s blankly white and a sense
of oppression is inevitable.

The temperature fell to -15 deg. last night, with a clear sky; it rose
to 0 deg. directly the sky covered and is now just 16 deg. to 20 deg.. Most of
us are using goggles with glass of light green tint. We find this
colour very grateful to the eyes, and as a rule it is possible to
see everything through them even more clearly than with naked vision.

The hard sastrugi are now all from the W.S.W. and our cairns are
drifted up by winds from that direction; mostly, though, there has
evidently been a range of snow-bearing winds round to south. This
observation holds from Corner Camp to this camp, showing that
apparently all along the coast the wind comes from the land. The
minimum thermometer left here shows -73 deg., rather less than expected;
it has been excellently exposed and evidently not at all drifted up
with snow at any time. I cannot find the oats I scattered here--rather
fear the drift has covered them, but other evidences show that the
snow deposit has been very small.

_Thursday, November_ 16.--Camp 12. Resting. A stiff little southerly
breeze all day, dropping towards evening. The temperature -15 deg.. Ponies
pretty comfortable in rugs and behind good walls. We have reorganised
the loads, taking on about 580 lbs. with the stronger ponies, 400
odd with the others.

_Friday, November_ 17.--Camp 13. Atkinson started about 8.30. We came
on about 11, the whole of the remainder. The lunch camp was 7 1/2
miles. Atkinson left as we came in. He was an hour before us at the
final camp, 13 1/4 (geo.) miles. On the whole, and considering the
weights, the ponies did very well, but the surface was comparatively
good. Christopher showed signs of trouble at start, but was coaxed
into position for the traces to be hooked. There was some ice on his
runner and he had a very heavy drag, therefore a good deal done on
arrival; also his load seems heavier and deader than the others. It
is early days to wonder whether the little beasts will last; one can
only hope they will, but the weakness of breeding and age is showing
itself already.

The crocks have done wonderfully, so there is really no saying how long
or well the fitter animals may go. We had a horribly cold wind on the
march. Temp. -18 deg., force 3. The sun was shining but seemed to make
little difference. It is still shining brightly, temp. 11 deg.. Behind
the pony walls it is wonderfully warm and the animals l