ckaxe, one
pair of big spiked boots and some odd clothing. We also decided, as
the probability of leisure was not great, to leave our reading matter
behind. It was with regret that I added my little 'Virginibus Puerisque'
to the small pile of "rejects." The load now amounted to seven hundred
and forty-eight pounds in all. Not many days after, the floor-cloth
(eight pounds) was left behind, as the japara sail afforded ample
protection from damp in the low temperatures of the plateau.

The dip-circle, which was to yield the most important result of our
journey, was housed after much thought on a conveniently shaped kerosene
tray between the tins of oil. Four light leather straps, buckled
tightly, made a solid mass of tray, oil tins, and dip-circle; very safe,
and easy to undo.

My orders were to proceed inland, due south, taking magnetic,
geographical, meteorological, and such other observations as were
possible, returning to the Hut not later than January 15. Dr. Mawson had
left it to my discretion, in the event of any great change occurring in
the declination, to go either true or magnetic south.

At the Hut and up to about sixty miles south of it, the declination had
proved fairly constant, but now at the Southern Cross Depot, as we
had christened the sixty-seven-mile camp, the compass, from pointing a
little to the east of south, had travelled to 40 degrees east of
south, so that it became obvious that there was considerable magnetic
disturbance in the country over which we were travelling. Whether
we went south or south-east seemed unlikely to affect the value of
geographical and other information we might gather, while Webb was of
the opinion that the best magnetic results would be obtained by
marching directly towards the Magnetic Pole, particularly if there were
disturbances over the intervening area. For these reasons the course was
maintained magnetic south.

At 11 A.M. on Sunday, November 24, we moved off to the south-east in a
wind of fifty miles an hour. The light was bad, and steering had to be
done by sastrugi and wind. However, momentary glimpses of the sun served
to check the course. The lunch camp was five miles from the depot, and
a good mound with a top of black bunting was left there. At almost every
halt, thus far on our journey, the snow cut for pitching the tent had
been gathered up into a mound which, in addition to forming a landmark,
could often be used as a back-mark for checking the course