-teams, together with the food
for the Polar Party.

2. To travel to One Ton Depot as fast as possible and
leave the food there.

3. If Scott had not arrived at One Ton Depot before
me I was to judge what to do.

4. That Scott was not in any way dependent on the
dogs for his return.

5. That Scott had given particular instructions that the
dogs were not to be risked in view of the sledging plans
for next season.

Since it had proved impossible to take the depot of dog-food, together
with the full Polar Party rations, to One Ton before this; considering
the unforeseen circumstances which had arisen; and seeing that this
journey of the dog-teams was not indispensable, being simply meant to
bring the last party home more speedily, I do not believe that better
instructions could have been given than these of Atkinson.

I was eager to start as soon as the team which had come back from Cape
Evans was rested, but a blizzard prevented this. On the morning of the
25th it was thick as a hedge, but it cleared enough to pack sledges in
the afternoon, and when we turned into our bags we could see Observation
Hill. We started at 2 A.M. that night.

I confess I had my misgivings. I had never driven one dog, let alone a
team of them; I knew nothing of navigation; and One Ton was a hundred and
thirty miles away, out in the middle of the Barrier and away from
landmarks. And so as we pushed our way out through the wind and drift
that night I felt there was a good deal to be hoped for, rather than to
be expected. But we got along very well, Dimitri driving his team in
front, as he did most of this journey, and picking up marks very
helpfully with his sharp eyes. In the low temperatures we met, the
glasses which I must wear are almost impossible, because of fogging. We
took three boxes of dog-biscuit from Safety Camp and another three boxes
from a point sixteen miles from Hut Point. Here we rested the dogs for a
few hours, and started again at 6 P.M. All day the light was appalling,
and the wind strong, but to my great relief we found Corner Camp after
four hours' more travelling, the flag showing plainly, though the cairn
itself was invisible when a hundred yards away. This was the last place
where there was any dog-food on the route, and the dogs got a good feed
after doing thirty-four miles (statute) for the day's run. This was more
than we had hoped: the only disquieting fact was that bot