Friday Feb 28th.

I had several nightmares at night for the others returned from the Advanced Base with Ayo running loose and without a harness, and it took us two months to catch him in that state last time. In the intervals when I was awake I tried to think out traps to catch the wily old beast in. Without Dan's help would make the journey more difficult and it was essential that Ayo should be safe in the Black team. Sandy had suggested that we should get off soon after 7am. so I resolved to get up at 6 to finish preparing and to get breakfast. When the alarm went off I got up, but then couldn't remember why I had got up so early and went back to bed and slept to be the last up, at about 8. It's fortunate we were late, for soon after breakfast David was seen walking back from the Advanced Base; he came back for he could find no inner to the pyramid tent. He was wet and tired, so we postponed departure till after lunch.

Several vain attempts were made to catch Ayo in the morning, but he made no false move. We inspected all the harnesses and had to renew some of them, and tied up some of the Blacks. We went off in glorious weather, and our first piece of luck was not long delayed, for after about a mile Ayo made a mistake and got in with and ran with his team, and got wedged between two pulling dogs pressing inwards in front of him and the trace ropes behind. I was for catching him on the run, but Sandy sensibly insisted on stopping. David, who was with the leading team, stopped just at the right time and I grabbed Ayo by the neck and rolled him over and held him while David put on his harness; heavens the old man was annoyed with himself, but was soon most forgiving. We had plenty more fun with the dogs, for quite soon Pamiok, the black king, slipped his trace, and then Palase got loose from the other team, but David got the latter easily and I made a lucky grab at Pamiok.

When we reached the Advanced Base, Sandy did the indoor work, while David and I dealt with the dogs. We wanted to be certain that the blacks did not run home during the night so we tied up Pamiok and Ayo to a loaded sledge with aerial wire, but after a few minutes Pamiok had broken through his and both were loose - luckily both still with traces so we got them again with patience. We then tied them up with really thick wire, and went in to supper. Sandy is a most excellent cook, but with spectacles fogged he put a whole tin of sago into the soup, and it was frightful.

After a pleasant evening we were just going off to bed when David went out and came in to say that Pamiok and Ayo were loose! They had pulled so hard that the sledge was slewed right round and they had untwisted the wire. Ayo was too wary but I got Pamiok and we put him in the lobby. The top bunk fell to my lot, but it was so hot and I nearly fell off and Pamiok began to get restless, so after a bit I moved down and slept on the floor by the door.

Saturday Feb. 29th

David was up at and we breafasted before venturing outside, to find Pamiok safe in the lobby, and Ayo asleep outside without a trace rope but still with a bit of aerial wire on him. David walked past him as if going to the sledge and when I seized the wire David fell on him and the old man was caught again.

It was an indescribably beautiful morning, already very light, and the Advanced Base bay was looking its best. All the way David took the Odds and Sods with the rigid first, and Sandy and I followed with the Blacks (and Merratark) and the Nansen. The dogs took the loads well and we got nicely over the bay and into the Hanstein valley. Even up the hill here the dogs had no trouble. Ayo was pulling marvellously; I do like him though daren't admit it to anyone. Kungasenak is the hardest puller and most genial in the black team. Soon the sun rose above the ice-cap and we convinced ourselves that we could really feel the heat (the temperature was -18℉.) Over the valley, where some high grasses were showing through the snow, and then we went down gently into Lady Franklin Bay. There was more rough pack in this bay, but David steered a good course, and we had to trot to keep up with the dogs. We camped on the level bay ice near the tide crack on the other side of the bay after covering about 23 miles. I didn't know the cooking technique and wanted to learn about the dogs, so Sandy was cook of the evening.

First two put up the tent, and pile snow round the flaps. The dogs are fed and the cook goes in and we hand in reindeer skins, sleeping bags, cooking pots, food and bowls of snow. Then he proceeds to cook the meal, while the others finish up outside and return to the tent to find the meal ready. Half a ration bowl full of pemmican does not look much after a long day, but I could only just finish it and half a biscuit afterwards. David expounded a sledging rule or two, but he has a sense of proportion as well as one of humour, and they were not observed on this short trip. A little drying of gloves etc. above the Primus, and then into our sleeping bags. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day's sledging.

Sunday March 1st.

It seemed so fuggy that I couldn't go to sleep for ages, but got some sleep in the end. Up at 6 instead of 4 as we intended! Started off about 8 in a gloriously clear morning with the temperature -26℉. Down the bay a bit as we had struck land a bit too far North, and then overland up hill. Here we saw two reindeer, but fortunately the dogs didn't and we hurried on. Lots and lots of reindeer tracks on the Wargentin Peninsula. We were not quite certain of the way, but on getting up we saw the valley beginning to dip down towards Murchison Bay. It must be a stream valley, as it is quite a gorge at times and there was one awkward place where we tried to traverse a slope and both sledges overturned in turn. We put a drag rope on the Nansen for the rest of the slope, and the rigid went miles ahead, but we joined up again when we reached the bay.

Murchison Bay is exquisite, and the sun seemed to be above the horizon for a very long time lighting up the cliffs with a purple colour and a green sky behind. Most of the bay ice was perfect, but twice we got into soft patches through which our feet sank, and the sledge went through once and got stuck but we got it out in the end. We were looking for David's island - South Russian Island - with an old Russian hut on it, but it was hard to say what was land and what was island, and David hadn't brought a decent map. We headed for what we took to be the correct island, up over a neck on to the other side, but could see no hut. We left the dogs and walked about trying to find out where we were, and in the end decided to camp and make a dump, as the ice looked bad ahead, and in the meantime before the next load is brought down we could look at a better map and perhaps find out whether or not the hut still exists. So we camped (temp. -16℉) and I did the pemmican etc. and owing to my not seeing how much tea I put in, I produced the strongest tea yet produced on the expedition. Slept well at night after a very good day. Sandy is a very pleasant person to camp with, always interesting, and David is his usual self or more so.

Monday March 2nd.

Up at 5am. as we intended reaching the Advanced Base that evening if possible. Breakfast consists of porridge, and I managed to take sugar with it (with relish) as the food is rather necessary. We also have ¼lb chocolate to be eaten some time - I eat it sledging as at night the pemmican is too filling. David took me on the front sledge at first to teach me, and then left me to lead up to the end of the bay.

It is the method of locomotion, riding or running behind a keen and obedient team. Angugssuak on the left and Angutinguak on the right are perfect and never change places, and little Hansigne pulls marvellously in the middle. A little more cloud in the sky, and a slight wind was blowing down the bay. When we reached the valley we cleared traces, David took the front sledge again and we did a magnificent non-stop journey straight over and down into Lady Franklin's Bay in about two hours. Again David gave me the front sledge - Sandy unselfishly stayed with the Blacks - and all went well for a bit till the dogs saw two reindeer on the right. I kept them straight for a little but then got my whip caught up, and as the deer made a sudden dash in front of the dogs, they went off. I lost control and after a bit got off to turn the sledge over, but missed my hold and lost the sledge.

In the meantime much the same thing happened to the others, for David had hung his whip on the back of the sledge and so got off to run between the dogs and the deer, but got left behind. Sandy fell off in trying to overturn the sledge. We were really in a very serious position for the dogs might have gone off for days, and we started chasing them hard. Unfortunately neither of the sledges overturned or got stuck, but after crossing a bit of bare land the dogs missed the deer - we could see the tracks - and both teams sat down about a mile away. We were really extraordinarily lucky. David led back to the bay, and then I carried on over the bay.

The wind was getting stronger from half-right and blowing snow along the ground, and it was hard to keep the dogs into it, and by the time we reached the bottom of the valley we were going up to find a shorter way home, it was distinctly a slight blizzard. David took the lead again now, and we went overland for a long time; we seemed quite lost but suddenly found the valley going down and reached Brandy Bay opposite Boat Point. It was really unpleasant now, but we were not far from our goal. The wind was gusty and would suddenly blow with great force in the opposite direction for a few seconds. We could see eddies rushing about. David went well, but Sandy was using the whip too much, upsetting the Blacks so that they were constantly changing, and we dropped well behind.

This was serious for the blizzard was getting worse and we soon lost sight of David and his tracks were covered over instantaneously. We took our bearings and found we were going all right, and then I heard David shouting and the dogs went towards him. We could now see nothing, and the wind was blowing the dogs over and they couldn't face it. We knew roughly where we were, and the only thing we could do was to abandon the dogs and sledges on the tide crack and search for the Advanced Base. We roped ourselves up to the whip, but I was blinded and merely a passenger, as I couldn't even see where I was putting my feet.

After a bit we found a flag: "We're on the glacier slope" shouted David until he remembers the flag marking the position of the skiff which is now drifted over. This was a help, and though I had no idea where we were David was magnificent and groping our way along the shore, often slipping over or being blown over, with visibility varying from 2 to 20 yds, we made slow progress until after about three quarters of an hour David found an old sledge track and after following it saw the hut. I never heard him say so, and the first thing I knew about it was when I fell into a deep hole from which drifted-over packing cases had been extracted, and then I saw the hut.

When I had thawed the ice from off my face and went out in a more normal state to get snow I estimated the wind velocity at 50m.p.h. - comparing it with our gale in October at the Base. It was now only about 3.30, but we decided to have a big meal in stages and then bed. Poor David was rather frost-bitten about the face, and both he and Sandy had frost-bitten finger-tips. We all managed to find three blankets and one other thing each and retired to bed with the two Primuses burning hard. I slept well but woke up about every two hours which was fortunate as the Primuses needed attention each time. The gale got worse and worse till about midnight, after which it dropped more quickly.

Tuesday March 3rd.

We were up at and there was no sound of the wind. On going out it was a most romantic morning, with a clear blue sky and the wind blowing snow off the highest parts and eddies of snow over the bay, but little wind in general. Sandy and I went off to fetch the dogs; they were very glad to see us. The Odds and Sods were got ready without much trouble, but the Blacks' traces had been badly tangled before we left them, and they must have had quite an unpleasant night - at any rate their traces were in a terrible tangle and I hadn't got them free before David came up to help. Then we went back to the Advanced Base and loaded up the sledges and put another harness on Ayo as his was broken - he is a remarkable dog. Then we started off, David and I with the Odds and Sods and a light rigid in front, Sandy and Blacks and a Nansen towing a rigid behind.

One or two of us had to sit in front most of the time or else we went too fast. It was sublime sitting behind that little team as it trots over the bay ice. After rounding Dog Point we ran into a bit of wind and drift, and we were afraid of a blizzard out in the bay, but though at first it got a bit worse, by the time we reached Zeipel Bay the wind had dropped and we got in without any further adventures soon after 2pm.

It had really been a marvellous few days, and I've enjoyed every minute of it - when we were going well, when the dogs were chasing the reindeer, and the exciting time during the blizzard. If only we had found the Russian hut it would have been a perfect journey as far as enjoyment goes, as it was it it can be claimed to be as successful as any other, due almost entirely to the sensible and unobtrusive way David managed the whole little show.

Karl was still at the Base, so we were eight, and a congestion it was. Most of the rest of the day spent drying clothes - and shaved.