Friday 27 October [Actually October 26]

We took only 4½ hours for our allotted 15 nautical miles per day. It goes like greased lightning. The doggies are in better condition with every passing day. They are getting rid of their superfluous fat.

Already in the forenoon we glimpsed the huge seracs in the east, which we saw for the first time between 81° and 82° S. latitude. Now we have them NE by N. From the dept at 81° S. latitude they bear NE by ¾ N.

Now the sun is very strong. Forced the temperature up many degrees in the course of the day. Here in the tent it is like in a little oven. It is also quite dark.

Everybody in brilliant form. Built our first snow cairn today at 80° 23.5'. They will be built at a man’s height every 7th or 8th nautical mile. A little note with the position of the cairn and the bearing of the next cairn to the north will be inserted in the uppermost block of snow.