r, tumultuous and broken, was seen to extend far out into the
frozen sea and, sweeping round to the north-east, the eye ranged over
a great expanse of floe-ice dotted with bergs. To the east there was
a precipitous coastline of dark rock which for a while we thought of
visiting. But then it seemed likely that Madigan's party would reach
as far east, so we set our faces once more to the rising plateau in the
south-east.

At midnight the sun was peering over the southern sky-line, and we
halted at an elevation of one thousand five hundred and fifty feet,
having covered eight and a half miles in the day. The temperature was 5
degrees F.

"December 3.--We were not long on the way before the sky became overcast
and light snow fell. The surface was becoming flatter. Camp was pitched
at 11 P.M. after eleven and two-thirds miles.

"December 4.--Another day of bad light but the surface improved and good
headway was made on an easterly course at an elevation of between
two thousand and two thousand eight hundred feet. The crevasses were
practically past. The day's march was fifteen miles.

"December 5.--A bad day; overcast, snowing and a gale of wind from the
east-south-east. However, we plugged on blindly into it until 7.30 P.M.
and then camped, having done eleven and a half miles.

"December 6, 7 and 8.--During these days a dense blizzard raged, the
wind reaching seventy miles per hour. There was nothing to do but lie
in our bags and think out plans for the future. Each morning Ninnis and
Mertz took it in turns to go out and feed their charges, who were snugly
buried in the deep snow.

"One day in the sleeping-bag does not come amiss after long marches,
but three days on end is enough to bore any one thoroughly.

"Ninnis was not so badly off with a volume of Thackeray, but Mertz
had come to the end of a small edition of 'Sherlock Holmes' when
blizzard-bound near Aladdin's Cave, and his only diversion on these days
was to recite passages from memory for our mutual benefit."

I was troubled with an inflammation in the face just at this time, while
Ninnis suffered pain owing to a "whitlow" on one of his fingers.

As usual the food ration was reduced. This caused us to have more than
ordinarily vivid dreams. I happened to be awake one night when Ninnis
was sledging in imagination, vociferously shouting, "Hike, hike," to the
dogs; our equivalent of the usual "Mush, mush."

Despite considerable wind and drift we got away a