les. All were stiff next day, and no wonder; a march
of twenty-eight miles after lying low for seventeen days is a very
strenuous day's work.

Preparations were made on October 28 for the main eastern summer
journey, the object of which was to survey as much coast-line as
possible and at the same time to carry on geological work, surveying and
magnetics. The party was to consist of Kennedy, Watson and myself.

Jones, Dovers and Hoadley were to start on the main western journey on
November 2. I arranged that Harrisson and Moyes should remain at the
Hut, the latter to carry on meteorological work, and Harrisson biology
and sketching. Later, Harrisson proposed to accompany me as far as the
Hippo depot, bringing the dogs and providing a supporting party. At
first I did not like the idea, as he would have to travel one hundred
miles alone, but he showed me that he could erect a tent by himself
and, as summer and better weather were in sight, I agreed that he should
come.

Each party was taking fourteen weeks' provisions, and I had an
additional four weeks' supply for Harrisson and the dogs. My total load
came to nine hundred and seventy pounds; the dogs pulling four hundred
pounds with the assistance of one man and three of us dragging five
hundred and seventy pounds.

CHAPTER XXI THE WESTERN BASE--BLOCKED ON THE SHELF-ICE

by F. Wild

We started away on the main eastern journey with a spurt of eleven miles
on a calm and cloudless day, intending to follow our former track over
the shelf-ice to the Hippo Nunatak. The surface varied; soft patches
putting a steady brake on the ardour of the first, fresh hours of
marching.

In the afternoon, it was only necessary to wear a shirt, singlet, heavy
pyjama trousers, finnesko and socks, and even then one perspired freely.
The temperature stood at 17 degrees F. The dogs pulled their load well,
requiring help only over loose snow.

The evening of Friday November 1, 1912, saw us past Masson Island
and about ten miles from the mainland. All day there had been a chill
easterly breeze, the temperature being well below zero. The sky was hazy
with cirro-stratus and a fine halo "ringed" the sun.

Looking out from the tent in the morning we saw that the clouds were
dense and lowering, but the breezes were light and variable until 5
P.M., when an east-north-east wind arose, bringing snow in its train.
Travelling through foggy drift, we could just ascertain that the Bay
of Winds