Sunday, December 17, differed from the preceding days, for we got into
huge pressure ridges--we hauled our sledges up these and tobogganed down
the other sides, progressing half the forenoon thus. We wore our
excellent crampons and made lighter work of our loads than we had done
since facing the Beardmore, and now that the summer season was well
advanced the surface snow on the Glacier had mostly disappeared through
the effects of the all day sun added to the early summer winds. The
clouding of our goggles made the crevasses more difficult to spot, and
one or other of the party got legs or feet down pretty often.

This and the following day were precursors to good marches and easy
times. We made the Mid-Glacier Depot in Latitude 84 degrees 33 minutes 6
seconds S., Longitude 169 degrees 22 minutes 2 seconds E., and set
therein one half-week's provision. We marked the depot cairn with bamboo
and red flag to show up against the ice as well as to contrast with the
land. Hitherto only black flags had been employed to mark depots.

The weather and surface were both in our favour at last. It was sunny,
warm, and clear now, and there was nothing to impede us. Wilson did a
large amount of sketching on the Beardmore--his sketches, besides being
wonderful works of art, helped us very much in our surveys.

Fringing the great glittering river of ice were dark granite and dolerite
hills, some were snow-clad and some quite bare, for their steepness
resisted the white cloak of this freezing clime. The new hills were
surveyed, headlands plotted, and names bestowed where Shackleton had not
already done so. Of course we had Shackleton's charts, diaries, and
experience to help us. We often discussed Shackleton's journey, and were
amazed at his fine performance. We always had full rations, which
Shackleton's party never enjoyed at this stage. After December 17 our