1 P.M. motors reported off Razor Back Island, nearly 3 miles out—­come, come!

Thursday, October 26.—­Couldn’t see the motors yesterday till I walked well out on the South Bay, when I discovered them with glasses off the Glacier Tongue.  There had been a strong wind in the forenoon, but it seemed to me they ought to have got further—­annoyingly the telephone gave no news from Hut Point, evidently something was wrong.  After dinner Simpson and Gran started for Hut Point.

This morning Simpson has just rung up.  He says the motors are in difficulties with the surface.  The trouble is just that which I noted as alarming on Monday—­the chains slip on the very light snow covering of hard ice.  The engines are working well, and all goes well when the machines get on to snow.

I have organised a party of eight men including myself, and we are just off to see what can be done to help.

Friday, October 27.—­We were away by 10.30 yesterday.  Walked to the Glacier Tongue with gloomy forebodings; but for one gust a beautifully bright inspiriting day.  Seals were about and were frequently mistaken for the motors.  As we approached the Glacier Tongue, however, and became more alive to such mistakes, we realised that the motors were not in sight.  At first I thought they must have sought better surface on the other side of the Tongue, but this theory was soon demolished and we were puzzled to know what had happened.  At length walking onward they were descried far away over the floe towards Hut Point; soon after we saw good firm tracks over a snow surface, a pleasant change from the double tracks and slipper places we had seen on the bare ice.  Our spirits went up at once, for it was not only evident that the machines were going, but that they were negotiating a very rough surface without difficulty.  We marched on and overtook them about 2 1/2 miles from Hut Point, passing Simpson and Gran returning to Cape Evans.  From the motors we learnt that things were going pretty well.  The engines were working well when once in tune, but the cylinders, especially the two after ones, tended to get too hot, whilst the fan or wind playing on the carburetter tended to make it too cold.  The trouble was to get a balance between the two, and this is effected by starting up the engines, then stopping and covering them and allowing the heat to spread by conductivity—­of course, a rather clumsy device.  We camped ahead of the motors as they camped for lunch.  Directly after, Lashly brought his machine along on low gear and without difficulty ran it on to Cape Armitage.  Meanwhile Day was having trouble with some bad surface; we had offered help and been refused, and with Evans alone his difficulties grew, whilst the wind sprang up and the snow started to drift.  We had walked into the hut and found Meares, but now we all came out again.  I sent for Lashly and Hooper and went back to help Day along.  We had exasperating delays