“At lunch Birdie made the disastrous discovery that the registering dial of his sledge-meter was off.  A screw had shaken out on the bumpy ice, and the clockwork had fallen off.  This is serious for it means that one of the three returning parties will have to go without, and their navigation will be much more difficult.  Birdie is very upset, especially after all the trouble he has taken with it, and the hours which he has sat up.  After lunch he and Bill walked back near two miles in the tracks, but could not see it.  It was then getting very thick, coming over from the north."[240] “It appeared to be blizzing down the glacier, though clear to the south.  The northerly wind drove up a back-draught of snow, and very soon fogged us completely.  However we found our way back to camp by the crampon tracks on the blue ice and then packed up to leave."[241]

“We started, making a course to hit the east side of the island where there seems to be the only break in the ice-falls which stretch right across.  The weather lifted, and we are now camped with the island just to our right, the long strata of coal showing plainly in it, and just in front of us is this steep bit up through the falls.  We have done nearly 23 statute miles to-day, pulling 160 lbs. a man.

“This evening has been rather a shock.  As I was getting my finnesko on to the top of my ski beyond the tent Scott came up to me, and said that he was afraid he had rather a blow for me.  Of course I knew what he was going to say, but could hardly grasp that I was going back—­to-morrow night.  The returning party is to be Atch, Silas, Keohane and self.

[Illustration:  NIGHT CAMP.  BUCKLEY ISLAND—­December 20, 1911]

“Scott was very put about, said he had been thinking a lot about it but had come to the conclusion that the seamen with their special knowledge, would be needed:  to rebuild the sledge, I suppose.  Wilson told me it was a toss-up whether Titus or I should go on:  that being so I think Titus will help him more than I can.  I said all I could think of—­he seemed so cut up about it, saying ‘I think, somehow, it is specially hard on you.’  I said I hoped I had not disappointed him, and he caught hold of me and said ‘No—­no—­No,’ so if that is the case all is well.  He told me that at the bottom of the glacier he was hardly expecting to go on himself:  I don’t know what the trouble is, but his foot is troubling him, and also, I think, indigestion."[242]

Scott just says in his diary, “I dreaded this necessity of choosing—­nothing could be more heartrending.”  And then he goes on to sum up the situation, “I calculated our programme to start from 85 deg. 10’ with 12 units of food and eight men.  We ought to be in this position to-morrow night, less one day’s food.  After all our harassing trouble one cannot but be satisfied with such a prospect."[243]

December 21.  Upper Glacier Depot.  “Started off with a nippy S.Wly. wind in our faces, but bright sunshine.  One’s nose and lips being chapped and much skinned with alternate heat and cold, a breeze in the face is absolute agony until you warm up.  This does not take long, however, when pulling a sledge, so after the first quarter of an hour more or less one is comfortable unless the wind is very strong.