uppose these were normal March conditions in the middle of the
Barrier, where no one had ever been at this time of year. I believe now
they are normal: on the other hand, in our meteorological report Simpson
argues that they were abnormal for the Barrier at this time of year.[264]

Since there was no depot of dog-food at One Ton it was not possible to go
farther South (except for the one day mentioned above) without killing
dogs. My orders on this point were perfectly explicit; I saw no reason
for disobeying them, and indeed it appeared that we had been wrong to
hurry out so soon, before the time that Scott had reckoned that he would
return, and that the Polar Party would really come in at the time Scott
had calculated before starting rather than at the time we had reckoned
from the data brought back by the Last Return Party.

From the particulars already given it will be seen that I had no reason
to suspect that the Polar Party could be in want of food. The Polar Party
of five men had according to our rations plenty of food either on their
sledge or in the depots. In addition they had a lot of pony meat depoted
at Middle Glacier Depot and onwards from there. Though we did not know
it, the death of Evans at the foot of the Beardmore Glacier provided an
additional amount of food for the four men who were then left. The full
amount of oil for this food had been left in the depots; but we know now
what we did not know then, that some of it had evaporated. These matters
are discussed in greater detail in the account of the return of the Polar
Party and after.[265]

Thus I felt little anxiety for the Polar Party. But I was getting anxious
about my companion. Soon after arrival at One Ton it was clear that
Dimitri was feeling the cold. He complained of his head; then his right
arm and side were affected; and from this time onwards he found that he
could do less and less with his right side. Still I did not worry much
about it, and my decision as to our movements was not affected by this
complication. I decided to allow eight days' food for our return, which
meant that we must start on March 10.

"_March 10._ Pretty cold night: -33 deg. when we turned out at 8 A.M.
Getting our gear together, and the dogs more or less into order after
their six days was cold work, and we started in minus thirties and a head
wind. The dogs were mad,--stark, staring lunatics. Dimitri's team wrecked
my sledge-meter, and I left it lying on the gr