50 PLAN AND PREPARATIONS 



Bay of Whales. The observations we made during 

 our stay there confirm the correctness of this theory. 

 I therefore had no misgivings in placing our station on 

 this part of the Barrier. 



The plan of the shore party was, as soon as the hut 

 was built and provisions landed, to carry supplies into 

 the field, and lay down depots as far to the south as 

 possible. I hoped to get such a quantity of provisions 

 brought down to lat. 80 S., that we should be able to 

 regard this latitude as the real starting-place of the 

 actual sledge journey to the Pole. We shall see later 

 that this hope was more than fulfilled, and a labour 

 many times greater than this was performed. By the 

 time this depot work was accomplished winter would be 

 before us, and with the knowledge we had of the con- 

 ditions in the Antarctic regions, every precaution would 

 have to be taken to meet the coldest and probably the 

 most stormy weather that any Polar expedition had 

 hitherto encountered. My object was, when winter had 

 once set in, and everything in the station was in good 

 working order, to concentrate all our forces upon the 

 one object that of reaching the Pole. 



I intended to try to get people with me who were 

 specially fitted for outdoor work in the cold. Even 

 more necessary was it to find men who were experienced 

 dog-drivers; I saw what a decisive bearing this would 

 have on the result. There are advantages and dis- 

 advantages in having experienced people with one on 



