Page:Scott's Last Expedition, Volume 2.djvu/61

the wind began to blow in earnest later on, for both drift and dust poured in through every crack between the stones of the weather walls and lee walls without shifting any of the more bulky packing at all.

Monday, July 17, 1911.—We continued with the hut and spent the whole of available daylight and moonlight in getting on with the walls, which were all but finished for placing the roof and door. For this we want a calm if possible.

We began work to-day in a light air, but it was blowing again with force 3 from the S.W. from noon onwards, and the temp. all day varied between −19·5° and −23·3°. The sky was overcast. [Birdie was very disappointed that we could not finish the whole thing that day, but there was a lot to do yet, and we were tired out. We turned out early the next day to try and get the roof on, but it was blowing hard. (Tuesday, 18th.) When we got to the top we did some digging, &c., but it was quite impossible to try and get the roof on, and we had to leave it. We realised this day that it blew much harder at the top of the slope than where our tent was pitched. It was bitterly cold up there that morning.]

Over Ross Sea are now two open leads of water like broad irregular streets extending from the Cape Crozier cliffs away to the N.E. and lying more or less parallel to one another.

Tuesday, July 18, 1911.—No leads or open water were visible to-day over Ross Sea. The temp., −26·5° to −27·3°, with S.S.W. wind of force 4 to 5 all day, made work almost impossible at the hut. We got everything