us. Then we picked up the
memorable camp where I transferred to the advance party. How glad I was
to change over. The camp was much drifted up and immense sastrugi were
everywhere, S.S.E. in direction and S.E. We did 10.4 miles before lunch.
I was breaking back on sledge and controlling; it was beastly cold and my
hands were perished. In the afternoon I put on my dogskin mitts and was
far more comfortable. A stiff breeze with drift continues: temperature
-25 deg.. Thank God our days of having to face it are over. We completed 19.5
miles [22 statute] this evening, and so are only 29 miles from our
precious [Three Degree] Depot. It will be bad luck indeed if we do not
get there in a march and a half anyhow."[325]

Nineteen miles again on January 30, but during the previous day's march
Wilson had strained a tendon in his leg. "I got a nasty bruise on the
Tib[ialis] ant[icus] which gave me great pain all the afternoon." "My
left leg exceedingly painful all day, so I gave Birdie my ski and hobbled
alongside the sledge on foot. The whole of the Tibialis anticus is
swollen and tight, and full of teno synovitis, and the skin red and
oedematous over the shin. But we made a very fine march with the help of
a brisk breeze." January 31: "Again walking by the sledge with swollen
leg but not nearly so painful. We had 5.8 miles to go to reach our Three
Degree Depot. Picked this up with a week's provision and a line from
Evans, and then for lunch an extra biscuit each, making 4 for lunch and
1/10 whack of butter extra as well. Afternoon we passed cairn where
Birdie's ski had been left. These we picked up and came on till 7.30 P.M.
when the wind which had been very light all day dropped, and with temp.
-20 deg. it felt delightfully warm and sunny and clear. We have 1/10 extra
pemmican in the hoosh now also. My leg pretty swollen again
to-night."[326] They travelled 13.5 miles that day, and 15.7 on the next.
"My leg much more comfortable, gave me no pain, and I was able to pull
all day, holding on to the sledge. Still some oedema. We came down a
hundred feet or so to-day on a fairly steep gradient."[327]

They were now approaching the crevassed surfaces and the ice-falls which
mark the entrance to the Beardmore Glacier, and February 2 was marked by
another accident, this time to Scott. "On a very slippery surface I came
an awful 'purler' on my shoulder. It is horribly sore to-night and
another sick person added to our tent--three out of