Since it had been decided to lighten the ponies’ weights, we left at least 100 lbs. of pony forage behind when we started from One Ton on the night of November 16-17 on our first 13-mile march.  This was a distinct saving, and instead of 695 lbs. each with which the six stronger ponies left Corner Camp, they now pulled only 625 lbs.  Jehu had only 455 lbs. and Chinaman 448 lbs.  The dog-teams had 860 lbs. of pony food between them, and according to plan the two teams were to carry 1570 lbs. from One Ton between them.  These weights included the sledges, with straps and fittings, which weighed about 45 lbs.

Summer seemed long in coming for we marched into a considerable breeze and the temperature was -18 deg..  Oates and Seaman Evans had quite a crop of frost-bites.  I pointed out to Meares that his nose was gone; but he left it, saying that he had got tired of it, and it would thaw out by and by.  The ponies were going better for their rest.  The next day’s march was over crusty snow with a layer of loose powdery snow at the top, and a temperature of -21 deg. was chilly.  Towards the end of it Scott got frightened that the ponies were not going as well as they should.  Another council of war was held, and it was decided that an average of thirteen miles a day must be done at all costs, and that another sack of forage should be dumped here, putting the ponies on short rations later, if necessary.  Oates agreed, but said the ponies were going better than he expected:  that Jehu and Chinaman might go a week, and almost certainly would go three days.  Bowers was always against this dumping.  Meanwhile Scott wrote:  “It’s touch and go whether we scrape up to the glacier; meanwhile we get along somehow."[201]

[Illustration:  PARHELIA—­E.  A. Wilson, del.]

As a result of one of Christopher’s tantrums Bowers records that his sledge-meter was carried away this morning:  “I took my sledge-meter into the tent after breakfast and rigged up a fancy lashing with raw hide thongs so as to give it the necessary play with security.  A splendid parhelia exhibition was caused by the ice-crystals.  Round the sun was a 22 deg. halo [that is a halo 22 deg. from the sun’s image], with four mock suns in rainbow colours, and outside this another halo in complete rainbow colours.  Above the sun were the arcs of two other circles touching these halos, and the arcs of the great all-round circle could be seen faintly on either side.  Below was a dome-shaped glare of white which contained an exaggerated mock sun, which was as dazzling as the sun himself.  Altogether a fine example of a pretty common phenomenon down here.”  And the next day:  “We saw the party ahead in inverted mirage some distance above their heads.”