5th January 1912.

We were up and off this morning, the weather being fine but the surface is about the same, the temperature keeps low.  We have got to change our pulling billets.  Crean has become snow-blind to-day through being leader, so I shall have the job to-morrow, as Mr. Evans seems to get blind rather quickly, so if I lead and he directs me from behind we ought to get along pretty well.  I hope my eyes will keep alright.  We made good 17 miles and camped.

    6th January 1912.

We are making good progress on the surface we have to contend with.  We picked up the 3 Degree Depot soon after noon, which puts us up to time.  We took our provision for a week.  We have got to reach Mt.  Darwin Depot, a distance of 120 miles, with 7 days’ provisions.  We picked up our ski and camped for the night.  We have been wondering if the others have got the same wind as us.  If so it is right in their face, whereas it is at our back, a treat to what it is facing it.  Crean’s eyes are pretty bad to-night.  Snow-blindness is an awful complaint, and no one I can assure you looks forward with pleasure when it begins to attack.

    7th January 1912.

We have had a very good day as far as travelling goes, the wind has been behind us and is a great help to us.  We have been on ski all day for the first time.  It seems a good change to footing it, the one thing day after day gets on one’s nerves.  Crean’s eyes are a bit better to-day, but far from being well.  The temperature is pretty low, which dont improve the surface for hauling, but we seem to be getting along pretty well.  We have no sledge meter so we have to go by guess.  Mr. Evans says we done 171/2 miles, but I say 161/2.  I am not going to over-estimate our day’s run, as I am taking charge of the biscuits so that we dont over-step the mark.  This we have all agreed to so that we should exactly know how we stand, from day to day.  I am still leading, not very nice as the light is bad.  We caught a glimpse of the land to the east of us, but could only have been a mirage.

    8th January 1912.

On turning out this morning we found it was blowing a bliz. so it was almost a case of having to remain in camp, but on second thoughts we thought it best to kick off as we cant afford to lay up on account of food, so thought it best to push on.  I wonder if the Pole Party have experienced this.  If so they could not travel as it would be in their face, where we have got it at our back.  We have lost the outward bound track, so have decided to make a straight line to Mt.  Darwin, which will be on Shackleton’s course according to his and Wild’s Diary.

[Each of the three parties which went forward up the Beardmore Glacier carried extracts from the above diaries.  Wild was Shackleton’s right-hand man in his Southern Journey in 1908.]

    9th January 1912.

Travelling is very difficult, bad light and still blizzing; it would have been impossible to keep in touch with the cairns in this weather.  I am giving 12 miles to-night.  The weather have moderated a bit and looks a bit more promising.  Can see land at times.