DIFFICULTIES CONTINUE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 79, 2 April 1912, Page 3

DIFFICULTIES CONTINUE.

STRUGGLING IN TERRIBLY SOFT SNOW FIVE MILES A DAY. ' December 21. Latitude 85.7 South. Longitude 163.4 east. Height, about 6800 feet. Four miles South. 30 West of Mt. Darwin. Largely as the result of the storm reported in my last despatch, the lower reaches of the glacier were filled with terribly soft snow. The men on foot sank to the knees each step. It would have been quite impossible to advance had we not pulled on the ski. As it was tho runner surface of the sledges proved inadequate. They frequently sank to' the crossbars, requiring to be extricated with standing pulls. For four days we struggled in this morass, scarcely advancing five miles a day, although working ten to eleven hours. It was difficult to pitch camp and load sledges on such a surface. ,0n the fifth day the, surface grew a little harder and we were able to push on, still pulling on the ski. We did not get to Cloudmaker Mountain till the seventeenth so that the storm cost us a week's advance. Since the sixteenth we have been able to make very good marches, working Tip from 13 to 23 statute miles a day. By programme I arranged to push on from the 85th parallel with eight men and twelve units of provisions, but I hoped to reserve a margin over this. As we stand we- are only half a day's food short on the programme, arid we should have a good chance of getting through. The weather continues ' unsatisfactory. / We had to march without sight of kyid on occasions. We are getting inte^ftiittent fog in this most crevaeewl .part of the glacier, { > Everybody is in the best oi health and high spirits* It has been <fncwt difficult to select -the returning party- of .four which, carries this note. This position constitutes our upper glacier depot. Complete depots have been established on the homewarcj route. The track on the barrier is weK parked by snow cairns. going forward are Scott, Lieutenant Evans, Wilson, Bowers, Oates, Lassie/. Petty Officer Evans, and Creaa.