Camp 59.  Lat. 88 deg. 7’.  Height 10,430-10,510.  Rise of barometer?  T.-22.5 deg..  Minimum -25.8 deg..  Morning.  Fearfully hard pull again, and when we had marched about an hour we discovered that a sleeping-bag had fallen off the sledge.  We had to go back and carry it on.  It cost us over an hour and disorganised our party.  We have only covered 10 1/2 miles (geo.) and it’s been about the hardest pull we’ve had.  We think of leaving our ski here, mainly because of risk of breakage.  Over the sastrugi it is all up and down hill, and the covering of ice crystals prevents the sledge from gliding even on the down-grade.  The sastrugi, I fear, have come to stay, and we must be prepared for heavy marching, but in two days I hope to lighten loads with a depot.  We are south of Shackleton’s last camp, so, I suppose, have made the most southerly camp.

Sunday, January 7.—­Height 10,560.  Lunch.  Temp. -21.3 deg..  The vicissitudes of this work are bewildering.  Last night we decided to leave our ski on account of the sastrugi.  This morning we marched out a mile in 40 min. and the sastrugi gradually disappeared.  I kept debating the ski question and at this point stopped, and after discussion we went back and fetched the ski; it cost us 1 1/2 hours nearly.  Marching again, I found to my horror we could scarcely move the sledge on ski; the first hour was awful owing to the wretched coating of loose sandy snow.  However, we persisted, and towards the latter end of our tiring march we began to make better progress, but the work is still awfully heavy.  I must stick to the ski after this.

Afternoon.  Camp 60 deg..  T. -23 deg..  Height 10,570.  Obs.:  Lat. 88 deg. 18’ 40’’ S.; Long. 157 deg. 21’ E.; Var. 179 deg. 15’ W. Very heavy pulling still, but did 5 miles (geo.) in over four hours.

This is the shortest march we have made on the summit, but there is excuse.  Still, there is no doubt if things remained as they are we could not keep up the strain of such marching for long.  Things, however, luckily will not remain as they are.  To-morrow we depot a week’s provision, lightening altogether about 100 lbs.  This afternoon the welcome southerly wind returned and is now blowing force 2 to 3.  I cannot but think it will improve the surface.

The sastrugi are very much diminished, and those from the south seem to be overpowering those from the S.E.  Cloud travelled rapidly over from the south this afternoon, and the surface was covered with sandy crystals; these were not so bad as the ‘bearded’ sastrugi, and oddly enough the wind and drift only gradually obliterate these striking formations.  We have scarcely risen at all to-day, and the plain looks very flat.  It doesn’t look as though there were more rises ahead, and one could not wish for a better surface if only the crystal deposit would disappear or harden up.  I am awfully glad we have hung on to the ski; hard as the marching is, it is far less tiring on ski.  Bowers has a heavy time on foot, but nothing seems to tire him.  Evans has a nasty cut on his hand (sledge-making).  I hope it won’t give trouble.  Our food continues to amply satisfy.  What luck to have hit on such an excellent ration.  We really are an excellently found party.