10th January 1912.

The light is still very bad, with a good deal of drift, but we must push on as we are a long way from our depot, but we hope to reach it before our provisions run out.  I am keeping a good eye on them.  Crean’s eyes have got alright again now.

    11th January 1912.

Things are a bit better to-day.  Could see the land alright and where to steer for.  It is so nice to have something to look at, but I am thinking we shall all have our work cut out to reach the depot before our provisions run short.  I am deducting a small portion each meal so that we shall not have to go without altogether if we don’t bring up at the proper time.  Have done about 14 miles.

    12th January 1912.

The day has been full of adventure.  At first we got into some very rough stuff, with plenty of crevasses.  Had to get rid of the ski and put our thinking cap on, as we had not got under way long before we were at the top of some ice-falls; these probably are what Shackleton spoke of.  We could see it meant a descent of 600/700 feet, or make a big circuit, which meant a lot of time and a big delay, and this we cant afford just now, so we decided on the descent into the valley.  This proved a difficult task, as we had no crampons, having left them at Mt.  Darwin Depot; but we managed after a time by getting hold of the sledge each side and allowing her to run into a big lump of pressure which was we knew a risky thing to do.  It took us up to lunch time to reach the valley, where we camped for lunch, where we all felt greatly relieved, having accomplished the thing safely, no damage to ourselves or the sledge, but we lost one of Crean’s ski sticks.  Some of the crevasses we crossed were 100 to 200 feet wide, but well bridged in the centre, but the edges were very dangerous indeed.  This is where the snow and ice begins to roll down the glacier.  After starting on our way again we found we had to climb the hill.  Things dont look very nice ahead again to-night.  We dont seem to be more than a day’s run from the depot, but it will surprise me if we reach it by to-morrow night; if not we shall have to go on short rations, as our supply is nearly run out, and we have not lost any time, but we knew on starting we had to average 151/2 miles per day to reach it in time.

    13th January 1912.

This has been a very bad day for us, what with ice-falls and crevasses.  We feel all full up to-night.  The strain is tremendous some days.  We are camped, but not at the depot, but we hope to pick it up some time to-morrow.  We shall be glad to get off the Summit, as the temperature is very low.  We expected the party would have reached the Pole yesterday, providing they had anything of luck.

[Scott reached the Pole on January 17.]

    14th January 1912.