Chapter 17 - ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER
Scott's Last Expedition
- The Journals of Captain R. F. Scott
Contents
and Preface Chapters:
Chapter 1
| Chapter
2 | Chapter
3 | Chapter
4 | Chapter
5 | Chapter
6 | Chapter
7 | Chapter
8 | Chapter
9 | Chapter
10 |
Chapter 11 |
Chapter 12
| Chapter
13 |
Chapter 14 |
Chapter 15
| Chapter
16 |
Chapter 17 |
Chapter 18
| Chapter
19 |
Chapter 20
| Appendix
Summary
(2 pages) of the Terra
Nova Expedition |
The Men of
the Expedition
Sunday, December 10
Camp 32. [33] I was
very anxious about getting our loads forward over such an appalling
surface, and that we have done so is mainly due to the ski.
I roused everyone at 8, but it was noon before all the readjustments
of load had been made and we were ready to start. The dogs carried
600 lbs. of our weight besides the depot (200 lbs.). It was
greatly to my surprise when we--my own party--with a 'one, two,
three together' started our sledge, and we found it running
fairly easily behind us. We did the first mile at a rate of
about 2 miles an hour, having previously very carefully scraped
and dried our runners. The day was gloriously fine and we were
soon perspiring. After the first mile we began to rise, and
for some way on a steep slope we held to our ski and kept going.
Then the slope got steeper and the surface much worse, and we
had to take off our ski. The pulling after this was extraordinarily
fatiguing. We sank above our finnesko everywhere, and in places
nearly to our knees. The runners of the sledges got coated with
a thin film of ice from which we could not free them, and the
sledges themselves sank to the crossbars in soft spots. All
the time they were literally ploughing the snow. We reached
the top of the slope at 5, and started on after tea on the down
grade. On this we had to pull almost as hard as on the upward
slope, but could just manage to get along on ski. We camped
at 9.15, when a heavy wind coming down the glacier suddenly
fell on us; but I had decided to camp before, as Evans' party
could not keep up, and Wilson told me some very alarming news
concerning it. It appears that Atkinson says that Wright is
getting played out and Lashly is not so fit as he was owing
to the heavy pulling since the blizzard. I have not felt satisfied
about this party. The finish of the march to-day showed clearly
that something was wrong. They fell a long way behind, had to
take off ski, and took nearly half an hour to come up a few
hundred yards. True, the surface was awful and growing worse
every moment. It is a very serious business if the men are going
to crack up. As for myself, I never felt fitter and my party
can easily hold its own. P.O. Evans, of course, is a tower of
strength, but Oates and Wilson are doing splendidly also.
Here where we are camped the snow is worse than I have ever
seen it, but we are in a hollow. Every step here one sinks to
the knees and the uneven surface is obviously insufficient to
support the sledges. Perhaps this wind is a blessing in disguise,
already it seems to be hardening the snow. All this soft snow
is an aftermath of our prolonged storm. Hereabouts Shackleton
found hard blue ice. It seems an extraordinary difference in
fortune, and at every step S.'s luck becomes more evident. I
take the dogs on for half a day to-morrow, then send them home.
We have 200 lbs. to add to each sledge load and could easily
do it on a reasonable surface, but it looks very much as though
we shall be forced to relay if present conditions hold. There
is a strong wind down the glacier to-night.
' Beardmore
Glacier
Just a tiny note to be taken back by the dogs. Things
are not so rosy as they might be, but we keep our spirits up
and say the luck must turn. This is only to tell you that I
find I can keep up with the rest as well as of old.'
Monday, December 11
Camp 33. A very good
day from one point of view, very bad from another. We started
straight out over the glacier and passed through a good deal
of disturbance. We pulled on ski and the dogs followed. I cautioned
the drivers to keep close to their sledges and we must have
passed over a good many crevasses undiscovered by us, thanks
to ski, and by the dogs owing to the soft snow. In one only
Seaman Evans dropped a leg, ski and all. We built our depot
[34] before starting, made it very conspicuous, and left a good
deal of gear there. The old man-hauling party made heavy weather
at first, but when relieved of a little weight and having cleaned
their runners and re-adjusted their load they came on in fine
style, and, passing us, took the lead. Starting about 11, by
3 o'clock we were clear of the pressure, and I camped the dogs,
discharged our loads, and we put them on our sledges. It was
a very anxious business when we started after lunch, about 4.30.
Could we pull our full loads or not? My own party got away first,
and, to my joy, I found we could make fairly good headway. Every
now and again the sledge sank in a soft patch, which brought
us up, but we learned to treat such occasions with patience.
We got sideways to the sledge and hauled it out, Evans (P.O.)
getting out of his ski to get better purchase. The great thing
is to keep the sledge moving, and for an hour or more there
were dozens of critical moments when it all but stopped, and
not a few in it brought up altogether. The latter were very
trying and tiring. But suddenly the surface grew more uniform
and we more accustomed to the game, for after a long stop to
let the other parties come up, I started at 6 and ran on till
7, pulling easily without a halt at the rate of about 2 miles
an hour. I was very jubilant; all difficulties seemed to be
vanishing; but unfortunately our history was not repeated with
the other parties. Bowers came up about half an hour after us.
They also had done well at the last, and I'm pretty sure they
will get on all right. Keohane is the only weak spot, and he
only, I think, because blind (temporarily). But Evans' party
didn't get up till 10. They started quite well, but got into
difficulties, did just the wrong thing by straining again and
again, and so, tiring themselves, went from bad to worse. Their
ski shoes, too, are out of trim.
Just as I thought we
were in for making a great score, this difficulty overtakes
us--it is dreadfully trying. The snow around us to-night is
terribly soft, one sinks to the knee at every step; it would
be impossible to drag sledges on foot and very difficult for
dogs. Ski are the thing, and here are my tiresome fellow-countrymen
too prejudiced to have prepared themselves for the event. The
dogs should get back quite easily; there is food all along the
line. The glacier wind sprang up about 7; the morning was very
fine and warm. To-night there is some stratus cloud forming--a
hint no more bad weather in sight. A plentiful crop of snow
blindness due to incaution--the sufferers Evans, Bowers, Keohane,
Lashly, Oates--in various degrees.
This forenoon Wilson
went over to a boulder poised on the glacier. It proved to be
a very coarse granite with large crystals of quartz in it. Evidently
the rock of which the pillars of the Gateway and other neighbouring
hills are formed.
Tuesday, December 12
Camp 34. We have had a hard day, and during the forenoon it
was my team which made the heaviest weather of the work. We
got bogged again and again, and, do what we would, the sledge
dragged like lead. The others were working hard but nothing
to be compared to us. At 2.30 I halted for lunch, pretty well
cooked, and there was disclosed the secret of our trouble in
a thin film with some hard knots of ice on the runners. Evans'
team had been sent off in advance, and we didn't--couldn't!--catch
them, but they saw us camp and break camp and followed suit.
I really dreaded starting after lunch, but after some trouble
to break the sledge out, we went ahead without a hitch, and
in a mile or two recovered our leading place with obvious ability
to keep it. At 6 I saw the other teams were flagging and so
camped at 7, meaning to turn out earlier to-morrow and start
a better routine. We have done about 8 or perhaps 9 miles (stat.)--the
sledge-meters are hopeless on such a surface.
It is evident
that what I expected has occurred. The whole of the lower valley
is filled with snow from the recent storm, and if we had not
had ski we should be hopelessly bogged. On foot one sinks to
the knees, and if pulling on a sledge to half-way between knee
and thigh. It would, therefore, be absolutely impossible to
advance on foot with our loads. Considering all things, we are
getting better on ski. A crust is forming over the soft snow.
In a week or so I have little doubt it will be strong enough
to support sledges and men. At present it carries neither properly.
The sledges get bogged every now and again, sinking to the crossbars.
Needless to say, the hauling is terrible when this occurs.
We steered for the Commonwealth Range during the forenoon
till we reached about the middle of the glacier. This showed
that the unnamed glacier to the S.W. raised great pressure.
Observing this, I altered course for the 'Cloudmaker' and later
still farther to the west. We must be getting a much better
view of the southern side of the main glacier than Shackleton
got, and consequently have observed a number of peaks which
he did not notice. We are about 5 or 5 1/2 days behind him as
a result of the storm, but on this surface our sledges could
not be more heavily laden than they are, in fact we have not
nearly enough runner surface as it is. Moreover, the sledges
are packed too high and therefore capsize too easily. I do not
think the glacier can be so broad as S. shows it. Certainly
the scenery is not nearly so impressive as that of the Ferrar,
but there are interesting features showing up--a distinct banded
structure on Mount Elizabeth, which we think may well be a recurrence
of the Beacon Sandstone--more banding on the Commonwealth Range.
During the three days we have been here the wind has blown down
the glacier at night, or rather from the S.W., and it has been
calm in the morning--a sort of nightly land-breeze. There is
also a very remarkable difference in temperature between day
and night. It was +33° when we started, and without hard
work we were literally soaked through with perspiration. It
is now +23°. Evans' party kept up much better to-day; we
had their shoes into our tent this morning, and P.O. Evans put
them into shape again.
Wednesday, December 13
Camp 35. A most damnably dismal day. We started at eight--the
pulling terribly bad, though the glide decidedly good; a new
crust in patches, not sufficient to support the ski, but without
possibility of hold. Therefore, as the pullers got on the hard
patches they slipped back. The sledges plunged into the soft
places and stopped dead. Evans' party got away first; we followed,
and for some time helped them forward at their stops, but this
proved altogether too much for us, so I forged ahead and camped
at 1 P.M., as the others were far astern. During lunch I decided
to try the 10-feet runners under the crossbars and we spent
three hours in securing them. There was no delay on account
of the slow progress of the other parties. Evans passed us,
and for some time went forward fairly well up a decided slope.
The sun was shining on the surface by this time, and the temperature
high. Bowers started after Evans, and it was easy to see the
really terrible state of affairs with them. They made desperate
efforts to get along, but ever got more and more bogged--evidently
the glide had vanished. When we got away we soon discovered
how awful the surface had become; added to the forenoon difficulties
the snow had become wet and sticky. We got our load along, soon
passing Bowers, but the toil was simply awful. We were soaked
with perspiration and thoroughly breathless with our efforts.
Again and again the sledge got one runner on harder snow than
the other, canted on its side, and refused to move. At the top
of the rise I found Evans reduced to relay work, and Bowers
followed his example soon after. We got our whole load through
till 7 P.M., camping time, but only with repeated halts and
labour which was altogether too strenuous. The other parties
certainly cannot get a full load along on the surface, and I
much doubt if we could continue to do so, but we must try again
to-morrow.
I suppose we have advanced a bare 4 miles
to-day and the aspect of things is very little changed. Our
height is now about 1,500 feet; I had pinned my faith on getting
better conditions as we rose, but it looks as though matters
were getting worse instead of better. As far as the Cloudmaker
the valley looks like a huge basin for the lodgement of such
snow as this. We can but toil on, but it is woefully disheartening.
I am not at all hungry, but pretty thirsty. (T. +15°.) I
find our summit ration is even too filling for the present.
Two skuas came round the camp at lunch, no doubt attracted by
our 'Shambles' camp.
Thursday, December 14
Camp 36. Indigestion and the soggy condition of my clothes kept
me awake for some time last night, and the exceptional exercise
gives bad attacks of cramp. Our lips are getting raw and blistered.
The eyes of the party are improving, I am glad to say. We are
just starting our march with no very hopeful outlook. (T. +
13°.)
Evening
(Height about 2000 feet.) Evans'
party started first this morning; for an hour they found the
hauling stiff, but after that, to my great surprise, they went
on easily. Bowers followed without getting over the ground so
easily. After the first 200 yards my own party came on with
a swing that told me at once that all would be well. We soon
caught the others and offered to take on more weight, but Evans'
pride wouldn't allow such help. Later in the morning we exchanged
sledges with Bowers, pulled theirs easily, whilst they made
quite heavy work with ours. I am afraid Cherry-Garrard and Keohane
are the weakness of that team, though both put their utmost
into the traces. However, we all lunched together after a satisfactory
morning's work. In the afternoon we did still better, and camped
at 6.30 with a very marked change in the land bearings. We must
have come 11 or 12 miles (stat.). We got fearfully hot on the
march, sweated through everything and stripped off jerseys.
The result is we are pretty cold and clammy now, but escape
from the soft snow and a good march compensate every discomfort.
At lunch the blue ice was about 2 feet beneath us, now it is
barely a foot, so that I suppose we shall soon find it uncovered.
To-night the sky is overcast and wind has been blowing up the
glacier. I think there will be another spell of gloomy weather
on the Barrier, and the question is whether this part of the
glacier escapes. There are crevasses about, one about eighteen
inches across outside Bowers' tent, and a narrower one outside
our own. I think the soft snow trouble is at an end, and I could
wish nothing better than a continuance of the present surface.
Towards the end of the march we were pulling our loads with
the greatest ease. It is splendid to be getting along and to
find some adequate return for the work we are putting into the
business.
Friday, December 15
Camp
37. (Height about 2500. Lat. about 84° 8'.) Got away at
8; marched till 1; the surface improving and snow covering thinner
over the blue ice, but the sky overcast and glooming, the clouds
ever coming lower, and Evans' is now decidedly the slowest unit,
though Bowers' is not much faster. We keep up and overhaul either
without difficulty. It was an enormous relief yesterday to get
steady going without involuntary stops, but yesterday and this
morning, once the sledge was stopped, it was very difficult
to start again--the runners got temporarily stuck. This afternoon
for the first time we could start by giving one good heave together,
and so for the first time we are able to stop to readjust footgear
or do any other desirable task. This is a second relief for
which we are most grateful.
At the lunch camp the snow
covering was less than a foot, and at this it is a bare nine
inches; patches of ice and hard neve are showing through in
places. I meant to camp at 6.30, but before 5.0 the sky came
down on us with falling snow. We could see nothing, and the
pulling grew very heavy. At 5.45 there seemed nothing to do
but camp--another interrupted march. Our luck is really very
bad. We should have done a good march to-day, as it is we have
covered about 11 miles (stat.).
Since supper there are
signs of clearing again, but I don't like the look of things;
this weather has been working up from the S.E. with all the
symptoms of our pony-wrecking storm. Pray heaven we are not
going to have this wretched snow in the worst part of the glacier
to come. The lower part of this glacier is not very interesting,
except from an ice point of view. Except Mount Kyffen, little
bare rock is visible, and its structure at this distance is
impossible to determine. There are no moraines on the surface
of the glacier either. The tributary glaciers are very fine
and have cut very deep courses, though they do not enter at
grade. The walls of this valley are extraordinarily steep; we
count them at least 60° in places. The ice-falls descending
over the northern sides are almost continuous one with another,
but the southern steep faces are nearly bare; evidently the
sun gets a good hold on them. There must be a good deal of melting
and rock weathering, the talus heaps are considerable under
the southern rock faces. Higher up the valley there is much
more bare rock and stratification, which promises to be very
interesting, but oh! for fine weather; surely we have had enough
of this oppressive gloom.
Saturday, December
16
Camp 38. A gloomy morning, clearing at noon
and ending in a gloriously fine evening. Although constantly
anxious in the morning, the light held good for travelling throughout
the day, and we have covered 11 miles (stat.), altering the
aspect of the glacier greatly. But the travelling has been very
hard. We started at 7, lunched at 12.15, and marched on till
6.30--over ten hours on the march--the limit of time to be squeezed
into one day. We began on ski as usual, Evans' team hampering
us a bit; the pulling very hard after yesterday's snowfall.
In the afternoon we continued on ski till after two hours we
struck a peculiarly difficult surface--old hard sastrugi underneath,
with pits and high soft sastrugi due to very recent snowfalls.
The sledges were so often brought up by this that we decided
to take to our feet, and thus made better progress, but for
the time with very excessive labour. The crust, brittle, held
for a pace or two, then let one down with a bump some 8 or 10
inches. Now and again one's leg went down a crack in the hard
ice underneath. We drew up a slope on this surface and discovered
a long icefall extending right across our track, I presume the
same pressure which caused Shackleton to turn towards the Cloudmaker.
We made in for that mountain and soon got on hard, crevassed,
undulating ice with quantities of soft snow in the hollows.
The disturbance seems to increase, but the snow to diminish
as we approach the rocks. We shall look for a moraine and try
and follow it up to-morrow. The hills on our left have horizontally
stratified rock alternating with snow. The exposed rock is very
black; the brownish colour of the Cloudmaker has black horizontal
streaks across it. The sides of the glacier north of the Cloudmaker
have a curious cutting, the upper part less steep than the lower,
suggestive of different conditions of glacier-flow in succeeding
ages.
We must push on all we can, for we are now 6 days
behind Shackleton, all due to that wretched storm. So far, since
we got amongst the disturbances we have not seen such alarming
crevasses as I had expected; certainly dogs could have come
up as far as this. At present one gets terrible hot and perspiring
on the march, and quickly cold when halted, but the sun makes
up for all evils. It is very difficult to know what to do about
the ski; their weight is considerable and yet under certain
circumstances they are extraordinarily useful. Everyone is very
satisfied with our summit ration. The party which has been man-hauling
for so long say they are far less hungry than they used to be.
It is good to think that the majority will keep up this good
feeding all through.
Sunday, December 17
Camp 39. Soon after starting we found ourselves in rather a
mess; bad pressure ahead and long waves between us and the land.
Blue ice showed on the crests of the waves; very soft snow lay
in the hollows. We had to cross the waves in places 30 feet
from crest to hollow, and we did it by sitting on the sledge
and letting her go. Thus we went down with a rush and our impetus
carried us some way up the other side; then followed a fearfully
tough drag to rise the next crest. After two hours of this I
saw a larger wave, the crest of which continued hard ice up
the glacier; we reached this and got excellent travelling for
2 miles on it, then rose on a steep gradient, and so topped
the pressure ridge. The smooth ice is again lost and we have
patches of hard and soft snow with ice peeping out in places,
cracks in all directions, and legs very frequently down. We
have done very nearly 5 miles (geo.).
Evening
(Temp.
-12°.) Height about 3500 above Barrier. After lunch decided
to take the risk of sticking to the centre of the glacier, with
good result. We travelled on up the more or less rounded ridge
which I had selected in the morning, and camped at 6.30 with
12 1/2 stat. miles made good. This has put Mount Hope in the
background and shows us more of the upper reaches. If we can
keep up the pace, we gain on Shackleton, and I don't see any
reason why we shouldn't, except that more pressure is showing
up ahead. For once one can say 'sufficient for the day is the
good thereof.' Our luck may be on the turn--I think we deserve
it. In spite of the hard work everyone is very fit and very
cheerful, feeling well fed and eager for more toil. Eyes are
much better except poor Wilson's; he has caught a very bad attack.
Remembering his trouble on our last Southern journey, I fear
he is in for a very bad time.
We got fearfully hot this
morning and marched in singlets, which became wringing wet;
thus uncovered the sun gets at one's skin, and then the wind,
which makes it horribly uncomfortable.
Our lips are very
sore. We cover them with the soft silk plaster which seems about
the best thing for the purpose.
I'm inclined to think
that the summit trouble will be mostly due to the chill falling
on sunburned skins. Even now one feels the cold strike directly
one stops. We get fearfully thirsty and chip up ice on the march,
as well as drinking a great deal of water on halting. Our fuel
only just does it, but that is all we want, and we have a bit
in hand for the summit.
The pulling this afternoon was
fairly pleasant; at first over hard snow, and then on to pretty
rough ice with surface snowfield cracks, bad for sledges, but
ours promised to come through well. We have worn our crampons
all day and are delighted with them. P.O. Evans, the inventor
of both crampons and ski shoes, is greatly pleased, and certainly
we owe him much. The weather is beginning to look dirty again,
snow clouds rolling in from the east as usual. I believe it
will be overcast to-morrow.
Monday, December
18
Camp 40. Lunch nearly 4000 feet above Barrier.
Overcast and snowing this morning as I expected, land showing
on starboard hand, so, though it was gloomy and depressing,
we could march, and did. We have done our 8 stat. miles between
8.20 and 1 P.M.; at first fairly good surface; then the ice
got very rugged with sword-cut splits. We got on a slope which
made matters worse. I then pulled up to the left, at first without
much improvement, but as we topped a rise the surface got much
better and things look quite promising for the moment. On our
right we have now a pretty good view of the Adams Marshall and
Wild Mountains and their very curious horizontal stratification.
Wright has found, amongst bits of wind-blown debris, an undoubted
bit of sandstone and a bit of black basalt. We must get to know
more of the geology before leaving the glacier finally. This
morning all our gear was fringed with ice crystals which looked
very pretty.
Afternoon
(Night camp No. 40, about 4500
above Barrier. T. -11°. Lat. about 84° 34'.) After lunch
got on some very rough stuff within a few hundred yards of pressure
ridge. There seemed no alternative, and we went through with
it. Later, the glacier opened out into a broad basin with irregular
undulations, and we on to a better surface, but later on again
this improvement nearly vanished, so that it has been hard going
all day, but we have done a good mileage (over 14 stat.). We
are less than five days behind S. now. There was a promise of
a clearance about noon, but later more snow clouds drifted over
from the east, and now it is snowing again. We have scarcely
caught a glimpse of the eastern side of the glacier all day.
The western side has not been clear enough to photograph at
the halts. It is very annoying, but I suppose we must be thankful
when we can get our marches off. Still sweating horribly on
the march and very thirsty at the halts.
Tuesday,
December 19
Lunch, rise 650. Dist. 8 1/2 geo. Camp
41. Things are looking up. Started on good surface, soon came
to very annoying criss-cross cracks. I fell into two and have
bad bruises on knee and thigh, but we got along all the time
until we reached an admirable smooth ice surface excellent for
travelling. The last mile, neve predominating and therefore
the pulling a trifle harder, we have risen into the upper basin
of the glacier. Seemingly close about us are the various land
masses which adjoin the summit: it looks as though we might
have difficulties in the last narrows. We are having a long
lunch hour for angles, photographs, and sketches. The slight
south-westerly wind came down the glacier as we started, and
the sky, which was overcast, has rapidly cleared in consequence.
Night. Height about 5800. Camp 41. We stepped off this afternoon
at the rate of 2 miles or more an hour, with the very satisfactory
result of 17 (stat.) miles to the good for the day. It has not
been a strain, except perhaps for me with my wounds received
early in the day. The wind has kept us cool on the march, which
has in consequence been very much pleasanter; we are not wet
in our clothes to-night, and have not suffered from the same
overpowering thirst as on previous days. (T. -11°.) (Min.
-5°.) Evans and Bowers are busy taking angles; as they have
been all day, we shall have material for an excellent chart.
Days like this put heart in one.
Wednesday, December
20
Camp 42. 6500 feet about. Just got off our last
best half march--10 miles 1150 yards (geo.), over 12 miles stat.
With an afternoon to follow we should do well to-day; the wind
has been coming up the valley. Turning this book [35] seems
to have brought luck. We marched on till nearly 7 o'clock after
a long lunch halt, and covered 19 1/2 geo. miles, nearly 23
(stat.), rising 800 feet. This morning we came over a considerable
extent of hard snow, then got to hard ice with patches of snow;
a state of affairs which has continued all day. Pulling the
sledges in crampons is no difficulty at all. At lunch Wilson
and Bowers walked back 2 miles or so to try and find Bowers'
broken sledgemeter, without result. During their absence a fog
spread about us, carried up the valleys by easterly wind. We
started the afternoon march in this fog very unpleasantly, but
later it gradually lifted, and to-night it is very fine and
warm. As the fog lifted we saw a huge line of pressure ahead;
I steered for a place where the slope looked smoother, and we
are camped beneath the spot to-night. We must be ahead of Shackleton's
position on the 17th. All day we have been admiring a wonderful
banded structure of the rock; to-night it is beautifully clear
on Mount Darwin.
I have just told off the people to return
to-morrow night: Atkinson, Wright, Cherry-Garrard, and Keohane.
All are disappointed--poor Wright rather bitterly, I fear. I
dread this necessity of choosing--nothing could be more heartrending.
I calculated our programme to start from 85° 10' with 12
units of food [36] and eight men. We ought to be in this position
to-morrow night, less one day's food. After all our harassing
trouble one cannot but be satisfied with such a prospect.
Thursday, December 21
Camp 43. Lat.
85° 7'. Long. 163° 4'. Height about 8000 feet. Upon
Glacier Depot. Temp. -2°. We climbed the ice slope this
morning and found a very bad surface on top, as far as crevasses
were concerned. We all had falls into them, Atkinson and Teddy
Evans going down the length of their harness. Evans had rather
a shake up. The rotten ice surface continued for a long way,
though I crossed to and fro towards the land, trying to get
on better ground.
At 12 the wind came from the north,
bringing the inevitable [mist] up the valley and covering us
just as we were in the worst of places. We camped for lunch,
and were obliged to wait two and a half hours for a clearance.
Then the sun began to struggle through and we were off. We soon
got out of the worst crevasses and on to a long snow slope leading
on part of Mount Darwin. It was a very long stiff pull up, and
I held on till 7.30, when, the other team being some way astern,
I camped. We have done a good march, risen to a satisfactory
altitude, and reached a good place for our depot. To-morrow
we start with our fullest summit load, and the first march should
show us the possibilities of our achievement. The temperature
has dropped below zero, but to-night it is so calm and bright
that one feels delightfully warm and comfortable in the tent.
Such weather helps greatly in all the sorting arrangements, &c.,
which are going on to-night. For me it is an immense relief
to have the indefatigable little Bowers to see to all detail
arrangements of this sort.
We have risen a great height
to-day and I hope it will not be necessary to go down again,
but it looks as though we must dip a bit even to go to the south-west.
'December 21, 1911. Lat. 85° S. We are struggling on,
considering all things, against odds. The weather is a constant
anxiety, otherwise arrangements are working exactly as planned.
'For your own ear also, I am exceedingly fit and can go
with the best of them.
'It is a pity the luck doesn't
come our way, because every detail of equipment is right.
'I write this sitting in our tent waiting for the fog to
clear--an exasperating position as we are in the worst crevassed
region. Teddy Evans and Atkinson were down to the length of
their harness this morning, and we have all been half-way down.
As first man I get first chance, and it's decidedly exciting
not knowing which step will give way. Still all this is interesting
enough if one could only go on.
'Since writing the above
I made a dash for it, got out of the valley out of the fog and
away from crevasses. So here we are practically on the summit
and up to date in the provision line. We ought to get through.'
CHAPTER XVIII
- THE SUMMIT JOURNEY TO THE POLE