My companions to-day were excellent; Wilson and Cherry-Garrard if anything the most intelligently and readily helpful.

I begin to think that there is no avoiding the line of cracks running from the Bluff to Cape Crozier, but my hope is that the danger does not extend beyond a mile or two, and that the cracks are narrower on the pony road to Corner Camp.  If eight ponies can cross without accident I do not think there can be great danger.  Certainly we must rigidly adhere to this course on all future journeys.  We must try and plot out the danger line. [14] I begin to be a little anxious about the returning ponies.

I rather think the dogs are being underfed—­they have weakened badly in the last few days—­more than such work ought to entail.  Now they are absolutely ravenous.

Meares has very dry feet.  Whilst we others perspire freely and our skin remains pink and soft his gets horny and scaly.  He amused us greatly to-night by scraping them.  The sound suggested the whittling of a hard wood block and the action was curiously like an attempt to shape the feet to fit the finnesko!

Summary of Marches Made on the Depot Journey

Distances in Geographical Miles.  Variation 152 E.

m.      yds. 
Safety   No. 3 to 4     E.               4      2000
S. 64 E.         4      500   |
4 to 5     S. 77 E.         1      312   | 9.359
S. 60 E.         3      1575  |
5 to 6     S. 48 E.        10      270  Var. 149 1/2 E.
Corner       6 to 7     S.              10      145
7 to 8     S.              ? 11    198
8 to 9     S.              12      325
9 to 10    S.              11      118
Bluff Camp  10 to 11    S.              10      226 Var. 152 1/2 E.
11 to 12    S.              9       150
12 to 13    S.              7       650
13 to 14    S.              7       Bowers 775
14 to 15    S.              8       1450
—–­     ——­
111     610

Return 17th-18th

15 to 12 N. 22 1994 18th-19th 12 to midway between 9 & 10 N. 48 1825 19th-20th Lunch 8 Camp N. 65 1720 19th-20th 7 Camp N. 77 1820 20th-21st N. 30 to 35 W. 93 950 21st-22nd Safety Camp N. & W. 107 1125

Wednesday, February 22.—­Safety Camp.  Got away at 10 again:  surface fairly heavy:  dogs going badly.

The dogs are as thin as rakes; they are ravenous and very tired.  I feel this should not be, and that it is evident that they are underfed.  The ration must be increased next year and we must have some properly thought out diet.  The biscuit alone is not good enough.  Meares is excellent to a point, but ignorant of the conditions here.  One thing is certain, the dogs will never continue to drag heavy loads with men sitting on the sledges; we must all learn to run with the teams and the Russian custom must be dropped.  Meares, I think, rather imagined himself racing to the Pole and back on a dog sledge.  This journey has opened his eyes a good deal.