The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard [free ebooks for android TXT] 📗

and all seemed to be going well when Mr. Day’s car gave out at the crank brasses the same as mine, so we shall have to see what is the next best thing to do.

“30th October 1911.

“This morning before getting the car on the way had to reconstruct our loads as Mr. Day’s car is finished and no more use for further service. We have got all four of us with one car now, things seems to be going fairly well, but we are still troubled with the overheating which means to say half our time is wasted. We can see dawning on us the harness before long. We covered seven miles and camped for the night. We are now about six miles from Corner Camp.

“31st October 1911.

“Got away with difficulty, and nearly reached Corner Camp, but the weather was unkind and forced us to camp early. One thing we have been able to bring along a good supply of pony food and most of the man food, but so far the motor sledges have proved a failure.

“1st November 1911.

“Started away with the usual amount of agony, and soon arrived at Corner Camp where we left a note to Captain Scott explaining the cause of our breakdown. I told Mr. Evans to say this sledge won’t go much farther. After getting about a mile past Corner Camp my engine gave out finally, so here is an end to the motor sledges. I can’t say I am sorry because I am not, and the others are, I think, of the same opinion as myself. We have had a heavy task pulling the heavy sledges up every time we stopped, which was pretty frequent, even now we have to start man-hauling we shall not be much more tired than we have already been at night when we had finished. Now comes the man-hauling part of the show, after reorganizing our sledge and taking aboard all the man food we can pull, we started with 190 lbs. per man, a strong head wind made it a bit uncomfortable for getting along, anyhow we made good about three miles and camped for the night. The surface not being very good made the travelling a bit heavy.

“After three days’ man-hauling.

“5th November 1911.

“Made good about 14½ miles, if the surface would only remain as it is now we could get along pretty well. We are now thinking of the ponies being on their way, hope they will get better luck than we had with the motor sledges, but by what I can see they will have a tough time of it.

“6th November 1911.

“Today we have worked hard and covered a good distance 12 miles, surface rough but slippery, all seems to be going pretty well, but we have generally had enough by the time comes for us to camp.

“7th November 1911.

“We have again made good progress, but the light was very trying, sometimes we could not see at all where we were going. I tried to find some of the Cairns that were built by the Depot Party last year, came upon one this afternoon which is about 20 miles from One Ton Depot, so at the rate we have been travelling we ought to reach there some time tomorrow night. Temperature today was pretty low, but we are beginning to get hardened into it now.

“8th November 1911.

“Made a good start, but the surface is getting softer every day and makes our legs ache; we arrived at One Ton Depot and camped. Then proceeded to dig out some of the provisions, we have to take on all the man food we can, this is a wild-looking place no doubt, have not seen anything of the ponies.

“9th November 1911.

“Today we have started on the second stage of our journey. Our orders are to proceed one degree south of One Ton Depot and wait for the ponies and dogs to come up with us; as we have been making good distances each day, the party will hardly overtake us, but we have found today the load is much heavier to drag. We have just over 200 lbs. per man, and we have been brought up on several occasions, and to start again required a pretty good strain on the rope, anyhow we done 10½ miles, a pretty good show considering all things.

“10th November 1911.

“Again we started off with plenty of vim, but it was jolly tough work, and it begins to tell on all of us; the surface today is covered with soft crystals which don’t improve things. Tonight Hooper is pretty well done up, but he have stuck it well and I hope he will, although he could not tackle the food in the best of spirits, we know he wanted it. Mr. Evans, Mr. Day and myself could eat more, as we are just beginning to feel the tightening of the belt. Made good 11¼ miles and we are now building cairns all the way, one about three miles: then again at lunch and one in the afternoon and one at night. This will keep us employed.

“11th November 1911.

“Today it has been very heavy work. The surface is very bad and we are pretty well full up, but not with food; man-hauling is no doubt the hardest work one can do, no wonder the motor sledges could not stand it. I have been thinking of the trials I witnessed of the motor engines in Wolseley’s works in Birmingham, they were pretty stiff but nothing compared to the drag of a heavy load on the Barrier surface.

“12th November 1911.

“Today have been similar to the two previous days, but the light have been bad and snow have been falling which do not improve the surface; we have been doing 10 miles a day Geographical and quite enough too as we have all had enough by time it goes Camp.

“13th November 1911.

“The