Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 1.djvu/269

1911] Obs. Hill < Knoll 80½°; Mt. Terror N. 4 W.; Obs. Hill N. 69 W.]

Saturday, February 4, 8, 1911.—Camp 6. A satisfactory night march, covering 10 miles and some hundreds of yards.

Roused party at 10, when it was blowing quite hard from the S.E., with temperature below zero. It looked as though we should have a pretty cold start, but by the end of breakfast the wind had dropped and the sun shone forth.

Started on a bad surface—ponies plunging a good deal for 2 miles or so, Bowers' ‘Uncle Bill’ walking steadily on his snow-shoes. After this the surface improved and the marching became steadier. We camped for lunch after 5 miles. Going still better in the afternoon, except that we crossed several crevasses. Oates' pony dropped his legs into two of these and sank into one—oddly the other ponies escaped and we were the last. Some 2 miles from our present position the cracks appeared to cease, and in the last march we have got on to quite a hard surface on which the ponies drag their loads with great ease. This part seems to be swept by the winds which so continually sweep round Cape Crozier, and therefore it is doubtful if it extends far to the south, but for the present the going should be good. Had bright moonshine for the march, but now the sky has clouded and it looks threatening to the south. I think we may have a blizzard, though the wind is northerly at present.

The ponies are in very good form; ‘James Pigg’ remarkably recovered from his lameness.