w.

_Friday, March_ 31.--I studied the wind blowing along the ridge
yesterday and came to the conclusion that a comparatively thin shaft of
air was moving along the ridge from Erebus. On either side of the ridge
it seemed to pour down from the ridge itself--there was practically
no wind on the sea ice off Pram Point, and to the westward of Hut
Point the frost smoke was drifting to the N.W. The temperature ranges
about zero. It seems to be almost certain that the perpetual wind is
due to the open winter. Meanwhile the sea refuses to freeze over.

Wright pointed out the very critical point which zero temperature
represents in the freezing of salt water, being the freezing
temperature of concentrated brine--a very few degrees above or below
zero would make all the difference to the rate of increase of the
ice thickness.

Yesterday the ice was 8 inches in places east of Cape Armitage and 6
inches in our Bay: it was said to be fast to the south of the Glacier
Tongue well beyond Turtleback Island and to the north out of the
Islands, except for a strip of water immediately north of the Tongue.

We are good for another week in pretty well every commodity and shall
then have to reduce luxuries. But we have plenty of seal meat, blubber
and biscuit, and can therefore remain for a much longer period if needs
be. Meanwhile the days are growing shorter and the weather colder.

_Saturday, April_ 1.--The wind yesterday was blowing across the Ridge
from the top down on the sea to the west: very little wind on the
eastern slopes and practically none at Pram Point. A seal came up
in our Bay and was killed. Taylor found a number of fish frozen into
the sea ice--he says there are several in a small area.

The pressure ridges in Pram Point Bay are estimated by Wright to
have set up about 3 feet. This ice has been 'in' about ten days. It
is now safe to work pretty well anywhere south of Hut Point.

Went to Third Crater (next Castle Rock) yesterday. The ice seems to
be holding in the near Bay from a point near Hulton Rocks to Glacier;
also in the whole of the North Bay except for a tongue of open water
immediately north of the Glacier.

The wind is the same to-day as yesterday, and the open water apparently
not reduced by a square yard. I'm feeling impatient.

_Sunday, April_ 2, A.M.--Went round Cape Armitage to Pram Point on
sea ice for first time yesterday afternoon. Ice solid everywhere,
except off the Cape, where there are numero