20 Scott came into our tent after supper and told us that the
first return party would be Atkinson (in charge), Wright, Cherry-Garrard,
and Keohane, and that they would turn back after the next day's march.
We were all very sad, but each one thus detailed loyally abided by the
decision of our chief. I worked till nearly midnight getting out copy of
route and bearings for Wright to navigate back on.

Here is a specimen page of my diary:

"_December_ 21.

"Out at 5.45 a.m. and away at 8. Had a very heavy pull up steep slope
close to S.E. point of Buckley Island. Passed over many crevasses and
dropped into some. Once I fell right down in a bottomless chasm to
the length of my harness. I was pulled out by the others, Bowers and
Cherry helping with their Alpine rope. Not hurt but amused. All of us
dropped often to our waists and Atkinson completely disappeared once,
but we got him out. We got into a very bad place at noon, and a fog
coming on had to stop and lunch as one could not see far. This has
been our worst day for crevasses up to now, some of them are 100 feet
across, but well bridged.

"It was very cold, with a sharp southerly wind when we started, but
later on got quite warm. We rose 1130 feet in the forenoon and made 5
miles 1565 yards up to lunch. We started again at 3 o'clock, and the
fog lifting, we made a good march for the day: 11 miles 200 yards
geographical (Stat. 12 miles 1388 yards). In the afternoon we had a
very heavy drag and did not camp till 7.30 p.m., about 4 miles S. 30
degrees W. of Mount Darwin (summit), Latitude 85 degrees 7 minutes S.,
Longitude 163 degrees 4 minutes E.

"Our height above the Barrier is 7750 feet by aneroid.

"Had a fine hoosh with a full pannikin of pony meat added to celebrate
our 'De-tenting,' which takes place to-morrow morning. We make a depot
here with half a week's provision for two parties."

We repacked the sledges after breakfast. This place was called the Upper
Glacier Depot--and it marked the commencement of the third and final
stage of the Poleward Journey. We said good-bye to Atkinson's party, and
they started down the Glacier after depositing the foodstuffs they had
sledged up the Beardmore for the Polar Party and the last supporting
party. Atkinson and his tent-mates now had to face a homeward march of
584 miles. They spent Christmas Day collecting geological specimens, and
reached Cap