Saturday, February 10.—­R. 24.  Lunch Temp. +12 deg.; Supper Temp. +10 deg..  Got off a good morning march in spite of keeping too far east and getting in rough, cracked ice.  Had a splendid night sleep, showing great change in all faces, so didn’t get away till 10 A.M.  Lunched just before 3.  After lunch the land began to be obscured.  We held a course for 2 1/2 hours with difficulty, then the sun disappeared, and snow drove in our faces with northerly wind—­very warm and impossible to steer, so camped.  After supper, still very thick all round, but sun showing and less snow falling.  The fallen snow crystals are quite feathery like thistledown.  We have two full days’ food left, and though our position is uncertain, we are certainly within two outward marches from the middle glacier depot.  However, if the weather doesn’t clear by to-morrow, we must either march blindly on or reduce food.  It is very trying.  Another night to make up arrears of sleep.  The ice crystals that first fell this afternoon were very large.  Now the sky is clearer overhead, the temperature has fallen slightly, and the crystals are minute.

Sunday, February 11.—­R. 25.  Lunch Temp. -6.5 deg.; Supper -3.5 deg..  The worst day we have had during the trip and greatly owing to our own fault.  We started on a wretched surface with light S.W. wind, sail set, and pulling on ski—­horrible light, which made everything look fantastic.  As we went on light got worse, and suddenly we found ourselves in pressure.  Then came the fatal decision to steer east.  We went on for 6 hours, hoping to do a good distance, which in fact I suppose we did, but for the last hour or two we pressed on into a regular trap.  Getting on to a good surface we did not reduce our lunch meal, and thought all going well, but half an hour after lunch we got into the worst ice mess I have ever been in.  For three hours we plunged on on ski, first thinking we were too much to the right, then too much to the left; meanwhile the disturbance got worse and my spirits received a very rude shock.  There were times when it seemed almost impossible to find a way out of the awful turmoil in which we found ourselves.  At length, arguing that there must be a way on our left, we plunged in that direction.  It got worse, harder, more icy and crevassed.  We could not manage our ski and pulled on foot, falling into crevasses every minute—­most luckily no bad accident.  At length we saw a smoother slope towards the land, pushed for it, but knew it was a woefully long way from us.  The turmoil changed in character, irregular crevassed surface giving way to huge chasms, closely packed and most difficult to cross.  It was very heavy work, but we had grown desperate.  We won through at 10 P.M. and I write after 12 hours on the march.  I think we are on or about the right track now, but we are still a good number of miles from the depot, so we reduced rations to-night.  We had three pemmican meals left and decided to make them into four.  To-morrow’s lunch must serve for two if we do not make big progress.  It was a test of our endurance on the march and our fitness with small supper.  We have come through well.  A good wind has come down the glacier which is clearing the sky and surface.  Pray God the wind holds to-morrow.  Short sleep to-night and off first thing, I hope.