29 January, 1912

Temperature: - 25. Height: 10,000 feet.

Excellent march of 19 1/2 miles. Wild helped greatly, considerable drift, tracks for the most part, very plain. Some time before lunch we picked up the return track of the returning party, so that there are now three distinct sledge impressions. We are only 24 miles from our depot—an easy day and a half. Given a fine day tomorrow we ought to get it without difficulty. If the weather holds we ought to do the rest of the inland ice journey in little over a week.

The surface very much altered since we passed out. The loose snow has been swept into heaps, hard and wind-tossed. The rest has a glazed appearance, the loose drifting snow no doubt acting on it, polishing it like a sand blast. The sledge with our good wind behind runs splendidly on it; it is all soft and sandy beneath the glaze.

We are certainly getting hungrier every day. The day after tomorrow we should be able to increase allowances. It is monotonous work, but, thank God, the miles are coming fast at last. We ought not to be delayed much now with the down-grade in front of us.

Bowers doesn't seem to be writing in his journal tonight. He usually does like clockwork. I wonder why he has stopped? Evans looks miserable and keeps grimacing.