lour with pepper and salt.

I also had the pleasure of issuing four biscuits each, or twice the
ration, Meares and Dimitri having given us eight whole biscuits which
they spared from their supply.

The dog drivers were not so ravenous as the man-hauling party, which was
natural, but still it was uncommonly generous of them to give us part of
their ration for nothing.

I made an extra strong whack of cocoa, as we still had some of my private
tea left, so could save cocoa. I brought tea in lieu of tobacco in my
personal bag. At least that night the man-hauling party turned in on full
stomachs.

We were all tired out and asleep in no time, confident and expectant, but
before enjoying the comfort and warmth of our sleeping-bags had an
admiring look at the land stretched out before us, and particular
application of the eye to the Gap or Southern Gateway, which seemed to
say "Come on."

So far on the journey I have not mentioned the word "blizzard" seriously,
for we had not hitherto been hampered severely. The 5th December was in
truth a Black Day for all. Once more the demon of bad luck held the trump
cards against us. Another blizzard started, which tore our chances of any
great success to ribbons--it was the biggest knock-down blow that Scott
sustained in the whole history of his expedition to date. Here he was, a
day's march from the Beardmore Glacier, with fourteen men, in health and
high fettle, with dogs, ponies, food, and everything requisite for a
great advance, but it was not to be, our progress was barred for four
whole days, and during that period we had essentially to be kept on full
ration, for it would have availed us nothing to lose strength in view of
what we must yet face in the way of physical effort and hardship--we were
but one day's march from Mount Hope, our ponies had to be fed, the dogs
had to be fed, but they could do no work for their food. There was
nothing for it but cheerful resignation. Our tent breakfasted at the
aristocratic hour of 10.15 a.m., and Atkinson and I went out to fill the
cooker afterwards--the drift was terrible and the snow not fine as usual,
but in big flakes driving in a hard wind from S.S.E. It was not very
cold, perhaps it would have helped things later if it had been. Our tents
quickly snowed up for nearly three feet to leeward. In the camp we could
only sleep and eat, the tent space became more and more congested, and
those lying closest to the walls of the tents were