Tuesday Feb 25th.

People came in driblets to breakfast today, but surprisingly early, Sandy himself setting a meritorious example by arriving before it was served - for there was a lot to be done. After a usual morning Dan and I set off with the four big Blacks and Merratark and Sesse to fetch back the sledge. The sun was appreciably higher today, again with beautiful colouring of the clouds, and with a red pillar rising vertically above the sun. All afternoon the colours were supremely beautiful and soft, a pale red sky near the sun, with pale blue sky above, a few coloured cirrus clouds, the white ice-cap and the black and white cliffs. It was very rough going over the ice, and we were much annoyed by the Oarks who were loose and came with us running into and upsetting the black dogs. All of us, even David, are getting fed up with the Oarks - they are so absurdly shy and silly, and they bully the Little Blacks mercilessly. We found the sledge after going about 4 miles (we were told it was 1½ miles away) with Teriengniak and Kayunguak there; those two are having a feud on at the moment. One of the sledge runners was broken, and the handlebars were in a sorry state, but after relashing we started off - or rather the Blacks did, for all the way through the pack they just rushed ahead until the sledge overturned or stuck. Pamiok's harness broke and he ran loose, and we spent a long time in the evening trying to catch him, but I got him in the end by the orthodox method when he made a false move.

With Sandy's authority Dan shot Dreng this morning; the poor dog made a courageous struggle for life and he got much better, but it is obvious that he will be useless for sledging, and we have all hated keeping him alive up to now. In the evening I pushed his body under the tide-crack, safely away from those foul Blacks.

Plans, plans, plans. Sandy now talking of an Eastern journey to Franz Joseph land instead of the Northern Journey, and this seems much better.

I was asked to send the following message to A station at night: "Has John left you yet", and it went thus: "Has John left you yes he has for he has just walked into the room." A really magnificent effort of his, all the way from A to here in less than 8 hours including a stop at the Advanced Base. He praises the Odds and Sods team to the skies.

Wednesday Feb. 26th.

Black hole of Calcutta! Went to bed unwisely a little early last night before I was really tired and it was so hot that I couldn't get to sleep. The temperature in the bedroom was 50℉ while we are used to 20℉. So I was relieved when the alarm went off early so that I could get breakfast etc. ready in good time for David to make an early start for the Advanced Base, whither he going to get ready the things for Murchison Bay. He went off with the Odds and Sods. Later Sandy and Archie started with the Blacks; at first they intended to look for Karl and then proceed to the Advanced Base, but at the last minute they decided to go to the Advanced Base first and bring a load and then look for Karl. An hour after they left we saw Karl with Spjaet (?) and sledge coming towards the Base. He hadn't spoken to Sandy but thinks he saw him. He was in good spirits but complaining of poor hunting. He is not staying long, which is a good thing for he and Dan together are dangerous.

An international day started at 4pm. and was as usual; John and Dan helped. John pernoctated (?) with me, and it was the same pleasant evening when he sat and chatted. During other intervals, however, he observed stars while I time-kept, and I also ran Polaris for what I expect to be the last time. Brownie sent off some messages to Bear Island at night.

Thursday Feb.27th.

Brownie was still sleepy in the morning, so Dan carried on at 8am. After that it was a most hectic day for Sandy and Archie returned; yesterday they had not seen Karl in the bay and had visited his hut and then gone to the Advanced Base. Sandy, Daniel and David were to go off to Murchison Bay tomorrow but as I came out of the darkroom in the afternoon Sandy suddenly said to me "would you like to go to Murchison Bay tomorrow?" Of course I clinched it. Dan had generously offered to let me go instead of himself, and then Archie offered Dan the Plancius Bay journey instead of him, so Dan was well pleased, tho' it was a bit hard on David that he should not be present when it was being decided who was to go on his journey. Dan advised me to remove my Karl Marx beard, so did so. In the afternoon Archie and Sandy took out Brownie's tooth - amusing to all except those concerned, for Brownie complained that the injections didn't kill the gum, and the others could not understand why not. In the end Archie pulled it out well. It was quite a busy time, ionosphere as usual, developing, holding Brownie's hand, the met., and preparing for the journey. Karl was most kind, and especially got an early supper for me so that I could get to bed early before setting off in the morning.