“February 1.—­We turned out at 7.30 p.m., and after a meal broke camp.  We made a relay of two and a half miles.  The sledge-meter stopped during this relay.  Perhaps that is the cause of our mileage not showing.  We covered seven and a half miles in order to bring the load two and a half miles.  After lunch we decided, as the surface was getting better, to make a shot at travelling with the whole load.  It was a back-breaking job.  Wild led the team, while Smith and I pulled in harness.  The great trouble is to get the sledge started after the many unavoidable stops.  We managed to cover one mile.  This even is better than relaying.  We then camped—­the dogs being entirely done up, poor brutes.

“February 2.—­We were awakened this afternoon, while in our bags, by hearing Joyce’s dogs barking.  They have done well and have caught us up.  Joyce’s voice was heard presently, asking us the time.  He is managing the full load.  We issued a challenge to race him to the Bluff, which he accepted.  When we turned out at 6.30 p.m. his camp was seen about three miles ahead.  About 8 p.m., after our hoosh, we made a start, and reached Joyce’s camp at 1 a.m.  The dogs had been pulling well, seeing the camp ahead, but when we arrived off it they were not inclined to go on.  After a little persuasion and struggle we got off, but not for long.  This starting business is terrible work.  We have to shake the sledge and its big load while we shout to the dogs to start.  If they do not pull together it is useless.  When we get the sledge going we are on tenter-hooks lest it stop again on the next soft slope, and this often occurs.  Sledging is real hard work; but we are getting along.”

The surface was better on February 2, and the party covered six miles without relaying.  They camped in soft snow, and when they started the next day they were two hours relaying over one hundred and fifty yards.  Then they got into Joyce’s track and found the going better.  Mackintosh overtook Joyce on the morning of February 4 and went ahead, his party breaking trail during the next march.  They covered ten miles on the night of the 4th.  One dog had “chucked his hand in” on the march, and Mackintosh mentions that he intended to increase the dogs’ allowance of food.  The surface was harder, and during the night of February 5 Mackintosh covered eleven miles twenty-five yards, but he finished with two dogs on the sledge.  Joyce was travelling by day, so that the parties passed one another daily on the march.

A blizzard came from the south on February 10 and the parties were confined to their tents for over twenty-four hours.  The weather moderated on the morning of the next day, and at 11 a.m.  Mackintosh camped beside Joyce and proceeded to rearrange the parties.  One of his dogs had died on the 9th, and several others had ceased to be worth much for pulling.  He had decided to take the best dogs from the two teams and continue the march with Joyce