22/03/04 20:50:46.88 0.net
Sunday, March 4. – Lunch.
Things looking very black indeed.
As usual we forgot our trouble last night, got into our bags, slept splendidly on good hoosh, woke and had another, and started marching.
Sun shining brightly, tracks clear, but surface covered with sandy frost-rime.
All the morning we had to pull with all our strength, and in 4½ hours we covered 3½ miles.
Last night it was overcast and thick, surface bad; this morning sun shining and surface as bad as ever.
One has little to hope for except perhaps strong dry wind – an unlikely contingency at this time of year.
Under the immediate surface crystals is a hard sastrugi surface, which must have been excellent for pulling a week or two ago.
We are about 42 miles from the next depôt and have a week’s food, but only about 3 to 4 days’ fuel – we are as economical of the latter as one can possibly be, and we cannot afford to save food and pull as we are pulling.
We are in a very tight place indeed, but none of us despondent yet, or at least we preserve every semblance of good cheer, but one’s heart sinks as the sledge stops dead at some sastrugi behind which the surface sand lies thickly heaped.
For the moment the temperature is on the -20° – an improvement which makes us much more comfortable, but a colder snap is bound to come again soon.
I fear that Oates at least will weather such an event very poorly.
Providence to our aid!
We can expect little from man now except the possibility of extra food at the next depôt.
It will be real bad if we get there and find the same shortage of oil.
Shall we get there? Such a short distance it would have appeared to us on the summit!
I don’t know what I should do if Wilson and Bowers weren’t so determinedly cheerful over things.