such signs with the regular service on Sunday mark the passage of the weeks. Tonight Day has given us a lecture on his motor sludge. He seems very hopeful of success, but I fear it is rather more sanguine in temperament than his sludge is reliable in action. I wish I could have more confidence in his preparations, as he is certainly a delightful companion. Tuesday, June twentieth. Last night the temperature fell to minus thirty-six degree, the lowest we have had this year. On the ramp the minimum was minus thirty-one degrees, not the first indication of a reverse temperature gradient. We have had a calm day, as is usual with a low thermometer. It was very beautiful out of doors this morning, as the crescent moon was sinking in the west. Arabists showed a heavy vapor cloud, showing that the quantity is affected by temperature rather than pressure. I'm glad to have had a good run on ski. The Cape Crocierre party are preparing for departure, and heads have been put together to provide as much comfort as the strenuous circumstances will permit. I came across a hint as to the value of the double tent in Sferdrups Book, Newland, and PO. Evans has made a lining for one of the tents. It is secured on the inner side of the poles and provides an airspace inside the tent. I think it is going to be a great success, and that it will go far to obviate the necessity of considering the question of snow huts, though we shall continue our efforts in this direction also. Another new departure is the decision to carry ideredown sleeping bags inside the reindeer ones. With such an arrangement the early part of the journey is bound to be comfortable, but when the bags get iced, difficulties are pretty certain to arise. Day has been devoting his energies to the creation of a blubber stove, much assisted of course, by the experience gained at the hub point. The blubber is placed in an annular vessel, A. The oil from it passes through a pipe, B, and spreads out on the surface of a plate, C, with a containing flange. D. D. are raised points which serve as heat conductors, E. E. is a tin chimney for a flame with air holes at its base. To start the stove the plate C must be warmed with spirit lamp or primus, but when the blubber oil is well light, its heat is quite sufficient to melt the blubber in and keep up the oil supply. The heat gradually rises until the oil issues from B in a vaporized condition, when of course the heat given off by the stove is intense. The stove was got going this morning in five minutes in the outer temperature with the blubber hard frozen. It will make a great difference to the Croissier party if they can manage to build a hut, and the experience gained will be everything in the western party in the summer. With the satisfactory blubber stove it would never be necessary to carry fuel on a coast journey and we shall deserve well of posterity if we can perfect one. The Croissier journey is to be made to serve a good many trial ends. As I have already mentioned each managed to go on a different food scale with a view to determining the desirable proportion of fats and carbohydrates. Wilson is also to try the effect of a double windproof suit instead of extra woolen clothing. If two suits of windproof will keep one as warm in the spring as a single suit does in the summer, it is evident that we can face the summit of Victoria land with a very slight increase of weight. I think the new crampons which will also be tried on this journey are going to be a great success. We have returned to the last discovery type with improvements. The magnolium sole plates of our own crampons are retained but shod with one half inch steel spikes. These plates are riveted through canvas to an inner leather sole and the canvas is brought up on all sides to form a covering to the finesco over which it is laced. They are less than half the weight of an ordinary ski boot. Go on very easily and secure very neatly. Midwinter day. The turn of the season is very close. It will be good to have light for the more active preparations for the coming year. Wednesday June 21. The temperature low again falling to minus 36 degree. A curious hazy look in the sky. Very little wind. The cold is bringing some minor troubles with the clockwork instruments in the open and with the acetylene gas plant. No insupperable difficulties. When first ski run round the bergs, found it very dark and uninteresting. The temperature remained low during night and Taylor reported a very fine display of aurora. Thursday June 22. Midwinter. The sun reached its maximum depression at about 2.30 p.m. On the 22nd, Greenwich Mean Time. This is 2.30 a.m. On the 23rd according to the local time of the 180th meridian which we are keeping. Dinner tonight is therefore the meal which is nearest the sun's critical change of course and has been observed with all the festivity customary at Xmas at home. At tea we broached an enormous buzzard cake with much gratitude to its provider, Cherry Garard. In preparation for the evening our union jugs and sledge flags were hung about the large table which itself was laid with glass and a plentiful supply of champagne bottles instead of the customary mugs and enamel lime juice jugs. At 7 o'clock we sat down to an extravagant bill affair as compared with our usual simple diet. Beginning on seal soup by common consent the best decoction that our cook produces we went on to roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, fried potatoes and Brussels sprouts then followed a flaming plum pudding and excellent minced pies and thereafter a dainty savoury of anchovy and cod's row. A wondrous attractive meal even in so far as judged by our symbolites but with its garnishments a positive feast for with all the table with strument dishes of burnt almonds, crystallized fruits, chocolates and such toothsome kick-shaws we'll see an instanted supply of champagne which accompanied the courses was succeeded by a noble array of liqueur bottles from which choice could be made in the drinking of toast. I screwed myself up to a little speech which drew attention to the nature of the celebration as a halfway mark, not only in our winter but in the plans of the expedition as originally published. Parentheses, I fear there are some who don't realize how rapidly time passes and who have barely begun work which by this time ought to be in full swing and parentheses. We had come through a summer season and half a winter and had before us half a winter and a second summer. We ought to know how we stood in every respect. We did know how we stood in regard to stores and transport and I especially thank the officer in charge of stores and the custodians of the animals. I said that as regards the future, chance must play a part but the experience showed me that it would have been impossible to have chosen people more fitted to support me in the enterprise to the south than those who were to start in that direction in the spring. I thank them all for having put their shoulders to the wheel and given me this confidence. We drank to the success of the expedition. Then everyone was called on to speak starting on my left and working round the table. The result was very characteristic of the various individuals. One seemed to know so well the style of utterance to which each would commit himself. Needless to say all were entirely modest and brief. Unexpectedly all had exceedingly kind things to say to me. In fact I was obliged to request the admission of compliments at an early stage. Nevertheless it was gratifying to have a really genuine recognition of my attitude towards the scientific workers of the expedition and I felt very warmly towards all these kind, good fellows for expressing it. If good will and happy fellowship count towards success very surely shall we deserve to succeed. It was matter for comment, much applauded that there had not been a single disagreement between any two members of our party from the beginning. By the end of dinner a very cheerful spirit prevailed and the room was cleared for Pontyn and his lantern whilst the gramophone gave forth its most lively airs. When the table was upended its legs removed and chairs arranged in rows we had quite a roomy lecture hall. Pontyn had coverly chosen this opportunity to display a series of slides made from his own local negatives. I've never so fully realized his work as on seeing these beautiful pictures. They so easily outclass anything of their kind previously taken in these regions. Our audience cheered vociferously. After this show the table was restored for a snapdragon and a brew of milk punch was prepared in which we drank the health of Campbell's party and of our good friends in the Teranova. Then the table was again removed and a set of lancers formed. By this time the effect of stimulating liquid refreshment on men so long accustomed to a simple life became apparent. Our biologist had retired to bed, the silent soldier bubbled with humor and insisted on dancing with Anton. Evan's PO was imparting confidences and heavy whispers. Pat Keohane had grown intensely Irish and as iris of political argument most clasped, sat with a constant expansive smile and punctuated the bubble of conversation with an occasional whoop of delight or disjointed witticism. Other broad eyed individuals merely reached the capacity to enjoy that which under ordinary circumstances might have passed without evoking a smile. In the midst of the revelry Bower suddenly appeared followed by some satellites bearing an enormous Christmas tree whose branches bore flaming candles, gaudy crackers and little presents for all. The presents I learned had been prepared with kindly thought by Miss Super, Mrs. Wilson's sister and the tree had been made by Bowers of pieces of stick and string with colored paper to clothe its branches. The whole erection was remarkably credible and the distribution of the presents caused much amusement. Most reverently was the order of the day within our hut. The elements without seemed desirous of celebrating the occasion with equal emphasis and greater decorum. The eastern sky was massed with swaying or rural light, the most vivid and beautiful display that I had ever seen. Fold on fold the arches and curtains of vibrating luminosity rose and spread across the sky to slowly fade and yet again spring to glowing life. The brighter light seemed to flow, now to mass itself and reach out to the sky. It is impossible to witness such a beautiful phenomenon without a sense of awe and yet the sentiment is not inspired by its brilliancy but rather by its vividness. The brighter light seemed to flow, now to mass itself in breathing folds in one quarter from which lustrous streamers shot upward and anon to running waves through the system of some dimmer figure as if to infuse new life within it. It is impossible to witness such a beautiful phenomenon without its brilliancy but rather by its delicacy in light and color, its transparency and above all by its tremulous of an essence of form. There is no glittering splendor to douse the eye as has been too often described. Rather the appeals to the imagination by the suggestion of something wholly spiritual, something instinct with a fluttering ethereal life, serenely confident yet restlessly mobile. One wonders why history does not tell us of aurora worshippers so easily could the phenomenon be considered the manifestation of God or demon. To the little silent group which stood at gaze before such enchantment it seemed profane to return to the mental and physical atmosphere of our house. Finally when I stepped within I was glad to find that there had been a general movement bedwards and in the next half hour the last of the roisterers had succumbed to slumber. Thus except for a few bad heads in the morning ended the high festival of midwinter. There is little to be said for the artificial uplifting of animal spirits yet few could take great exception to so rare an outburst in a long run of quiet days. After all we celebrated the birth of a season which for weal or woe must be numbered amongst the greatest in our lives. End of Chapter 11 Section 24 of Scott's Last Expedition This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Scott's Last Expedition Volume 1 Journals of Robert Falcon Scott Arranged by Leonard Huxley Chapter 12 Awaiting the Crozier Party Friday June 23, Saturday June 24 Two quiet and uneventful days and a complete return to routine. Sunday June 25 I find I have made no mention of Charity of Art's first number of the revived Soph polar times presented to me on midwinter day. It is a very good little volume bound by day in a really charming cover of card Vanessa Wood and Sealskin. The contributors are anonymous but I have succeeded in guessing the identity of the greater number. The editor has taken a statistical paper of my own on the plans for the Southern Journey and a well-written series article on the geological history of our region by Taylor except for editorial and metrological notes to rest is conceived in the light of Wain. The wearer's is mediocre except perhaps for a quaint play of words in amusing little skit on the sleeping bag argument. But an article entitled Valhalla appears to me to be altogether on a different level and prefers to describe the arrival of some of our party at the Gates proverb bill guarded by St. Peter. The humor is really delicious and nowhere at all forced. In the jokes of a small community it is rare to recognize one which would appeal to an outsider but some of the happier criticisms of this article seem to me fit for wider circulation than our journal enjoys at present. Above all there is distinct literary merit in it a polish which leaves you unable to suggest the betterment of a word anywhere. I unhesitatingly attribute this effort to Taylor but Wilson and Gerard makes me responsible for it. If they're right I shall have to own that my judgment of attributes is very much at fault. I must find out. Footnote, Captain Scott's judgment was not at fault. End of footnote. A quiet day, red church service as usual in afternoon walked up the ramp with Wilson to have a quiet talk before he departs. I wanted to get his ideas as to the scientific work done. We agreed as to the exceptionally happy organization of our party. I took the opportunity to warn Wilson concerning the desirability of complete understanding with haunting and Taylor with respect to their photographs and records on the return to civilization. The weather has been very mysterious of late. On the 23rd and the 24th it continuously threatened the blizzard and now the sky is clearing again with all signs of fine weather. Monday, June 26. With a clear sky it was quite twilighty at noon today. Already such signs of day are inspiring. In the afternoon the wind arose with drift and again the prophets predicted a blizzard. After an hour or two the wind fell and we had a calm clear evening and night. The blizzard's proper seemed to be always preceded by an overcast sky in accordance with Simpson's theory. Taylor gave a most interesting lecture on the physiographic feature of the region traversed by his party in the autumn. His mind is very luminous and clear and he treated the subject with a breadth of view which was delightful. The illustrative slides were made from double hams photographs and many of them were quite beautiful. Panting tells me that Debenham knows quite a lot about photography and goes to work in quite the right way. The lecture being a precy of Taylor's report there is no need to recapitulate its matter. With a picture it was startling to realize the very different extent to which tributary glaciers have carved the channels in which they lie. The Canadian glacier lies dead but at the great it has cut a very deep channel. The double curtain hangs at an angle of 25 degrees with practically no channel. Mention was made of the difference of water found in Lake Bonnet by me in December 1903 and the western party in February 1911. It seems certain that water must go on accumulating in the lake during the two or three summer months and it's hard to imagine that all can be lost again by the winter's evaporation. If it does evaporation becomes a matter of primary importance. There was an excellent picture showing the find of sponges on the coat lid's glacier. Epes of large sponges were found containing corals and some shells all representative of present day fauna. How on earth did they get to the place where found? There was a good deal of discussion on the point and no very satisfactory solution offered. Can't help thinking that there is something in the thought that the glacier may have been weighted down with rubble which finally disengages itself and allow the ice to rise. Such speculations are interesting. Preparations for the start of the closer party are now completed and the people will have to drag 253 pounds per man at big weight. They have made an excellent little blubber lamp for lighting. It has an annular wick and talc chimney. A small circular plate over the wick conducts the heat down and raises the temperature of combustion so that the result is a clear white flame. We are certainly within measurable distance of using blubber in the most effective way for both heating and lighting. And this is an advance which is of very high importance to the future of Antarctic exploration. Tuesday June 27, the Crochet party departed this morning in good spirits. Their heavy load was distributed on two 9 feet sledges. Panting photographed them by flashlight and attempted to get a cinematograph picture by means of a flash candle. But when the candle was ignited it was evident that the light would not be sufficient for the purpose. And there was not much surprise when the film proved a failure. The three travelers found they could pull their load fairly easily on the sea ice when the rest of us stood aside for the trial. I'm afraid they will find much more difficulty on the barrier but there was nothing now to prevent them starting and off they went. With helping contingent, I went round the Cape. Taylor and Elson left the Razorback Island and report all well. Simpson, Mears and Gran continued and have not yet returned. Gran just back on ski, left the party at 5.25 miles, says Mears and Simpson are returning on foot. Reports a bad bit of surface between Tenth Island and Glacier Tongue. It was well that the party had assistance to cross this. This winter travel is a new and bold venture. But the right men have gone to attempt it. All good luck go with them. Cold consumption. Bowers reports that present consumption mid winter equals 4 blocks per day, 100 pounds. An occasional block is required for absolute magnetic hot. For absolute magnetic hot, it reports 8.5 tons used since landing. This is in excess of 4 blocks per day as follows. 8.5 tons in 150 days equals 127 pounds per DM. Equals 889 pounds per week or nearly 800 weights. Equals 20.5 tons per year. Report August 4. Used to date 9 tons equals 20.160 pounds. Say 190 days at 106 pounds per day. Coal remaining 20.5 tons. Estimate 8 tons to return of ship. Total estimate for year 17 tons. We should have 13 or 14 tons for next year. A fresh MS book. Quotation on the fly leaf. Where the queen's law does not carry. It is irrational to exact an observance of other and weaker rules. Rudyard Kipling. Confident of his good intention but doubtful of his fortitude. So far as I can venture to offer an opinion on such a matter. The purpose of our being in existence. The highest object that human beings can set before themselves. Is not the pursuit of any such camera as the annihilation of the unknown. But it is simply the unwaried endeavor to remove its boundaries a little further. From our little square of action. Wednesday June 28. The temperature has been hovering around minus 30. The clear sky at midday. It was exceptionally light. And even two hours after noon. I was able to pick my way amongst the boulders of the ramp. We missed the closure party. Lectures have ceased during its absence. So that our life is very quiet. Thursday June 29. Seemed rather stuffy in the hat last night. I found it difficult to sleep. I noticed a good many others in light case. I found the temperature was only 50 degrees. But at the small uptake on the stove pipe was closed. I think it would be good to have a renewal of air at bedtime. But don't quite know how to manage this. It was calm all night. And when I left the hut at 8.30. At 9 the wind suddenly rose to 40 miles per hour. And at the same moment the temperature rose 10 degrees. The wind and temperature curves show this sudden simultaneous change more clearly than usual. The curious circumstance is that this blow comes out of a clear sky. This will be disturbing to our theories unless the wind drops again very soon. The wind fell within an hour almost as suddenly as it had a risk. The temperature followed only a little more gradually. One may well wonder how such a phenomenon is possible. In the middle of a period of placid calm and out of a clear sky there suddenly rushed upon one this volume of comparatively warm air. It has come and gone like the whirlwind. Whence comes it and wither go it? Went round the bergs after lunch on ski. Splendid surface and quite the good light. We are now getting good records with the tight gauge after a great deal of trouble. They have given much of its time to the matter. And after a good deal of discussion has pretty well mastered the principles. We brought a self-recording instrument from New Zealand. But this was passed over to Campbell. It has not been an easy matter to manufacture one for our own use. The wire from the bottom weight is led through a tube filled with paraffin as in discovery days. And kept tight by a counterweight after passage through a block on a stanchion rising six feet above the floor. In his first instrument they arranged for this wire to pass around the pulley. The revolution of which actuated the pen of the recording drum. This should have been successful but for the difficulty of making good mechanical connection between the recorder and the pulley. Backlash cost an unreliable record and this arrangement had to be abandoned. The motion of the wire was then made to actuate the recorder through a hinged lever and this arrangement holds. But days and even weeks have been lost in grappling the difficulties of adjustment between the limits of the tide and those of the recording drum. Then when all seemed well we found that the flow was not rising uniformly with the water. It is hung up with the beach ice when we were considering the question of removing the whole apparatus to a more distant point a fresh crack appeared between it and the shore. And on this hinge the flow seems to be moving more freely. Friday June 30, 1911. The temperature is steadily falling. We are descending the scale of negative 30s and today reached its limit minus 39 degrees. Day has manufactured a current wane, a simple arrangement. After the present he has used this near the Cape. There is little doubt however that the water movement is erratic and irregular inside the islands and I have been anxious to get observations which will indicate the movement in the strait. I went with him today to find a crack which I thought must run to the north from inaccessible island. We discovered it about two to two and a half miles out and found it to be an ideal place for such work. A fracture in the ice sheet which is constantly opening and therefore always etched with thin ice. I have told Day that I think a bottle waited so as to give it a small negative buoyancy and attached to a fine line should give as good results as its wane and would be much handier. He now proposes to go one better and put an electric light in the bottle. We found that our loose dogs had been attacking a seal and then came across a dead seal which had evidently been worried to death some time ago. It appears the meat tree saw more seal further to the north and this afternoon Mears has killed a large one as well as the one which was worried this afternoon. It is good to find the seal so close but very annoying to find that the dogs have discovered their resting place. The long spell of fine weather is very satisfactory. Saturday, July 1, 1911. We have designed new ski boots and I think they are going to be a success. My object is to stick to the Witfeld binding for sledging if possible. One must wear finesco on the barrier and with finesco alone a loose binding is necessary. For this we bought fin and bindings consisting of leather toe straps and tongue heel binding. With this arrangement one does not have good control of his ski and stands the chance of a shaft on the tendon Achilles. Owing to the last consideration many had decided to go with toe strap alone as we did in the discovery. This brought into my mind the possibility of using the iron crossbar and snap heel strap of the Witfeld on a suitable overshoe. Evans PO has risen well to the occasion as a boot maker and has just completed a pair of shoes which are very nearly what we require. The soles have two thicknesses of seal skin cured with alum stiffened at the foot with a layer of Vanessa board and raised at the heel on a block of wood. The part is large enough to contain a finesco and is secured by a simple strap. A shoe weighs 30 ounces against 2 pounds for a single ski boot so that shoe and finesco together are less weight than a boot. If we can perfect this arrangement it should be of the greatest use to us. Wright has been swinging the pendulum in his cavern. Predigious trouble has been taken to keep the time and this object has been immensely helped by the telephone communication between the cavern, the transit instrument and the interior of the hut. The timekeeper is perfectly placed. Wright tells me that his ice platform proves to be fine times as solid as a fixed piece of masonry used at Potsdam. The only difficulty is the low temperature which freezes his breath on the glass window of the protective dome. I feel sure these gravity results are going to be very good. The temperature has been hanging in the minus 30s all day with calm and clear sky but this evening a wind has sprung up without rise of temperature. It is now minus 32 degrees with a wind of 25 miles per hour, a pretty stiff condition to face outside. Sunday, July 2. There was wind last night but this morning found a settled calm again with temperature as usual about minus 35 degrees. The moon is rising again, it came over the shoulder of arabus about 5pm in second quarter. It will cross the meridian at night with luck but such days as this will be pleasant even with a low moon. One is very glad to think the Crochet party are having such a peaceful time. Sunday routine and nothing much to record. Monday, July 3. Another quiet day, the sky more suspicious in appearance, thin stratus clothe forming and dissipating overhead, curling stratus clothe over arabus. Wind of Cape Crochet seemed a possibility. Our people have been far out on the flow. It is cheerful to see the twinkling light of some worker at a waterhole or near the ring of distant voices or swish of ski. Tuesday, July 4. A day of blizzard and adventure. The wind arose last night and although the temperature advanced a few degrees it remained at a very low point considering the strength of the wind. This forenoon it was blowing 40 to 45 miles per hour with a temperature minus 25 degrees to minus 28 degrees. No weather to be in the open. In the afternoon the wind modified slightly. Taylor and Atkinson went up to the ramp thermometer screen. After this, entirely without my knowledge, two adventurous spirits, Atkinson and Gran, decided to start off over the flow making respectively for the north and south bay thermometers Archibald and Clarence. This was at 530. Gran was back by dinner at 6.45 and it was only later that I learned that it had gone no more than 200 or 300 yards from the land and that it had taken him nearly an hour to get back again. Atkinson's continued absence passed unnoticed until dinner was nearly over at 7.15. Although I had heard that the wind had dropped at the beginning of dinner and that it remained very thick all round with light snow falling. Although I felt somewhat annoyed I had no serious anxiety at this time and as several members came out of the hut I dispatched them short distances to shout and show lanterns and arranged to have a paraffin flare lit on Wind Wayne Hill. Evans, P.O., Kreen and Kealan being anxious for a walk were sent to the north with a lantern. Whilst this the solitary search proceeded the wind sprang up again from the south but with no great force and meanwhile the sky showed signs of clearing and the moon appeared dimly through the drifting clouds. With such a guide we momentarily looked for the return of our wanderer and with its continued absence our anxiety grew. At 930 Evans, P.O. and his party returned without news of him and at last there was no denying the possibility of a serious accident. Between 930 and 10 proper search parties were organized and I gave the details to show the thoroughness which I thought necessary to meet the gravity of the situation. I had by this time learned that Atkinson had left with comparatively light clothing and still worse with leather ski boots on his feet. Fortunately he had wind clothing. P.O. Evans was away first with Kreen, Kealan and Dimitri, a light sledge, a sleeping bag and a flask of brandy. His orders were to search the edge of the land and glacier through the sweep of the bay to the barn glacier and to Cape Barn Beyond. Then to turn east along an open crack and follow it to inaccessible island. Evans, Lt. with Nelson, Ford and Hooper, left shortly after, similarly equipped to follow the shore of the south bay in similar fashion. Then turned out to the razorback and searched there. Next right Grand and Lashley set out for a bergs to look thoroughly about him and from thence pass round and examine inaccessible island. After these parties got away, Mears and Debenham started with a lantern to search to and fro over the surface of our promontory. Simpson and Oates went out in a direct line over the northern flow through the archable thermometer whilst panting and tailoring examined the tide crack towards the barn glacier. Meanwhile, they went to and fro wind-wane hill to light at intervals upon its crest bundles of tow well soaked in petrol. At length, Clisold and I were left alone in the hut and as the hours went by, I grew ever more alarmed. It was impossible for me to conceive how an able man could have failed to return to the hut before this or by any means found shelter in such clothing in such weather. Atkinson had started for a point a little more than a mile away. At 10.30 he had been five hours away. What conclusion could be drawn? And yet I felt it most difficult to imagine an accident on open flow with no worse pitfall than a shallow crack or a steep-sided snow drift. At least I could feel that every spot which was likely to be the scene of such an accident would be searched. Thus, 11 o'clock came without change, then 11.30 with its six hours of absence. But at 11.45 I heard voices from the cape and presently the adventure ended to my extreme relief when Mayor St. Debenham led our wanderer home. He was badly frostbitten in the hand and less seriously on the face, and though a good deal confused as men always are on such occasions, he was otherwise well. His tail is confused, but as far as one can gather he did not go more than a quarter of a mile in the direction of the thermometer screen before he decided to turn back. He then tried to walk with the wind, a little on one side, on the bearing, yet originally absurd, and after some time stumbled on an old fish trap hole which he knew to be 200 yards from the cape. He made this 200 yards in the direction he supposed correct and found nothing. In such a situation, at the turn east he must have hit the land close to the hut and so found his way to it. The fact that he did not but attempted to wander straight on is clear evidence of the mental condition caused by that situation. There can be no doubt that in a blizzard, a man has not only to safeguard a circulation in his limbs, but must struggle with a sluggishness of brain and an absence of reasoning power which is far more likely to undo him. In fact, Atkinson has really no very clear idea of what happened to him after he missed the cape. He seems to have wandered aimlessly upwind till he hit an island. He walked all around this, says he couldn't see a yard at this time, fell off and into the tight crack, finally stopped under the lee of some rocks. Here got his hand frostbitten, owing to difficulty of getting frozen mid on again. Finally got it on, started to dig a hole to wait in, saw something of the moon and left the island, lost the moon and wanted to go back. Could find nothing, finally stumbled on another island, perhaps the same one. Waited again, again saw the moon, now clearing, shaped some sort of coarse bite, then saw Flare on Cape and came on rapidly. Says he shouted to someone on Cape quite close to him, greatly surprised not to get an answer. It is a rambling tale tonight, and a half-taught brain. It is impossible to listen to such a tale without appreciating that it has been a close escape, or that there would have been no escape had the blizzard continued. The thought that it would return after a short lull was amongst the worst with me during the hours of waiting. 2 AM The search parties have returned and all is well again, but we must have no more of these very unnecessary escapades. Yet it is impossible not to realize that this bit of experience has done more than all the talking I could have ever accomplished to bring home to our people the dangers of a blizzard. End of first part of chapter 12 Recording by Gordon Mitchell Scott's last expedition, volume 1 The journals of Robert Falcon Scott, arranged by Leonard Huxley Second part of chapter 2 Awaiting the Crozier Party Wednesday, July 5 Atkinson has a bad hand today Immense blisters on every finger, giving them the appearance of sausages. Tonight, haunting has photographed the hand. As I expected, some amendment of Atkinson's tale as written last night is necessary. Partly due to some lack of coherency in the tale, as first told, and partly a reconsideration of the circumstances by Atkinson himself. It appears he first hit inaccessible island and got his hand frostbitten before he reached it. It was only on arrival in its lee that he discovered the frostbite. He must have waited there some time, then groped his way to the western end, thinking he was near the ramp. Then wandering away in a swirl of drift to clear some irregularities at the icefoot, he completely lost the island when he could only have been a few yards from it. He seems in this predicament to have clung to the old idea of walking upwind, and it must be considered wholly providential that on this course, he next struck Tent Island. It was round this island that he walked, finally digging himself a shelter on its lee side, under the impression that it was inaccessible island. When the moon appeared, he seems to have judged its bearing well, and as he traveled homeward he was much surprised to see the real inaccessible island appear on his left. The distance of Tent Island, four to five miles, partly accounts for the time he took in returning. Everything goes to confirm the fact that he had a very close shave of being lost altogether. For some time past some of the ponies have had great irritation of the skin. I felt sure it was due to some parasite, though soldier thought the food responsible and changed it. Today a tiny body louse was revealed under Atkinson's microscope after capture from Snatcher's coat. A dilute solution of Karbalik is expected to rid the poor beasts of their pests, but meanwhile one or two of them have rubbed off patches of hair, which they can ill afford to spare in this climate. I hope we shall get over the trouble quickly. The day has been gloriously fine again, with bright moonlight all the afternoon. It was a wondrous sight to see arabus emerge from soft filmy clouds of mist as though some thin veiling had been withdrawn with infinite delicacy to reveal the pure outline of this moonlit mountain. Thursday, July 6th. Continued. The temperature has taken a plunge to 46 degrees below last night. It is now 45 degrees below, with a 10 mile breeze from the south. Frost biting weather. Went for a short run on foot this four noon and a longer one on ski this afternoon. The surface is bad after the recent snowfall. A new pair of seal skin over shoes for ski, made by Evans, seemed to be a complete success. He has modified the shape of the toe to fit the ski irons better. I am very pleased with this arrangement. I find it exceedingly difficult to settle down to solid work just at present and keep putting off the tasks which I have set myself. The sun has not yet risen a degree of the 11 degrees below our horizon, which it was at noon on midwinter day. And yet today there was a distinct red in the northern sky. Perhaps such sunset colors have something to do with this cold snap. Friday, July 7th. The temperature fell to 49 degrees below last night. Our record so far, and likely to remain so, one would think. This morning it was fine and calm. Temperature 45 degrees below. But this afternoon a 30 mile wind sprang up from the southeast and the temperature only gradually rose to 30 degrees below, never passing above that point. I thought it a little too strenuous and so was robbed of my walk. The dog's coats are getting pretty thick and they seem to take matters pretty comfortably. The ponies are better, I think, but I shall be glad when we are sure of having rid them of their pest. I was the victim of a very curious illusion today. On our small heating stove stands a cylindrical ice melter which keeps up the supply of water necessary for the darkroom and other scientific instruments. This iron container naturally becomes warm if it is not fed with ice. And it is generally hung around with socks and mitts which require drying. I put my hand on the cylindrical vessel this afternoon and withdrew it sharply with the sensation of heat. To verify the impression I repeated the action two or three times when it became so strong that I loudly warned the owners of the socks and company of the peril of burning to which they were exposed. Upon this Meers said, but they filled the melter with ice a few minutes ago. And then, coming over to feel the surface himself, added, why, it's cold, sir. And indeed so it was. The slightly damp, chilled surface of the iron had conveyed to me the impression of excessive heat. There is nothing intrinsically new in this observation. It has often been noticed that metal surfaces at low temperatures give a sensation of burning to the bare touch. But nonetheless it is an interesting variant of the common fact. Apropos. Atkinson is suffering a good deal from his hand. The frostbite was deeper than I thought. Fortunately he can now feel all his fingers though it was 24 hours before sensation returned to one of them. Monday, July 10. We have had the worst gale I have ever known in these regions and have not yet done with it. The wind started at about midday on Friday and increasing in violence reached an average of 60 miles for one hour on Saturday. The gusts at this time exceeding 70 miles per hour. This force of wind, although exceptional, has not been without parallel earlier in the year. The extraordinary feature of this gale was the long continuance of a very cold temperature. On Friday night the thermometer registered 39 degrees below. Throughout Saturday and the greater part of Sunday it did not rise above 35 degrees below. Late yesterday it was in the minus 20s and today at length to zero. Needless to say no one has been far from the hut. It was my turn for duty on Saturday night and on the occasions when I had to step out of doors I was struck with the impossibility of enduring such conditions for any length of time. The fine snow beat in behind the wind guard and ten paces against the wind were sufficient to reduce one's face to the verge of frostbite. To clear the anemometer vein it is necessary to go to the other end of the hut and climb a ladder. Twice whilst engaged in this task I had literally to lean against the wind with head bent and face averted and so stagger, crab-like, on my course. In those two days of really terrible weather our thoughts often turned to absentees at Cape Crozier with the devout hope that they may be safely housed. They are certain to have been caught by this gale, but I trust before it reached them they had managed to get up some sort of shelter. Sometimes I have imagined them getting much more wind than we do. Yet at others it seems difficult to believe that the emperor penguins have chosen an excessively windswept area for their rookery. Today with the temperature at zero one can walk about outside without inconvenience in spite of a fifty mile wind. Although I am loath to believe it there must be some measure of acclimatization for it is certain that we should have felt today's winds severely when we arrived at McMurdo Sound. Tuesday, July 11. Never was such persistent bad weather. Today the temperature is up to five degrees to seven degrees. The wind forty to fifty miles per hour, the air thick with snow and the moon a vague blue. This is the fourth day of gale. If one reflects on the quantity of transported air nearly four thousand miles one gets a conception of the transference which such a gale affects and must conclude that potentially warm upper currents are pouring into our polar area from more temperate sources. The dogs are very gay and happy in the comparative warmth. I have been going to and fro on the home beach and about the rocky knolls in its environment. In spite of the wind it was very warm. I dug myself a hole in a drift in the shelter of a large boulder and lay down in it and covered my legs with loose snow. It was so warm that I could have slept very comfortably. I have been amused and pleased lately in observing the manners and customs of the persons in charge of our stores. Quite a number of secret caches exist in which articles of value are hidden from public knowledge so that they may escape use until a real necessity arises. The policy of every storekeeper is to have something up his sleeve for a rainy day. For instance, Evans, P.O., after thoroughly examining the purpose of some individual who is pleading for a piece of canvas will admit that he may have a small piece somewhere which could be used for it when, as a matter of fact, he possesses quite a number of rolls of that material. Tools, metal material, leather, straps and dozens of items are administered with the same spirit of jealous guardianship by day, lashly, oats and mirrors, while our main storekeeper bowers even affect to be mown imaginary shortages. Such parsimony is the best guarantee that we are prepared to face any serious call. Wednesday, July 12. All night and today wild gusts of wind shaking the hut. Long, ragged, twisted wind clouds in the middle heights. A watery moon shining through a filmy cirrostratus, the outlook wonderfully desolate with its ghostly illumination and patchy clouds of flying snowdrift. It would be hardly possible for a tearing, raging wind to make itself more visible. At Windvane Hill the anemometer has registered 68 miles between 9 and 10 a.m. A record. The gusts at the hut frequently exceed 70 miles per hour. Luckily the temperature is up to 5 degrees so that there is no hardship for the workers outside. Thursday, July 13. The wind continued to blow throughout the night with squalls of even greater violence than before. A new record was created by a gust of 77 miles per hour shown by the anemometer. The snow is so hard blown that only the fiercest gusts raise the drifting particles. It is interesting to note the balance of nature whereby one evil is eliminated by the excess of another. For an hour after lunch yesterday the gale showed signs of moderation and the ponies had a short walk over the flow. Out for exercise at this time I was obliged to lean against the wind. I ate overall clothes flapping wildly and almost dragged from me. Later when the wind rose again it was quite an effort to stagger back to the hut against it. This morning the gale still rages but the sky is much clearer. The only definite clouds are those which hang to the southward of Erebus summit. But the moon, though bright, still exhibits a watery appearance showing that there is still a thin stratus above us. The work goes on very steadily. The men are making crampons and ski boots of the new style. Evans is constructing plans of the dry valley and Ketlitz Glacier with the help of the western party. The physicists are busy always. Mears is making a dog harness. Oats ridding the ponies of their parasites and Ponting printing from his negatives. Science cannot be served by dilettante methods but demands a mind spurred by ambition or the satisfaction of ideals. Our most popular game for evening recreation is chess. So many players have developed that our two sets of chessmen are inadequate. Friday, July 14. We have had a horrible fright and are not yet out of the wood. At noon yesterday one of the best ponies, Bones, suddenly went off his feed. Soon after it was evident that he was distressed and there could be no doubt that he was suffering from colic. Oats called my attention to it but we were neither much alarmed remembering the speedy recovery of Jimmy Pig under similar circumstances. Later the pony was sent out for exercise with Kreen. I passed him twice and seemed to gather that things were well but Kreen afterwards told me that he had had considerable trouble. Every few minutes the poor beast had been seized with a spasm of pain, had first dashed forward as though to escape it and then endeavored to lie down. Kreen had much difficulty in keeping him in and on his legs for he is a powerful beast. When he returned to the stable he was evidently worse and Oats and Anton patiently dragged a sack to and fro under his stomach. Every now and again he attempted to lie down and Oats eventually thought it wiser to let him do so. Once down his head gradually drooped until he lay at length, every now and again twitching very horribly with the pain and from time to time raising his head and even scrambling to his legs when it grew intense. I don't think I ever realized before how pathetic a horse could be under such conditions. No sound escapes him, his misery can only be indicated by those distressing spasms and by dumb movements of the head turned with a patient expression always suggestive of appeal. Though alarmed by this time, remembering the care with which the animals are being fed I could not picture anything but a passing in disposition but as hour after hour passed without improvement it was impossible not to realize that the poor beast was dangerously ill. Oats administered an opium pill and later on a second sacks were heated in the oven and placed on the poor beast. Beyond this nothing could be done except to watch. Oats and cream never left the patient. As the evening wore on I visited the stable again and again but only to hear the same tale. No improvement. Towards midnight I felt very downcast. It is so very certain that we cannot afford to lose a single pony. The margin of safety has already been far overstepped. We are reduced to face the circumstance that we must keep all the animals alive or greatly risk failure. So far everything has gone so well with them that my fears of a loss had been lulled in a growing hope that all would be well. Therefore at midnight when poor bones had continued in pain for twelve hours and showed little sign of improvement I felt my fleeting sense of security rudely shattered. It was shortly after midnight when I was told that the animal seemed a little easier. At 2.30 I was again in the stable and found the improvement had been maintained. The horse still lay on its side with outstretched head. But the spasms had ceased. Its eye looked less distressed and its ears pricked to occasional noises. As I stood looking it suddenly raised its head and rose without effort to its legs. Then in a moment as though some bad dream had passed it began to nose at some hay and at its neighbor. Within three minutes it had drunk a bucket of water and had started to feed. I went to bed at three with much relief. At noon today the immediate cause of the trouble and an indication that there is still risk were disclosed in a small ball of semi-fermented hay covered with mucus and containing tapeworms. So far not very serious but unfortunately attached to this mass was a strip of the lining of the intestine. Atkinson from a humanly comparative point of view does not think this is serious if great care is taken with the food for a week or so and so one can hope for the best. Meanwhile we have had much discussion as to the first cause of the difficulty. The circumstances possibly contributing are as follows. Fermentation of the hay. Insufficiency of water. Overheated stable. A chill from exercise after the gale. I think all of these may have had a bearing on the case. It can scarcely be coincidence that the two ponies which have suffered so far are those which are nearest the stove end of the stable. In future the stove will be used more sparingly. A large ventilating hole is to be made near it and an allowance of water is to be added to the snow hitherto given to the animals. In the food line we can only exercise such precautions as are possible. But one way or another we ought to be able to prevent any more danger of this description. Saturday, July 15. There was strong wind with snow this morning and the wind remained keen and cold in the afternoon. But tonight it has fallen calm with a promising clear sky outlook. Have been up the ramp clambering about in my seal skin over shoes which seem extraordinarily satisfactory. Oats thinks a good few of the ponies have got worms and we are considering means of ridding them. Bones seems to be getting on well though not yet quite so buckish as he was before his trouble. A good big ventilator has been fitted in the stable. It is not easy to get over the alarm of Thursday night. The situation is altogether too critical. Sunday, July 16. Another slight alarm this morning. The pony China went off his feed at breakfast time and lay down twice. He was up and well again in half an hour. But what on earth is it that is disturbing these poor beasts? Usual Sunday routine. Quiet day except for a good deal of wind off and on. The Crozier party must be having a wretched time. Monday, July 17. The weather is still very unsettled. The wind comes up with a rush to fade in an hour or two. Clouds chase over the sky in similar fashion. The moon has dipped during daylight hours and so one way and another there is little to attract one out of doors. Yet we are only nine days off the light value of the day when we left off football. I hope we shall be able to recommence the game in that time. I am glad that the light is coming for more than one reason. The gale and consequent inaction not only affected the ponies. Ponting is not very fit as a consequence. His nervous temperament is of the quality to take this wintering experience badly. Atkinson has some difficulty in persuading him to take exercise. He managed only by dragging him out to his own work, digging holes in the ice. Taylor is another backslider in the exercise line and is not looking well. If we can get these people to run about at football, all will be well. Anyway, the return of the light should cure all ailments physical and mental. Tuesday, July 18. A very brilliant red sky at noon today and enough light to see one's way about. This fleeting hour of light is very pleasant but of course dependent on a clear sky. Very rare. Went round the Outer Berg in the afternoon. It was all I could do to keep up with Snatcher on the homeward round. Speaking well for his walking powers. Wednesday, July 19. Again calm and pleasant. The temperature is gradually falling down to 35 degrees below. Went out to the old working crack north of inaccessible island. Footnote. I.e. a crack which leaves the ice free to move with the movements of the sea beneath. End of footnote. Nelson and Evans had had great difficulty in rescuing their sounding sledge which had been left near here before the gale. The course of events is not very clear but it looks as though the gale pressed up the crack raising broken pieces of the thin ice formed after recent opening movements. These raised pieces had become nuclei of heavy snowdrifts which in turn weighing down the flow had allowed water to flow in over the sledge level. It is surprising to find such a big disturbance from what appears to be a simple cause. This crack is now joined. And the contraction is taking on a new one which has opened much nearer to us and seems to run to Camp Barn. We have noticed a very curious appearance of heavenly bodies when setting in a northwesterly direction. About the time of midwinter the moon observed in this position appeared in a much distorted shape of blood red color. It might have been a red flare or distant bonfire but could not have been guessed for the moon. Yesterday the planet Venus appeared under similar circumstances as a ship's side light or Japanese lantern. In both cases there was a flickering in the light and a change of color from deep orange yellow to blood red but the latter was dominant. Thursday, July 20, Friday, 21, Saturday, 22. There is very little to record. The horses are going on well, all are in good form at least for the moment. They drink a good deal of water in the morning. Saturday, July 22, continued. This and the better ventilation of the stable make for improvement we think. Perhaps the increase of salt allowance is also beneficial. Today we have another raging blizzard. The wind running up to 72 miles per hour in gusts. One way and another the crows your party must have had a pretty poor time. Footnote. This was the gale that tore away the roofing of their hut and left them with only their sleeping bags for shelter. End of footnote. I am thankful to remember that the light will be coming on apace now. Monday, July 24. The blizzard continued throughout yesterday, Sunday, in the evening reaching a record force of 82 miles per hour. The vein of our anemometer is somewhat sheltered. Simpson finds the hill readings 20% higher. Hence, in such gusts as this the free wind must reach nearly 100 miles per hour. A hurricane force. Today Nelson found that his sounding sledge had been turned over. We passed a quiet Sunday with the usual service to break the weekday routine. During my night watch last night, I could observe the rapid falling of the wind, which on dying away left a still atmosphere almost oppressively warm at 7 degrees. The temperature has remained comparatively high today. I went to see the crack at which soundings were taken a week ago. Then it was several feet open with thin ice between. Now it is pressed up into a sharp ridge, 3 to 4 feet high. The edge pressed up shows an 18 inch thickness. This is of course an effect of the warm weather. Tuesday, July 25, Wednesday, July 26. There is really very little to be recorded in these days. Life proceeds very calmly, if somewhat monotonously. Everyone seems fit. There is no sign of depression. To all outward appearance the ponies are in better form than they have ever been. The same may be said of the dogs with one or two exceptions. The light comes on apace. Today, Wednesday, it was very beautiful at noon. The air was very clear and the detail of the western mountains was revealed in infinitely delicate contrasts of light. Thursday, July 27, Friday, July 28. Calmer days. The sky rosier. The light visibly advancing. We have never suffered from low spirits so that the presence of day raises us above a normal cheerfulness to the realm of high spirits. The light merry humor of our company has never been eclipsed. The good-natured kindly chaff has never ceased since those early days of enthusiasm which inspired them. They have survived the winter days of stress and already renew themselves with the coming of spring. If pessimistic moments had foreseen the growth of rifts in the bond forged by these amenities, they stand prophetically falsified. There is no longer room for doubt that we shall come to our work with a unity of purpose and a disposition for mutual support which have never been unequaled in these paths of activity. Such a spirit should tide us over all minor difficulties. It is a good omen. End of chapter 12 LibriVox.org Saturday, July 29, Sunday, July 30. Two quiet days, temperature low in the minus thirties, an occasional rush of wind lasting for but a few minutes. One of our best sledge-dogs, Julik, has disappeared. I'm afraid he's been set on by the others at some distant spot, and we shall see nothing more but his stiffened carcass when the light returns. Mears thinks the others would not have attacked him, and imagines he has fallen into the water in some seal-hole or crack. In either case, I'm afraid we must be resigned to another loss. It's an awful nuisance. Gran went to Cape Roids today. I asked him to report on the open water, and so he went on past the Cape. As far as I can gather, he got halfway to Cape Bird before he came to thin ice. For at least five or six miles past Cape Roids, the ice is old and covered with windswept snow. This is very unexpected. In the discovery first year the ice continually broke back to the glacier tongue. In the second year it must have gone out to Cape Roids very early in the spring if it did not go out in the winter, and in the Nimrod year it was rarely fast beyond Cape Roids. It is very strange, especially as this has been the windiest year recorded so far. Simpson says the average has exceeded twenty miles per hour since the instruments were set up, and this figure has, for comparison, nine and twelve miles per hour for the two discovery years. There remains a possibility that we have chosen an especially windswept spot for our station, yet I can scarcely believe that there is generally more wind here than at Hutt Point. I was out for two hours this morning. It was amazingly pleasant to be able to see the inequalities of one's path and the familiar landmarks bathed in violet light. An hour after noon the northern sky was intensely red. Monday, July thirty-first. But this is the last day of another month, and August means the sun. One begins to wonder what the Crozier Party is doing. It has been away five weeks. The ponies are getting buckish. Chinaman squeals and kicks in the stable. Nabi kicks without squealing, but with even more purpose. Last night he knocked down a part of his stall. The noise of these animals is rather trying at night. One imagines all sorts of dreadful things happening, but when the watchman visits the stables its occupants blink at him with a sleepy air, as though the disturbance could not possibly have been there. There was a glorious northern sky today. The horizon was clear, and the flood of red light illuminated the underside of the broken, stratus clouds above, producing very beautiful bands of violet light. Simpson predicts a blizzard within twenty-four hours. We are interested to watch results. Tuesday, August first. The month has opened with a very beautiful day. This morning I took a circuitous walk over our land estate, winding to and fro in gullies filled with smooth ice patches or loose sandy soil with a two-fold object. I thought I might find the remains of poor Julek. In this I was unsuccessful, but I wished further to test our new crampons, and with these I am immensely pleased. They possess every virtue in a footwear designed for marching over smooth ice—lightness, warmth, comfort, and ease in the putting on and off. The light was especially good today. The sun was directly reflected by a single twisted iridescent cloud in the north—a brilliant and most beautiful object. The air was still, and it was very pleasant to hear the crisp sounds of our workers abroad. The tones of voices, the swish of ski or the chipping of an ice-pick, carry two or three miles on such days. More than once today we could hear the notes of some Blythe singer happily signalling the coming of the spring and the sun. This afternoon as I sit in the hut I find it worthy of record that two telephones are in use—the one keeping time for Wright, who works at the transit instrument, the other bringing messages from Nelson at his ice-hole three-quarters of a mile away. This connection is made with a bare aluminum wire and earth return, and shows that we should have little difficulty in completing our circuit to hut point as contemplated. Account of the Winter Journey Wednesday, August 2. The Crozier Party returned last night after enduring for five weeks the hardest conditions on record. They looked more weather-worn than any one I have yet seen. Their faces were scarred and wrinkled, their eyes dull, their hands whitened and creased with the constant exposure to damp and cold, yet the scars of frostbite were very few, and this evil had never seriously assailed them. The main part of their afflictions arose and very obviously arose from sheer lack of sleep, and today after a night's rest our travellers are very different in appearance and mental capacity. The story of a very wonderful performance must be told by the actors. It is for me now to give but an outline of the journey and to note more particularly the efforts of the strain which they have imposed on themselves, and the lessons which their experiences teach for our future guidance. Wilson is very thin, but this morning very much his keen, wiry self. Bowers is quite himself today. Cherry Gerard is slightly puffy in the face and still looks worn. It is evident that he has suffered most severely, but Wilson tells me that his spirit never wavered for a moment. Bowers has come through best all things considered, and I believe he is the hardest traveller that ever undertook a polar journey, as well as one of the most undaunted. More by hint than direct statement I gather his value to the party, his untiring energy, and the astonishing physique which enables him to continue to work under conditions which are absolutely paralyzing to others. Never was such a sturdy, active, undefeatable little man. So far as one can gather the story of this journey in brief as much as follows. The party reached the barrier two days after leaving Cape Evans, still pulling their full load of two hundred and fifty pounds per man. The snow surface then changed completely and grew worse and worse as they advanced. For one day they struggled on as before, covering four miles, but from this onward they were forced to relay and found the half load heavier than the whole one had been on the sea ice. Meanwhile the temperature had been falling, and now for more than a week the thermometer fell below negative sixty degrees. On one night the minimum showed negative seventy-one degrees, and on the next negative seventy-seven, one hundred and nine degrees of frost. Although in this truly fearful cold the air was comparatively still, every now and again little puffs of wind came eddying across the snow plain with blighting effect. No civilized being has ever encountered such conditions before with only a tent of thin canvas to rely on for shelter. We have been looking up the records today and find that Amundsen on a journey to the North Magnetic Pole in March encountered temperatures similar in degree and recorded a minimum of negative seventy-nine degrees, but he was with Eskimos who built him an igloo shelter nightly. He had a good measure of daylight, the temperatures given are probably unscreened from radiation, and finally he turned homeward and regained his ship after five days absence. Our party went outward and remained absent for five weeks. It took the best part of a fortnight to cross the coldest region, and then rounding Cape Mackay they entered the windswept area. Blizzard followed Blizzard, the sky was constantly overcast and they staggered on in a light which was little better than complete darkness. Sometimes they found themselves high on the slopes of terror on the left side of their track, and sometimes diving into the pressure ridges on the right amidst crevasses and confusing ice disturbance. Reaching the foothills near Cape Crozier they ascended eight hundred feet, then packed their belongings over a moraine ridge and started to build a hut. It took three days to build the stone walls and complete the roof with the canvas brought for the purpose. Then at last they could attend to the object of the journey. The scant twilight at midday was so short that they must start in the dark and be prepared for the risk of missing their way in returning without light. On the first day in which they set forth under these conditions it took them two hours to reach the pressure ridges and to clamor over them rope together occupied nearly the same time. Finally they reached a place above the rookery where they could hear the birds squawking but from which they were quite unable to find a way down. The poor light was failing and they returned to camp. Starting again on the following day they wound their way through frightful ice disturbances under the high basalt cliffs. In places the rock overhung and at one spot they had to creep through a small channel hollowed in the ice. At last they reached the sea ice but now the light was so far spent they were obliged to rush everything. Instead of the two thousand or three thousand nesting birds which had been seen here in discovery days they could now only count about a hundred. They hastily killed and skinned three to get blubber for their stove and collecting six eggs three of which alone survived they dashed for camp. It is possible that the birds are deserting this rookery but it is also possible that this early date found only a small minority of the birds which will be collected at a later one. The eggs which have not yet been examined should throw light on this point. Wilson observed yet another proof of the strength of the nursing instinct in these birds. In searching for eggs both he and Bowers picked up rounded pieces of ice which these ridiculous creatures had been cherishing with fond hope. The light had failed entirely by the time the party were clear of the pressure ridges on their return and it was only by good luck they regained their camp. That night a blizzard commenced increasing in fury from moment to moment. They now found that the place chosen for the hut for shelter was worse than useless. They had far better have built in the open for the fierce wind instead of striking them directly was deflected onto them in furious whirling gusts. Heavy blocks of snow and rock placed upon the roof were whirled away and the canvas ballooned up tearing and straining at its secureings. Its disappearance could only be a question of time. They had erected their tent with some valuables inside close to the hut. It had been well-spread and more than amply secured with snow and boulders but one terrific gust tore it up and whirled it away. Inside the hut they waited for the roof to vanish wondering what they could do if it went and vainly endeavoring to make it secure. After fourteen hours it went as they were trying to pin down one corner. The smother of snow was on them and they could only die for their sleeping bags with a gasp. Bowers put his head out once and said, We're all right in as near as ordinary tones as he could compass. The others replied, Yes, we're all right and all were silent for a night and half a day whilst the wind howled on. The snow entered every chink and crevice of the sleeping bags and the occupants shivered and wondered how it all would end. This scale was the same, July 23rd, in which we registered our maximum wind force and it seems probable that it fell on Cape Crozier even more violently than on us. The wind fell at noon the following day. The forlorn travelers crept from their icy nests, made shift to spread their floorcloth overhead and lit their primus. They tasted their first food for forty-eight hours and began to plant amines to build a shelter on the homeward route. They decided that they must dig a large pit nightly and cover it as best they could with their floorcloth. But now fortune befriended them, a search to the north revealed the tent lying amongst the boulders a quarter of a mile away, and strange to relate, practically uninjured, a fine testimonial for the material used in its construction. On the following day they started homeward and immediately another blizzard fell on them, holding them prisoners for two days. By this time the miserable condition of their effects was beyond description. The sleeping bags were far too stiff to be rolled up. In fact they were so hard frozen that attempts to bend them actually split the skins. The iderdown bags inside Wilson's and Cherry Gerard's reindeer covers served but to fitfully stop the gaps made by such rents. All socks, finesco and mitts had long been coated with ice. Placed in breast pockets or inside vests at night, they did not even show signs of thawing, much less of drying. It sometimes took Cherry Gerard three-quarters of an hour to get into a sleeping bag, so flat that it freeze and so difficult was it to open. It is scarcely possible to realize the horrible discomforts of the forlorn travelers as they plotted back across the barrier with the temperature again constantly below negative sixty degrees. In this fashion they reached Hut Point and on the following night our home quarters. Wilson is disappointed at seeing so little of the penguins, but to me and to everyone who has remained here the result of this effort is the appeal it makes to our imagination as one of the most gallant stories in polar history. That men should wander forth in the depth of a polar night to face the most dismal cold and the fiercest gales in darkness is something new. That they should have persisted in this effort in spite of every adversity for five full weeks is heroic. It makes a tale for our generation which I hope may not be lost in the telling. Moreover, the material results are by no means despicable. We shall now know when that extraordinary bird the Emperor Penguin lays its eggs and under what conditions, but even if our information remains meager concerning its embryology, our party has shown the nature of the conditions which exist on the Great Barrier in winter. Hitherto we have only imagined their severity. Now we have proof and a positive light is thrown on the local climatology of our strait. Experience of Sledging Rations and Equipment For our future Sledge work several points have been most satisfactorily settled. The party went on very simple food ration in different and extreme proportions. They took Pemekin, Butter, Biscuit, and Tea only. After a short experience they found that Wilson, who had arranged for the greatest quantity of fat, had too much of it, and CG, who had gone for more biscuit, had more than he could eat. A middle course was struck which gave a general proportion agreeable to all and at the same time suited the total quantities of the various articles carried. In this way we have arrived at a simple and suitable ration for the inland plateau. The only change suggested is the addition of cocoa for the evening meal. The party contented themselves with hot water, deeming that tea might rob them of their slender chance of sleep. On sleeping bags little new can be said. The Eiderdown bag may be a useful addition for a short time on a spring journey, but they soon get iced up. Bowers did not use an Eiderdown bag throughout, and in some miraculous manner he managed to turn his reindeer bag two or three times during the journey. The following are the weights of sleeping bags before and after. Wilson, reindeer and Eiderdown, starting weight 17 pounds, final weight 40 pounds. Bowers, reindeer only, starting weight 17 pounds, final weight 33 pounds. Cherry Gerard, reindeer and Eiderdown, starting weight 18 pounds, final weight 45 pounds. This gives some idea of the ice collected. The double tent has been reported an immense success. It weighed about 35 pounds at starting and 60 pounds on return. The ice mainly collected on the inner tent. The crampons are much praised except by Bowers who has an eccentric attachment to our older form. We have discovered a hundred details of clothes, mitts and footwear. There seems no solution to the difficulties which attach to these articles in extreme cold. All Wilson can say, speaking broadly, is the gear is excellent, excellent. One continues to wonder as to the possibilities of fur clothing as made by the Eskimos, with a sneaking feeling that it may outclass our more civilized garb. For us this can only be a matter of speculation, as it would have been quite impossible to have obtained such articles. With the exception of this radically different alternative, I feel sure we are as near perfection as experience can direct. At any rate, we can now hold that our system of clothing has come through a severer test than any other fur included. Effect of the journey. Wilson lost three and a half pounds. Bowers lost two and a half pounds. Cherry Gerard lost one pound. End of Chapter 12