Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/123

all agreed that we could not have bettered our clothing. I was foolish in starting with a vest which I had worn some time and which had stretched. A close-fitting vest would have been much warmer. As it was, on the march on the stillest day there seemed to be a draught blowing straight up my back.

Before we had been many days in these very cold temperatures our clothes used to freeze so stiff in a few seconds after stepping outside the tent, that from our waists upwards we could never move our body or heads from that position until they were thawed out again at the next meal. We therefore got into the way of getting frozen in a position which would be most comfortable. Our arms we moved with a good deal of straining, and getting into our harness was always a long job, all three doing one set of harness at a time. We got into the way of doing everything with mits on and very slowly, stopping immediately our hands were going, and restoring the circulation.

Routine.—We used to turn in for at least seven hours. This was the worst part of the day, and breakfast to me became in consequence quite the best meal. Sometimes I used to feel like shouting that it must be time to get up. Getting under weigh in the morning used to take generally a little under four hours, 3½ hours as far as I can remember was good. Going out we had the primus going a large part of the time, though we turned it low after the meal was cooked. In the worst times we used to light the primus while we were in our bags in the morning and keep it going until we were just getting or had got