Impressions

It is pathetic to see the ponies floundering in the soft patches.  The first sink is a shock to them and seems to brace them to action.  Thus they generally try to rush through when they feel themselves sticking.  If the patch is small they land snorting and agitated on the harder surface with much effort.  And if the patch is extensive they plunge on gamely until exhausted.  Most of them after a bit plunge forward with both forefeet together, making a series of jumps and bringing the sledge behind them with jerks.  This is, of course, terribly tiring for them.  Now and again they have to stop, and it is horrid to see them half engulfed in the snow, panting and heaving from the strain.  Now and again one falls and lies trembling and temporarily exhausted.  It must be terribly trying for them, but it is wonderful to see how soon they recover their strength.  The quiet, lazy ponies have a much better time than the eager ones when such troubles arise.

The soft snow which gave the trouble is evidently in the hollow of one of the big waves that continue through the pressure ridges at Cape Crozier towards the Bluff.  There are probably more of these waves, though we crossed several during the last part of the march—­so far it seems that the soft parts are in patches only and do not extend the whole length of the hollow.  Our course is to pick a way with the sure-footed beasts and keep the others back till the road has been tested.

What extraordinary uncertainties this work exhibits!  Every day some new fact comes to light—­some new obstacle which threatens the gravest obstruction.  I suppose this is the reason which makes the game so well worth playing.

Impressions

The more I think of our sledging outfit the more certain I am that we have arrived at something near a perfect equipment for civilised man under such conditions.

The border line between necessity and luxury is vague enough.

We might save weight at the expense of comfort, but all possible saving would amount to but a mere fraction of one’s loads.  Supposing it were a grim struggle for existence and we were forced to drop everything but the barest necessities, the total saving on this three weeks’ journey would be: 

                                        lbs. 
        Fuel for cooking 100
        Cooking apparatus 45
        Personal clothing, &c., say 100
        Tent, say 30
        Instruments, &c. 100
                                        —–­
                                        375

This is half of one of ten sledge loads, or about one-twentieth of the total weight carried.  If this is the only part of our weights which under any conceivable circumstances could be included in the category of luxuries, it follows the sacrifice to comfort is negligible.  Certainly we could not have increased our mileage by making such a sacrifice.