Hut Point._ A beautiful day. We finished digging out the
stable for the mules this morning and brought in some blubber this
afternoon. The Bluff has its cap on, but otherwise the sky is nearly
clear: there is a little cumulus between White Island and the Bluff, the
first I have seen this year on the Barrier. It is most noticeable how
much snow has disappeared off the rocks and shingle here.

_October 29. Hut Point._ The mule party, under Wright, consisting of
Gran, Nelson, Crean, Hooper, Williamson, Keohane and Lashly, left Cape
Evans at 10.30 and arrived here at 5 P.M. after a good march in perfect
weather. They leave Debenham and Archer at the hut, and I am afraid it
will be dull work for them the next three months. Archer turned out early
and made some cakes which they have brought with them. They camped for
lunch seven miles from Cape Evans.

[Illustration: THE MULE PARTY LEAVES CAPE EVANS--October 29, 1912]

This is the start of the Search Journey. Everything which forethought can
do has been done, and to a point twelve miles south of Corner Camp the
mules will be travelling light owing to the depots which have been laid.
The barometer has been falling the last few days and is now low, while
the Bluff is overcast. Yet it does not look like blizzard to come. Two
Adelie penguins, the first, came to Cape Evans yesterday, and a skua was
seen there on the 24th: so summer is really here.

_October 30. Hut Point._ It is now 8 P.M., and the mules are just off,
looking very fit, keeping well together, and giving no trouble at the
start. Their leaders turned in this afternoon, and to-night begins the
new routine of night marching, just the same as last year. It did look
thick on the Barrier this afternoon, and it was quite a question whether
it was advisable for them to start. But it is rolling away now, being
apparently only fog, which is now disappearing before some wind, or
perhaps because the sun is losing its power. I think they will have a
good march.

_November 2_, 5 A.M. _Biscuit Depot._ Atkinson, Dimitri and I, with two
dog-teams, left Hut Point last night at 8.30. We have had a coldish
night's run, -21 deg. when we left after lunch, -17 deg. now. The surface was
very heavy for the dogs, there being a soft coating of snow over
everything since we last came this way, due no doubt to the foggy days we
have been having lately. The sledge-meter makes it nearly 16 miles.

The mule party has two days' start on us, an