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154
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION
[September

buried again. After a hard day's work we got our sledges clear, and brought up the tent poles to shorten and repair for sledging. Getting back late we heard that Priestley had found a seal, which he and Browning killed and cut up. There has been great rejoicing to-night, for this will complete our sledging provisions. We served out an extra biscuit for supper. The fine day has made us all impatient to start.

September 19.—Snowing all day, but we had plenty of work to do in the hut, sewing bags and repairing sledge gear. The sea is freezing over again.

September 20.—Priestley and Abbott went over to the depôt moraine to dig for the precious specimens, the rest of us sewing or cutting up meat for the journey. In the afternoon I walked over and joined Priestley. I found them very disappointed, having been digging all day without success. I thought they were digging too far to the westward, so I tried sinking pits at the east end of the drift, and after about half an hour's work, found the specimens. We carried them all to the moraine and stacked them round the bamboo mark. We got back late and found the others cutting up the last bag of sledging meat.

Served out one biscuit and six lumps of sugar each and had seal's brain in the hoosh.

September 21.—A fine morning; Levick and Abbott dug out the last sledge, but had to come back in the afternoon, as it came on to snow and blow hard. I got noon sights for time and found my watch had kept a fairly even rate, which was satisfactory.