On cold days a few strips of raw blubber were served out to all hands,
and it is wonderful how it fortified us against the cold.
Our stock of forty days' sledging rations remained practically
untouched, but once in the boats they were used at full strength.
When we first settled down at Patience Camp the weather was very mild.
New Year's Eve, however, was foggy and overcast, with some snow, and
next day, though the temperature rose to 38° Fahr., it was "abominably
cold and wet underfoot." As a rule, during the first half of January
the weather was comparatively warm, so much so that we could dispense
with our mitts and work outside for quite long periods with bare hands.
Up till the 13th it was exasperatingly warm and calm. This meant that
our drift northwards, which was almost entirely dependent on the wind,
was checked. A light southerly breeze on the 16th raised all our
hopes, and as the temperature was dropping we were looking forward to a
period of favourable winds and a long drift north.
On the 18th it had developed into a howling south-westerly gale,
rising next day to a regular blizzard with much drift. No one left the
shelter of his tent except to feed the dogs, fetch the meals from the
galley for his tent, or when his turn as watchman came round. For six
days this lasted, when the drift subsided somewhat, though the
southerly wind continued, and we were able to get a glimpse of the sun.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203