Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/266

inside David's route. Curiously enough, there was hardly any tide crack between the sea ice and the tongue.

Several seals were in sight, but we did not kill any, as I am sure we shall get any amount south of this tongue. The tongue seems to be ice to within 2 feet of the top and the surface is rather a soft snow. Distance 6 miles.

October 21.—Turning out at 5.30 a.m. we depôted all unnecessary gear and started considerably lighter. Should we have to turn back we can always pick this depôt up easily. The day was lovely, but rather warm for pulling, and the surface soft but not bad going. We came across no crevasses and by 3.30 ran down an easy slope to the sea ice. The snow on the latter was rather deep. We lashed the wooden runner sledge on the one with the iron runners and pulled on till about 6, when we camped.

October 22.—A nice morning, but soon after starting a cold southerly wind got up, resulting in several frostbitten noses. We were travelling over pressure well hidden by soft snow. In the afternoon we had some excitement seeing a dark conical object ahead, much the same shape as a tent. As Browning was rather bad, we left him with Dickason and Abbott to rest with the sledges, while Levick, Priestley, and I went on to look at it, but after going about a mile we made it out to be some black grit blown on to a conical piece of ice. On returning to the sledges we pulled in shore to try and get a better surface, but had to camp at 5 p.m. as Browning was so bad. Distance about 6 miles. We are about 1 mile from land, which appears to be low ice-covered foothills.