another forty-eight hours. They were now running short of oil for warming
and cooking purposes, but the little party won through after a very rough
march full of horrible hardships and discomforts, and reached Cape Evans
on the 1st August, when they had faced the dreadful winter weather
conditions on the cruel Ice Barrier for five weeks. What forlorn objects
they did look: it was pathetic to see them as they staggered into the
hut. Wilson, when he could give a collected account of what he and his
party had faced, was loud in the praise of Birdy and Cherry.

The party were examined by Atkinson, who gave some direction and advice
concerning their immediate diet--they seemed to want bread, butter, and
jam most, and the little loaves provided by Clissold disappeared with
extraordinary speed. They were suffering from want of sleep, but were all
right in a few days. One of the remarkable features of this journey was
the increase of weights due to ice collecting in their sleeping-bags,
gear and equipment. Their three bags, which weighed forty-seven pounds on
leaving Cape Evans, had increased their weight to one hundred and
eighteen at the conclusion of the trip. Other weights increased in the
same proportion, and the sledge had dragged very heavily in consequence.

The three men when they arrived were almost encased with ice, and I well
remember undressing poor Wilson in the cubicle which he and I shared. His
clothes had almost to be cut off him.

From this journey, as stated, we evolved the final sledging ration for
the Summit, it was to consist of:

16 ozs. biscuit.
12 " pemmican.
3 " sugar.