Saturday, February 11.—­No. 10 Camp.  Bearings:  Lat. 78 deg. 47’.  Bluff S. 79 W.; Left extreme Bluff 65 deg.; Bluff A White Island near Sound. 11 miles.  Covered 6 and 5 miles between halts.  The surface has got a good deal softer.  In the next two marches we should know more certainly, but it looks as though the conditions to the south will not be so good as those we have had hitherto.

Blossom, Evans’ pony, has very small hoofs and found the going very bad.  It is less a question of load than one of walking, and there is no doubt that some form of snow-shoe would help greatly.  The question is, what form?

All the ponies were a little done when we stopped, but the weather is favourable for a good rest; there is no doubt this night marching is the best policy.

Even the dogs found the surface more difficult to-day, but they are pulling very well.  Meares has deposed Osman in favour of Rabchick, as the former was getting either very disobedient or very deaf.  The change appears excellent.  Rabchick leads most obediently.

Mem. for next year.  A stout male bamboo shod with a spike to sound for crevasses.

Sunday, February 12.—­No. 11 Camp. 10 miles.  Depot one Bale of Fodder.  Variation 150 E. South True = N. 30 E. by compass.  The surface is getting decidedly worse.  The ponies sink quite deep every now and again.  We marched 6 1/4 miles before lunch, Blossom dropping considerably behind.  He lagged more on the second march and we halted at 9 miles.  Evans said he might be dragged for another mile and we went on for that distance and camped.

The sky was overcast:  very dark and snowy looking in the south—­very difficult to steer a course.  Mt.  Discovery is in line with the south end of the Bluff from the camp and we are near the 79th parallel.  We must get exact bearings for this is to be called the ‘Bluff Camp’ and should play an important part in the future.  Bearings:  Bluff 36 deg. 13’; Black Island Rht.  Ex.  I have decided to send E. Evans, Forde, and Keohane back with the three weakest ponies which they have been leading.  The remaining five ponies which have been improving in condition will go on for a few days at least, and we must see how near we can come to the 80th parallel.

To-night we have been making all the necessary arrangements for this plan.  Cherry-Garrard is to come into our tent.

Monday, February 13.—­No. 12 Camp. 9 miles 150 yds.  The wind got up from the south with drift before we started yesterday—­all appearance of a blizzard.  But we got away at 12.30 and marched through drift for 7 miles.  It was exceedingly cold at first.  Just at starting the sky cleared in the wonderfully rapid fashion usual in these regions.  We saw that our camp had the southern edge of the base rock of the Bluff in line with Mt.  Discovery, and White Island well clear of the eastern slope of Mt.  Erebus.  A fairly easy alignment to pick up.