South Bay in similar fashion, then turn
out to the Razor Back and search there. Next Wright, Gran, and Lashly
set out for the bergs to look thoroughly about them and from thence
pass round and examine Inaccessible Island. After these parties got
away, Meares and Debenham started with a lantern to search to and fro
over the surface of our promontory. Simpson and Oates went out in a
direct line over the Northern floe to the 'Archibald' thermometer,
whilst Ponting and Taylor re-examined the tide crack towards the
Barne Glacier. Meanwhile Day went to and fro Wind Vane Hill to light
at intervals upon its crest bundles of tow well soaked in petrol. At
length Clissold and I were left alone in the hut, and as the hours went
by I grew ever more alarmed. It was impossible for me to conceive how
an able man could have failed to return to the hut before this or by
any means found shelter in such clothing in such weather. Atkinson had
started for a point a little more than a mile away; at 10.30 he had
been five hours away; what conclusion could be drawn? And yet I felt
it most difficult to imagine an accident on open floe with no worse
pitfall than a shallow crack or steep-sided snow drift. At least I
could feel that every spot which was likely to be the scene of such an
accident would be searched. Thus 11 o'clock came without change, then
11.30 with its 6 hours of absence. But at 11.45 I heard voices from
the Cape, and presently the adventure ended to my extreme relief when
Meares and Debenham led our wanderer home. He was badly frostbitten
in the hand and less seriously on the face, and though a good deal
confused, as men always are on such occasions, he was otherwise well.

His tale is confused, but as far as one can gather he did not go more
than a quarter of a mile in the direction of the thermometer screen
before he decided to turn back. He then tried to walk with the wind
a little on one side on the bearing he had originally observed, and
after some time stumbled on an old fish trap hole, which he knew to
be 200 yards from the Cape. He made this 200 yards in the direction
he supposed correct, and found nothing. In such a situation had he
turned east he must have hit the land somewhere close to the hut and
so found his way to it. The fact that he did not, but attempted to
wander straight on, is clear evidence of the mental condition caused
by that situation. There can be no doubt that in a blizzard a man has
not only to safeg