awful.  I recalled all hands and pointed out my road.  Bowers and Oates went out on it with a sledge and worked their way to the remaining ponies, and started back with them on the same track.  Meanwhile Cherry and I dug a road at the Barrier edge.  We saved one pony; for a time I thought we should get both, but Bowers’ poor animal slipped at a jump and plunged into the water:  we dragged him out on some brash ice—­killer whales all about us in an intense state of excitement.  The poor animal couldn’t rise, and the only merciful thing was to kill it.  These incidents were too terrible.

At 5 P.M. we sadly broke our temporary camp and marched back to the one I had first pitched.  Even here it seemed unsafe, so I walked nearly two miles to discover cracks:  I could find none, and we turned in about midnight.

So here we are ready to start our sad journey to Hut Point.  Everything out of joint with the loss of the ponies, but mercifully with all the party alive and well.

Saturday, March 4, A.M.—­We had a terrible pull at the start yesterday, taking four hours to cover some three miles to march on the line between Safety Camp and Fodder Depot.  From there Bowers went to Safety Camp and found my notes to Evans had been taken.  We dragged on after lunch to the place where my tent had been pitched when Wilson first met me and where we had left our ski and other loads.  All these had gone.  We found sledge tracks leading in towards the land and at length marks of a pony’s hoofs.  We followed these and some ski tracks right into the land, coming at length to the highest of the Pram Point ridges.  I decided to camp here, and as we unpacked I saw four figures approaching.  They proved to be Evans and his party.  They had ascended towards Castle Rock on Friday and found a good camp site on top of the Ridge.  They were in good condition.  It was a relief to hear they had found a good road up.  They went back to their camp later, dragging one of our sledges and a light load.  Atkinson is to go to Hut Point this morning to tell Wilson about us.  The rest ought to meet us and help us up the hill—­just off to march up the hill, hoping to avoid trouble with the pony._14_

Sunday, March 5, A.M.—­Marched up the hill to Evans’ Camp under Castle Rock.  Evans’ party came to meet us and helped us up with the loads—­it was a steep, stiff pull; the pony was led up by Oates.  As we camped for lunch Atkinson and Gran appeared, the former having been to Hut Point to carry news of the relief.  I sent Gran on to Safety Camp to fetch some sugar and chocolate, left Evans, Oates, and Keohane in camp, and marched on with remaining six to Hut Point.  It was calm at Evans’ Camp, but blowing hard on the hill and harder at Hut Point.  Found the hut in comparative order and slept there.

CHAPTER VII

At Discovery Hut