om the discussions in the hut during
the winter, it was obvious that he considered it was of the first
importance that the news of reaching the Pole, if it should be reached,
be communicated to the world without the delay of another year. Of course
he would also wish to send news of the safe return of his party to wives
and relations as soon as possible. It is necessary to emphasize the fact
that the dog-teams were intended to hasten the return of the Polar Party,
but that they were never meant to form a relief journey.

But now Atkinson was left in a rather difficult position. I note in my
diary, after we had reached the hut, that "Scott was to have sent back
instructions for the dog party with us, but these have, it would seem,
been forgotten"; but it may be that Scott considered that he had given
these instructions in a conversation he had with Atkinson at the top of
the Beardmore Glacier, when Scott said, "with the depot [of dog-food]
which has been laid come as far as you can."

According to the plans for the Polar Journey the food necessary to bring
the three advance parties of man-haulers back from One Ton Depot to Hut
Point was to be taken out to One Ton during the absence of these parties.
This food consisted of five weekly units of what were known as XS
rations. It was also arranged that if possible a depot of dog-biscuit
should be taken out at the same time: this was the depot referred to
above by Scott. In the event of the return of the dog-teams in the first
half of December, which was the original plan, the five units of food and
the dog-biscuit would have been run out by them to One Ton. If the
dog-teams did not return in time to do this a man-hauling party from Cape
Evans was to take out three of the five units of food.

It has been shown that the dog-teams were taken farther on the Polar
Journey than was originally intended,[260] indeed they were taken from
81 deg. 15', where they were to have turned back, as far as 83 deg. 35'. Nor were
they able to make the return journey in the fast time which had been
expected of them, and the dog-drivers were running very short of food and
were compelled to encroach to some extent upon the supplies left to
provide for the wants of those who were following in their tracks.[261]
The dog-teams did not arrive back at Cape Evans until January 4.

Meanwhile a man-hauling party from Cape Evans, consisting of Day, Nelson,
Clissold and Hooper, had already, according to pl