Sunday, February 26.—­Lunch Temp. -17 deg..  Sky overcast at start, but able see tracks and cairn distinct at long distance.  Did a little better, 6 1/2 miles to date.  Bowers and Wilson now in front.  Find great relief pulling behind with no necessity to keep attention on track.  Very cold nights now and cold feet starting march, as day footgear doesn’t dry at all.  We are doing well on our food, but we ought to have yet more.  I hope the next depot, now only 50 miles, will find us with enough surplus to open out.  The fuel shortage still an anxiety.

R. 40.  Temp. -21 deg.  Nine hours’ solid marching has given us 11 1/2 miles.  Only 43 miles from the next depot.  Wonderfully fine weather but cold, very cold.  Nothing dries and we get our feet cold too often.  We want more food yet and especially more fat.  Fuel is woefully short.  We can scarcely hope to get a better surface at this season, but I wish we could have some help from the wind, though it might shake us badly if the temp. didn’t rise.

Monday, February 27.—­Desperately cold last night:  -33 deg. when we got up, with -37 deg. minimum.  Some suffering from cold feet, but all got good rest.  We must open out on food soon.  But we have done 7 miles this morning and hope for some 5 this afternoon.  Overcast sky and good surface till now, when sun shows again.  It is good to be marching the cairns up, but there is still much to be anxious about.  We talk of little but food, except after meals.  Land disappearing in satisfactory manner.  Pray God we have no further set-backs.  We are naturally always discussing possibility of meeting dogs, where and when, &c.  It is a critical position.  We may find ourselves in safety at next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt.

Camp R. 41.  Temp. -32 deg..  Still fine clear weather but very cold—­absolutely calm to-night.  We have got off an excellent march for these days (12.2) and are much earlier than usual in our bags. 31 miles to depot, 3 days’ fuel at a pinch, and 6 days’ food.  Things begin to look a little better; we can open out a little on food from to-morrow night, I think.

Very curious surface—­soft recent sastrugi which sink underfoot, and between, a sort of flaky crust with large crystals beneath.

Tuesday, February 28.—­Lunch.  Thermometer went below -40 deg. last night; it was desperately cold for us, but we had a fair night.  I decided to slightly increase food; the effect is undoubtedly good.  Started marching in -32 deg. with a slight north-westerly breeze—­blighting.  Many cold feet this morning; long time over foot gear, but we are earlier.  Shall camp earlier and get the chance of a good night, if not the reality.  Things must be critical till we reach the depot, and the more I think of matters, the more I anticipate their remaining so after that event.  Only 24 1/2 miles from the depot.  The sun shines brightly, but there is little warmth in it.  There is no doubt the middle of the Barrier is a pretty awful locality.