LIBERALITY OF BUSINESS FIRMS 31 



care that the packing should be in exact accordance with our 

 requirements. These firms were Messrs. Colman, Limited, 

 who supplied us with nine tons of flour and a quantity of 

 mustard; Messrs. Cadbury, who gave 3,500 lbs. of excellent 

 cocoa and chocolate— all that we required of these articles, in 

 fact; Messrs. Bird & Sons, who presented us with eight 

 hundredweight of baking and custard powders ; and Messrs. 

 Evans, Lescher & Webb, to whom we were indebted for all 

 our lime-juice. 



During these busy months of preparation which I have 

 briefly described, the various important posts in the expedition 

 had been gradually filled up, and now expeditionary work was 

 being carried on in many places. Some officers were in 

 Dundee, superintending the building of our good ship ; others 

 were working on their especial subjects at the British Museum; 

 others were preparing themselves at the Physical Laboratory 

 at Kew ; and others, again, were travelling in various directions, 

 both at home and abroad. Of all these movements and doings 

 the central office was obliged to have cognisance, and there- 

 fore, as can be imagined, there were not many idle moments 

 for its occupants. 



Long ago it had been decided that the ' Discovery ' should 

 be loaded with her valuable freight in London, and on June 3 

 she was brought round from Dundee and berthed in the East 

 India Docks. The courtesy of the London Docks Company 

 had placed at our disposal a large shed near this berth, and 

 soon after the centre of interest was transferred to this spot. 



Here, therefore; during the two following months, busiest 

 of all, were gathered all those stores which were to minister to 

 our comfort and aid our work throughout our long voyage ; 

 and here also we loaded the staunch vessel which, with her 

 solid wooden walls, was to form our home for more than three 

 years. 



