Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2nd January, 1912

Camp 55
Height about 9980.

The foot party went off early, before 8, and marched till 1. Again from 2:35 to 6:30. We started more than half an hour later on each march and caught the others easy. It's been a plod for the foot people and pretty easygoing for us, and we have covered 13 miles.

The sky is slightly overcast for the first time since we left the glacier'; the sun can be seen already through a veil of stratus, and blue sky around the horizon. I hope the clouds do not mean wind or a bad surface. The latter became poor towards the end of the afternoon. We have not risen much today and the plain seems to be flattening out. A skua gull visited us on the march this afternoon—it was evidently curious, kept alighting on the snow ahead. and fluttering a few yards as we approached. It seemed to have had little food—an extraordinary visitor considering our distance from the sea.

Have been doing a lot of thinking about which of us will be going on with me to the Pole. I know that for two years I have been planning on a group of four; indeed, all of our provisions and equipment are designed for that—but I'm just now thinking of taking five. That won't effect us much, will it?

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