Sunday, February 26.—­Marched on Corner Camp, but second main party found going very hard and eventually got off their ski and pulled on foot.  James Pigg also found the surface bad, so we camped and had lunch after doing 3 miles.

Except for our tent the camp routine is slack.  Shall have to tell people that we are out on business, not picnicking.  It was another 3 miles to depot after lunch.  Found signs of Bowers’ party having camped there and glad to see five pony walls.  Left six full weeks’ provision:  1 bag of oats, 3/4 of a bale of fodder.  Then Cherry-Garrard, Crean, and I started for home, leaving the others to bring the pony by slow stages.  We covered 6 1/4 miles in direct line, then had some tea and marched another 8.  We must be less than 10 miles from Safety Camp.  Pitched tent at 10 P.M., very dark for cooking.

Monday, February 27.—­Awoke to find it blowing a howling blizzard—­absolutely confined to tent at present—­to step outside is to be covered with drift in a minute.  We have managed to get our cooking things inside and have had a meal.  Very anxious about the ponies—­am wondering where they can be.  The return party [15] has had two days and may have got them into some shelter—­but more probably they were not expecting this blow—­I wasn’t.  The wind is blowing force 8 or 9; heavy gusts straining the tent; the temperature is evidently quite low.  This is poor luck.

Tuesday, February 28.—­Safety Camp.  Packed up at 6 A.M. and marched into Safety Camp.  Found everyone very cold and depressed.  Wilson and Meares had had continuous bad weather since we left, Bowers and Oates since their arrival.  The blizzard had raged for two days.  The animals looked in a sorry condition but all were alive.  The wind blew keen and cold from the east.  There could be no advantage in waiting here, and soon all arrangements were made for a general shift to Hut Point.  Packing took a long time.  The snowfall had been prodigious, and parts of the sledges were 3 or 4 feet under drift.  About 4 o’clock the two dog teams got safely away.  Then the pony party prepared to go.  As the clothes were stripped from the ponies the ravages of the blizzard became evident.  The animals without exception were terribly emaciated, and Weary Willy was in a pitiable condition.

The plan was for the ponies to follow the dog tracks, our small party to start last and get in front of the ponies on the sea ice.  I was very anxious about the sea ice passage owing to the spread of the water holes.

The ponies started, but Weary Willy, tethered last without a load, immediately fell down.  We tried to get him up and he made efforts, but was too exhausted.

Then we rapidly reorganised.  Cherry-Garrard and Crean went on whilst Oates and Gran stayed with me.  We made desperate efforts to save the poor creature, got him once more on his legs and gave him a hot oat mash.  Then after a wait of an hour Oates led him off, and we packed the sledge and followed on ski; 500 yards away from the camp the poor creature fell again and I felt it was the last effort.  We camped, built a snow wall round him, and did all we possibly could to get him on his feet.  Every effort was fruitless, though the poor thing made pitiful struggles.  Towards midnight we propped him up as comfortably as we could and went to bed.