Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

sledge. He was bleeding from one or two wounds in the abdomen. A sheathbill
came to collect our scraps and later we saw a single snow petrel.
Charlie was having trouble with his ski-bindings, so Derek and I hauled about
half way on our own, as far as the west side of Schist Point, and pitched camp on the
sea-ice. It was a good flat site so the tent seemed much more spacious. Derek wanted
to examine the coast in detail and I wished to do some more survey, so we would
stay there a day or two. We returned for the second sledge after having lunch. We all
had continuing trouble with our ski-bindings and Derek discarded his skis as one
was attached by only one screw. On the second haul therefore Charlie and I moved
on skis and Derek afoot - fortunately on a hard wind-slab surface.
It was pleasing to feel how much easier it was to pull the sledges now, so they
were evidently lighter in spite of the substantial load of rocks we had picked up! The
surface was better than on the outward journey and we reached camp around 7.30
pm feeling quite fresh and lay, eagerly awaiting the hoosh. It took a long time to
cook, but was very satisfying. Derek evidently disliked pemmican as he tried to foist
his share on me; but I foiled him, much as I would have liked to eat it. He turned the
primus out early, to conserve fuel, with the result that our sleeping bags - which had
not been unrolled - were stiff and icy. We spent a miserable night.
I was awake most of the night and got up at 5.15 am. It was an overcast morning
and there had been about 4 inches of powdery new snow overnight. A sheathbill and
giant petrel hung around. Breakfast was over early and I skied to a rock about half a
mile away where I set up the plane table. I got two sights all right but had to wait
hours for the cloud to lift on the Divide Range. Then, after re-orientation - I had to
wait about half an hour and so on! I got a good series of rays, but all above 1000 ft
was hidden in cloud.
Derek had started off rock collecting and Charlie, after a few abortive attempts to
pull number 2 sledge on his own, came out to me. It was a cold morning and my
fingers and feet were pretty badly frost-nipped. Luckily I caught it in time and sat in
the tent for 1 2 hour restoring the circulation. We had our lunch at 2 o’clock and then
loaded the plane table and tripod onto number 2 sledge and pulled it on foot, striking
out at first to the southwest to avoid the deep snow in this bay. Our progress was
good and by 4.30 pm, passing two Weddells along the way, we had reached a rock
about three-quarters of the way to Saunders Point. I set up the plane table, got a
resection and drew in a lot of rays, completing the survey of the coast as far as
Saunders Point. Unfortunately the country above 1,000 ft was still unmapped. Derek
joined us just as I finished at 5.15 pm and followed while Charlie and I pulled to
Saunders Point.
We left the sledge above the tide crack and Derek left his day's collection of rocks
- altogether there must have been about 60 lbs altogether so far. He found some veins
of an igneous intrusion that day, otherwise no changes in that stretch of coast. We
walked back to the camp following our outward track and arrived about 7.30 pm. I
attempted to dry out my sleeping bag - and was hoping the pemmican would be a bit
thicker that night.
I slept warmly and quite well - in the centre - but woke with a stiff shoulder.
Breakfast over I loaded the sledge and we left with the first sledge. We pulled, again
on foot, and made very good progress. It developed into a fine clear day, so that we
saw all the mountains plainly. Our ‘Square Peak’ was visible over a col to the East of
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