r an hour's spell we started again, luckily seeing just enough of
the sun to check the course. The wind grew stronger in the afternoon and
several times dense fog-banks drove down on us. Meeting one steep rise,
we sidled round it for what seemed hours, but my chief memory of that
afternoon was of the clouds of the northern horizon. They were a deep
bluish-grey colour--a typical "water-sky"--but I have never seen clouds
moving so fast. It was like trying to steer by one particular phase in a
kaleidoscope. When all were satisfied that twenty miles had been covered
we camped.

Dinner consisted of a very watery hoosh, followed up by a mug of alcohol
and water. We were all very thankful for the forethought of Dr. Mawson
in providing absolute alcohol for lighting the primus, instead of
methylated spirit.

Breakfast on the 9th was of about the same consistency as dinner on the
night before, except that cocoa replaced the alcohol. In fact, breakfast
was possibly even more watery, as I was in charge of the food-bag and
surreptitiously decided to make the rations last six days instead of
five.

This was the worst day's march of the journey. The wind was booming
along at sixty miles per hour with dense drift and falling snow. What
made it worse was that it came from the south-east, forcing us to pull
partly across it. I was the upwind wheeler and had to hitch on to the
side of the sledge to reduce the leeway as much as possible. The sledge
was being continually jammed into big, old, invisible sastrugi and we
fell about in the wind until crampons became absolutely necessary.

At 4 P.M. we were disgusted to find that the wind had veered to
south-by-east. So for possibly several hours we had been doing Heaven
only knows how many times the amount of work necessary, and for any time
up to four hours might have been marching three points off our course.
Being blown straight downwind, the sledge made rapid progress, and about
6 P.M. a halt was called for lunch. This was over almost as soon as
it was begun, but we had a good rest, sheltering ourselves with the
floor-cloth from the wind which blew through the tent.

Off again, we "plugged" away until midnight when we were much surprised
to find the usual snow surface merging into blue ice. The tent was
pitched on the latter, snow being procured from the bridge of a crevasse
as we had no pick: even the ice-axe having been left behind.

Turning out on the morning of the 10th, we were d