Wednesday 15 Nov. [Actually November 14]

The same fog persisted this morning, but luckily it retreated in the face of a light SE’ly breeze. Once more we had the most glorious view.

We have achieved quite a lot the last two days. The bight that we had discovered towards the S. now showed high ground behind. Our course is now pointing exactly towards a high mountain – we call it the Beehive Mountain48 – on account of its resemblance to a beehive. It is still so far off that one can say nothing with certainty, but the shapes seem so fine and rounded that I definitely believe that a way up is possible there. Probably we will reach it at about 86° S. lat.

Today we estimated that ranges B and C were ca. 20 nautical miles away. We could see small details of the mountains with the telescope. The bay that separates ranges B and C proved to be an extremely big glacier running NE-SW. Range D runs into the E’ly range E in a NE’ly direction. The land mass that we can see in further in small sections, continue in a NE’ly direction. Ranges C, D & E are thus, without doubt the S’most mountains in the world. They are fantastically beautiful this p.m.

Calm and clear, the land is bathed in the sun – wonderfully lovely. Today the terrain has been better than ever. Long stretches like a ballroom floor.

Skiing brilliant. Meridian altitude gave 84°29' – navigational error 3 nautical miles too little.

This transcript comes from “Race for the South Pole - The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen” by Roland Huntford. It appears by courtesy of the author and The Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.