The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-02

but for the Intervention of south
orly gale. which lasted four days dur
! ing which we did not sight land. al
though only few miles away. The
wind was very violent at times.
. prod'gious amount OF snow fell. and
! we had continually to dig out ponies
and tents. The temperature rose to
plus ), the snow melting Don our
equipment and completely soaking
everything with water. No such pro
lonscd storm has hitherto been re-
corded in these regions In December.
i'ony On snow Shoes.
On the 9th. after the storm
eighteen inches of wet snow covered
the originally soft surface. We could
not have advanced ut all had not the
leading pony worn snow shoes. The
men hauled on skis. II took four
teen hours without II meal to do eight
miles. ~ the first half. tho ponies
We're destroyed. as we had no more
forage tor them.
! To-day We have come through the
pass and descended on Beardinore
Glacier. but only with infinite diff
! iiculty. and after twelve hours work.
The soft snow brought by the storm
continued over the pass. Men on
foot sank TO Their knees and sledgca
sank to their cross bars continually.
could only be lightly laden on such Il
surface. ] send this note by return
, ing teams.
! The party is very fit. but cannot
keep up the hours which we have
been working. The storm has al
ready cost US I'VE days. It's effects
may yet delay us further. which
would be n serious matter other
| wise everything has worked as plan
ned. We hope to ind better t.ondi-
lions as we advance up the glacier.
We are necessarily dependent on the
weather, and the season thus far has
been very unpromising.
I December 81, latitude So degrees Z
{ minutes south. longitude 16S degrees
J 4 minutes east, height about G,Soo feet.
four miles south. thirty west OF Mount
Z Darwin. AI.arGcly as a result of the
storm reported In my last dispatch,
the lower reaches of the glacier We're
! filled with terribly soft snow. Men on
! foot sank to the knee at cnch step.
| It would have been quite impossible
! to advance had We not pulled on skis.
I AZ It was the runner surface OF
4 sledges proved inadequate. They fire.
quently sank TO the cross bars, re-
curing 10 be extracted with standing
pulls For four days We struggled in
] this morass scarcely advancing five
| miles a day, although working ten TO
! eleven hours. 1t is difficult TO pitch
camp and load slcdges on such sur
I lace. on the Illu O1E inc SUI u
grew lI;tlc harder, and We were able
to push on, still pulling on skis We
did not get abreast OF Cioudbrcaker
Mountain until the 18th. 90 that the
snow cost us a weeks ad wnce.
/, Since the 18th VIC nave been able TO
make very good marches. working up
from thirteen to twcuty-three statute
miles per day. By program / arranged
TO push on from the elghty-nfth par
NIL aI ntf lyc IN, -.
OF provisions. but hoped to reserve
a margin over this. AS We stand. We
are only half n days food shor; on
| program. and should have q good
chance of getting through. The wealth
er continues unsatisfactory. We had
to march without sight OF land on oc-
caslons. We are getting intermittent
fog In this mountain-crevasse part
of the glacier, Everybody ia IN che
best OF health and spirits.
| It has been most difficult, 81 select
Tho returning party OF four which car
rics this note. Our position consti-
tutes our upper glacier depot. Com
plete depots have been established on
the homeward route. The track o. the
barrier is well marked with snow
cairns.
The members going forward are;
Scott. Lieutenant Evans. Wilson. Bow
ers. Oats. Lassiey. Petty Oihcer Evans
and Cream.
January 3. 1912, latitude s7.s2
height $500 feet-Aftar leaving the
upper glacier depot, south OF Mount
Darwin, l steered southwest two days
This does not keep Us clear OF pres
sure ridges and crevdsses. which oc-
CURED frequently at hrst and gave US
trouble. but we rose rapidly in slt!-
tudc. Probably the difficult places
were more snow covered than further
eastward The advantage or this
course was mainly felt on the thrc
and fourth days. when. owing to oui
altitude. we got splendid view oi
the distribution OF land masses firing
ing the ice sheet and the arrangement
of Ice falls. Since leaving the depot
our marches have averaged over nj
teen statute miles a day.
Os Christmas day we Mere close III
to the seth parallel. and the prosper
OF Christmas fare gave us an excellent
march-scventeen milos-but the cf-
feet was not SO happy the following
day. Tho surface grew more difficult
as we approached the STth parallel. OF
New Years Eve. In latitude so degree:
Of minutes, We depoted there Il unit OF
provisions and rebuilt CIR sledges viii
new short runners, which remarkable
piece OF work was performed by the
eeamen of the party under advcrs.
conditions Although II cost US nearl!
Il days march, the change amply re
paid us. We have been able TO keel
up our average, and We are now with
In $50. miles of the pole.
Three Are Sent Hnck.
am going forward with party o
five men, sending three back unde
Lieutenant Evans with this note.
The names and descriptions of til
advance party are: Captain Scott, Il. =.
Wilson, chief of the scientific staff
Captain oats, InniskillinS Dragons
in charge OF the ponies and mules
Lieutenant Bowers, Royal Indian Ma
rine. commissarint officer. Petty Office
Evans, r. ~, In charge of sledges an,
equipment
The advance party goes forwar,
with months provisions. ana tn
prospects of smcoegs seem good. pro