Saturday, 25 November 1911

Scott

Atkinson now joined Lt. Evans and Lashly in the man-hauling party.

"Meares has just come up to report that Jehu made four feeds for the dogs," Scott noted. "He cut up very well and had quite a lot of fat on him. Meares says another pony will carry him to the Glacier. This is very good hearing. The men are pulling with ski sticks and say that they are a great assistance. I think of taking them up the Glacier. Jehu has certainly come up trumps after all, and Chinaman bids fair to be even more valuable. Only a few more marches to feel safe in getting to our first goal." [1]


Amundsen

Despite the continuing blizzard, Amundsen decided to push on. Almost immediately, they came upon huge sastrugi, nearly impossible to see in the bad weather, and the dogs were reluctant to work. "They had overeaten on their comrades," Amundsen wrote brusquely. [2] Eventually the terrain smoothed out, but the ongoing drift made the surface sticky, and difficult for the dogs.

After ten miles, they came to a gradual slope that headed downwards more and more steeply, so much that they decided to camp where they were and wait until visibility cleared.

"According to the aneroid we have descended 1,000 ft. today, Amundsen noted. "We should now be at 9,600 ft. ... Definitely calmer this evening. -23.5°."


Notes:

[1] R.F. Scott, diary, 25 November, 1911, quoted in Scott's Last Expedition : the Journals, v.1.
[2] Roald Amundsen, diary, 26 November, 1911, quoted by Roland Huntford in Race for the South Pole : the expedition diaries of Scott and Amundsen (London : Continuum, c2010), p.145-146.