Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/238

light the blubber stove. We lost our depôt of sledging meat under the new snow, and although we knew its position to within a few yards it took us a week's digging before we found it.

August 10.—To-day we celebrated the return of the sun, but needless to say we did not see him, owing to a heavy gale. We made merry to-night over brain and liver hoosh, two biscuits, six lumps of sugar, and a stick of chocolate, finishing up with sweet cocoa.

We have built up a high chimney, using snow blocks, seal skins, and an old biscuit tin, and we get much less smoke inside now.

August 13.—The wind, which had eased in the early morning, began to freshen about 10. In spite of the gale, Abbott, Browning, and myself started over to the depôt sledge in Arrival Bay. Before we got half-way across the bay the wind and drift came down, shutting out everything; but we kept on and reached the depôt, leaving a note in case a relief party came up. Each of us carried back a load of oil, or of mending material for repairing sledging gear.

On our way back we saw the rays of the sun over the tops of the hills, and this made us feel very cheerful.

August 14.—Blowing hard all night, but eased in the forenoon. Priestley managed to pick the brain out of one of the frozen seal carcases. I walked up the ridge at the back of the hut and had the first view of the sun. He was shining through a pink haze of drift and looked lovely. We stood blinking at each other for some time and then a frozen nose sent me home.