formed over them. It looks as though this sandy snow was drifted about like sand from place to place. How account for the present state of our three day old tracks and the month old ones of the Norwegians?
It is warmer and pleasanter marching with the wind, but I'm not sure we don't feel the cold more when we stop and camp than we did on the outward march. We pick up our cairns easily, and ought to do so right through, I think; but, of course, one will be a bit anxious till the Three Degree Depôt is reached.[1] I'm afraid the return journey is going to be dreadfully tiring and monotonous.
Saturday, January 20.—Lunch camp, 9810. We have come along very well this morning, although the surface was terrible bad—9·3 miles in 5 hours 20 m. This has brought us to our Southern Depôt, and we pick up 4 days' food. We carry on 7 days from to-night with 55 miles to go to the Half Degree Depôt made on January 10. The same sort of weather and a little more wind, sail drawing well.
Night Camp R. 3. 9860. Temp. −18°. It was blowing quite hard and drifting when we started our afternoon march. At first with full sail we went along at a great rate; then we got on to an extraordinary surface, the drifting snow lying in heaps; it clung to the ski, which could only be pushed forward with an effort. The pulling was really awful, but we went steadily on and camped a short wav beyond our cairn of the 14th. I'm afraid we are in for a bad pull again to-morrow, luckily the wind
- ↑ Still over 150 miles away. They had marched 7 miles on the homeward track the first afternoon, 18½ the second day.
