334 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept. 



attention to an incident where some officers were able to push 

 on with a journey because they possessed ski. The latter is 

 really an extraordinary exception, and it is still more extra- 

 ordinary that it should have been our first experience of 

 Antarctic travelling. It naturally biassed us all in favour of ski, 

 so that although a few remained sceptical, the majority thought 

 them an unmixed blessing. Bit by bit, however, the inevitable 

 truth came to light : it was found that in spite of all appear- 

 ance to the contrary, a party on foot invariably beat a party on 

 ski, even if the former were sinking ankle-deep at each step ; 

 while, to add to this, when the surface was hard, ski could not 

 be used, and had to be carried as an extra weight and a great 

 encumbrance on the sledges. The ski party still made a stand 

 in their favour by stating that they saved labour, but even this 

 could not be admitted when the facts were thoroughly known. 

 It stands true to some extent for a party out of condition, 

 but the fact we gradually came to appreciate was that 

 after a week's marching our legs got so hard that it troubled us 

 little to plod on throughout the day whether the snow was soft 

 or hard. 



It will be seen, therefore, that our experience has led me to 

 believe that for sledge work in the Antarctic Regions there is 

 nothing to equal the honest and customary use of one's own 

 legs. Progress may be slow and dull, but it is steady and sure. 

 On my western journey, having no knowledge of the inland 

 surface, I took ski. They remained on the sledge from start 

 to finish. As we were contemplating them just before our 

 return to the ship, one of my companions remarked, ' They've 

 had a nice cheap ride,' and that about summed up the 

 situation. 



In the list of permanent weights which I have taken as an 

 example of a sledge-load for six men, the reader will see that 

 the various articles total 568 lbs. ; roughly speaking a man can 

 drag from 200 to 240 lbs., but we rarely loaded our sledge 

 parties much above 200 lbs. ; this for six men would give a 

 total carrying capacity of 1,200 lbs and hence about 630 lbs. 

 which could be devoted to provisions. Speaking again very 



