ly poor Jehu, who
was never expected to start at all, and ended by gallantly pulling his
somewhat diminished load eight marches beyond One Ton Camp, a distance of
238 miles. Another, Christopher, was a man-killer if ever a horse was; he
had to be thrown in order to attach him to the sledge; to the end he
would lay out any man who was rash enough to give him the chance; once
started, and it took four men to achieve this, it was impossible to halt
him during the day's march, and so Oates and his three tent mates and
their ponies had to go without any lunch meal for 130 miles of the
Southern Journey.

Oates trained them and fed them as though they were to run in the Derby.
They were exercised whenever possible throughout the winter and spring by
those who were to lead them on the actual journey. Fresh and good food
was found in the shape of oilcake and oats, a limited quantity of each of
which had been brought and was saved for the actual Polar Journey, and
everything which care and foresight could devise was done to save them
discomfort. It is a grim life for animals, but in the end we were to know
that up to the time of that bad blizzard almost at the Glacier Gateway,
which was the finishing post of these plucky animals, they had fed all
they needed, slept as well and lived as well as any, and better than most
horses in ordinary life at home. "I congratulate you, Titus," said
Wilson, as we stood under the shadow of Mount Hope, with the ponies' task
accomplished, and "I thank you," said Scott.

Titus grunted and was pleased.

Transport difficulties for the Polar Journey were considerable, but in
every other direction the outlook was bright. The men who were to do the
sledging had been away from Winter Quarters for three months. They had
had plenty of sledging experience, some of it none too soft. The sledges,
clothing, man-food, and outfit generally were excellent, although some
changes were suggested and could be put into effect. There was no obvious
means, however, of effecting the improvement most desired, a satisfactory
snow-shoe for the ponies.

The work already accomplished was enormous. On the Polar Journey the
ponies and dogs could now travel light for the first hundred and thirty
geographical miles, when, at One Ton Camp, they would for the first time
take their full loads: the advantage of being able to start again with
full loads when so far on your way is obvious when it is considered that
the distance tra