OHYAT: March Forth

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TODAY, at One Ton Depot, at Dimitri's suggestion Cherry increased the dogs' ration, as they were starting to lose fur and fitness. The people making the decisions back at base had expected there to be dog food as part of the cache at One Ton, but there was none. There again, they were also expecting the Polar Party to have reached the depot already, or be very close. Cherry and Dimitri had with them thirteen days' worth of dog food, which had to cover the six-day journey back to Hut Point. Decisions would have to be made.

MEANWHILE, FURTHER SOUTH:

Things looking very black indeed. ... All the morning we had to pull with all our strength, and in 4 1/2 hours we covered 3 1/2 miles. ... We are about 42 miles from the next depot and have a week’s food, but only about 3 to 4 days’ fuel — we are as economical of the latter as one can possibly be,* and we cannot afford to save food and pull as we are pulling. We are in a very tight place indeed, but none of us despondent yet, or at least we preserve every semblance of good cheer, but one’s heart sinks as the sledge stops dead at some sastrugi behind which the surface sand lies thickly heaped. For the moment the temperature is on the -20° — an improvement which makes us much more comfortable, but a colder snap is bound to come again soon. I fear that Oates at least will weather such an event very poorly. Providence to our aid! We can expect little from man now except the possibility of extra food at the next depot. It will be real bad if we get there and find the same shortage of oil. Shall we get there? Such a short distance it would have appeared to us on the summit! I don’t know what I should do if Wilson and Bowers weren’t so determinedly cheerful over things.

– R.F. Scott

*They stopped cooking hoosh for meals, instead limiting their hot liquid to a mug of cocoa, and for food eating their pemmican 'solid with the chill off.'