relief to us all when the last man was passed down in safety, it was
Scott himself.

We quickly harnessed up again and swung out over the sea ice towards
Glacier Tongue, the cliffs of which stood out in a hard, white line to
the northward, a couple of miles away. Arrived at the Tongue, Bowers and
I clambered up a ten-foot cliff face by standing on Wright's and Crean's
shoulders. We then reached down and hauled up the sledges and the others,
harnessed up again, and proceeded to cross the Glacier, which was full of
small crevasses. We reached the northern side of it and went down an easy
snow slope to the sea ice beyond. As far as one could see this ice
continued right up to and around Cape Evans, seven miles away to the N.W.
It was now 6.30 p.m.; Scott halted us and discussed our readiness to make
a night march into the winter quarters. There was not one dissentient
voice, and we gladly started off at 8 o'clock for a night march to our
snug and comfortable hut, picturing to ourselves a supper of all things
luxurious. Our feet seemed suddenly to have taken wings, but, alas, the
supper was not to be, for thick weather set in, and when, by 10 o'clock
the wind was blowing hard and it was pitch dark, Scott suddenly decided
to camp under the shelter of Little Razorback Island, where by that time
we had arrived. We passed a filthy night here, for the snow on the sea
ice was saturated with brine and, in no time, our sleeping-bags became
wet and sticky.

Next day we were called at six to find a blizzard with a high drift
making it impossible to move, so we remained in our bags until 4 p.m.,
when we shifted on to the narrow platform of rock situated on the south
side of Little Razorback. We had one small meal here, but our condition
was not a pleasant one, since little food remained and fuel was short.
There was undoubtedly a chance that the sea ice would break up and drift