The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-04-05

have been working. The storm has
already cost US five days. Its effects
be a serious matter. Otherwise every
hope to ind better conditions as we
sarily dependent on the weather and
the season thus far has been very un-
Dec. ri. Latitude SIS Degrees Min
utes South. Longitude 1s3 Degrees
Minutes East, Height About $500 Feet,
Four Miles South. Thirty West Of
Mount Darwin.-Largely as a result
of the storm reported in my last dis
patch, the lower reaches of the glacier
Men ON ii foot sank ,o the kn sei Al eash
step. II would have been quite i'm
possible to advance had we not pulled
on skis. AS 1t was the runner sur
face Of the sledges proved inadequate.
They frequently sank to crossbars, re-
curing to be extracted with standing
pulls. For four days we struggled in
this morass. scarcely advancing five
miles day, although working ten to
twelve hours. 1t is difficult to pitch
face. On the fifth day the surface
grew n little harder, and We were able
to push on. still pulling on skis we
mountain until the 9TH, SO that the
snow cost US a weeks advance.
since the lsth Thy we haze srn.s been able
up from thirteen to twenty-three stat
ute miles per day. BY program ar
ranged push from Ine satin
alleI with eight men and twelve units
Of provisions but I hoped to reserve
a margin over this. As we stand we
program and should have a good
chance of getting through. The wealth
er continues unsatisfactory. We had
occasions. We are getting intermit.
tent fog in this most creviced part of
the glacier. Everybody is in the best
1t has been most difficult to select
the returning party OF four who car
ries this note Our position consti-
plete depots have been established on
the homeward route. The track of the
barrier Is bs we'll marked dor WitG snow
are Scott. Lieut. Evans. Wilson. Bow
ers: oats. Lashley. Petty officer Evans
Jan. 3, 1912. Latitude 81 Minutes. 80
Degrees. Height $500 Feet.-After
| leaving the upper glacier depot, south
two days This did not keep us clear
OF pressure ridges and crevices which
! occurred frequently at first and gave
titude. Probably the difficuIt places
! were more snow covered than further
eastward: The advantage of this
| and fourth days. when. owing to our
altitude. we got a splendid view of
distribution OF land masses fringing
, the ice sheet and the arm OF ice falls.
Since leaving the depot our marches
have averaged over fifteen statute
, miles day. On Christmas day we
the prospect of Christmas fare gave
MS an excellent march. seventeen miles.
following day. The surface grew more
difficult as we approached the s7th
parallel on New Years eve in lati-
tude Sc degrees So minutes we depos-
tied there a unit procession and re-
built our sledges with new short run
ners, which remarkable piece of work
i mo Hf I'm Nah D. hA ma nf ha
party under adverse conditions. AL
though IL cost us nearly days march,
the change amply repaid US. We have
been able to keep up our average and
| Pole.
am going forward with party
Lieut.. Evans. The names and descrip-
tions OF the advance party are: Capt.
tihc staff, Capt. oats, Inniskilling
dragons. In charge Of the ponies and
mules: Lieut.. Bowers, Royal India
fcer Evans. II; H., in charge of sledges
and equipment.
The advance guard goes forward
! prospects OF success good. providing
the weather. holds and no unforeseen
| obstacles arise. 1t has been yerv diff
ncult to choose the advance party. as
| everyone was lit and able 10 go for
ward. Those wro return are natural
ly much disap. ointed. Everyone has
| worked HIS hardest. The weather on
| the plateau has been good as a whole.
| The sun has never deSerte us. but
| the temperatures are low nov. about
minus 20 degrees. and the wind pretty
| constant: however. we are eXcellently
| equipped for such conditions and the
| wind undoubtedly improves the sur
: face and so far has worked out very
/ satisfactorily. II is more than prob
able that no further news will he re-
| ceived from us this year. Our return
| must necessarily he late.
| (Signed) Robert l.. Scott.
| Lieut. Pencil expressed the utmost
| confidence in the ultimate success Of
Capt. Scott and his party and declared
| that the scientific work being per-
| formed 10y the expedition was of an
| extremely valuable character. In ad-
| dition to the southern party, the Terra
! Nova was compelled. owing to the bad
| lee conditions. to leave behind Lieut..
| Camphclrs party, who were landed at
! Drygalsky Barrier and thence sledged
/ into the interior. Both parties, how
| ever. were fully prepared for this era-
! Urgency, says the commander OF the
/ Terra Nova. and no alarm need be
felt for their safety. The two geolog-
| teal expeditions of the west coast have
| produced good results. coal and fossils
| which latter had not been discovered
before being found. The health of the
| members of the expedition is excel
( lent. the only exception being Capt.
| Evans, who is convalescing from sour
vey. The Terra Nova returns south in
! November next
| ROBERT r. SCOTT.