Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/216

least two days' more work to make it big enough for us, but it is a shelter from the wind, which we can hear roaring outside. We spent the day chipping away at the ice walls and floor. As a matter of fact our 'hut' is only a cave dug into the snow drift, and our roof is of hard snow about 3 feet thick, while the walls and floor are of ice. As snow is a better insulator than ice, we shall line the walls with snow blocks and pack the space between the snow and ice with seaweed. The floor will be of a layer of small pebbles on the ice, with seaweed on top of that; then our tent cloths are spread on the seaweed.

March 19.—A very heavy gale is blowing, but this no longer interferes with our work, and the hut has grown to quite a respectable size.

Our craving for biscuit is growing awful. We do not like this meat diet. In the afternoon the wind moderated a little, but the squalls were still heavy. About 6 p.m. we heard voices outside, and Levick and his party arrived without sleeping-bags and all pretty well frostbitten. They had had a bad time, their tent poles having been broken in a squall, and their tent blown to rags. They had piled rocks on the rest of their gear and then came over to look for us. After reviving them with hoosh, we spent a most uncomfortable night, sleeping two in each bag.

Levick was my partner. My bag was, luckily, a good one, and nothing split, but I should not care to repeat the experience.

March 20.—Luckily the weather had improved enough for Levick's party to get their bags and gear over. The rest of us worked at the hut.