INTEREST IN EXPEDITION 341 
the interest taken by the employees of the provision firms that 
during the whole period of the Expedition we constantly came ' 
across little notes from the packers wishing us every success, &c. 
In two of Fry’s cases were letters addressed to Captain Scott and 
the Second-in-Command, with new two-shilling pieces, to be re- 
turned if we thought fit to the packer in question, to hand down 
to his children, and so forth. 
We were brought into close touch with the firms by visiting 
their works and actually seeing the goods packed in the ‘ Ve- 
nesta ’ cases, which were, if possible, of no greater gross weight 
than 60 lbs. to facilitate handling. 
Our tobacco was presented to the Expedition by the Imperial 
Tobacco Company, who also gave cigars and cigarettes. “They 
took the greatest care to preserve this very important part of 
our stores, and the tobacco supply was undoubtedly the best and 
most generous that any expedition has had. 
The above mentioned articles form only a part of the items 
of equipment necessary to a Polar Expedition with such an am- 
bitious programme, and all this was arranged before we had col- 
lected our money or purchased a ship. 
We had to obtain by purchase or otherwise ice-saws, anchors, 
picks and shovels, hides for soles of boots, &c., instruments of 
all descriptions for the various scientific purposes, lamps and 
lighting gear, books and mathematical tables, a library, oils and 
mineral grease, a colossal photographic outfit, stationery in gar- 
gantuan quantities, an efficient sledging outfit, harness and leather 
goods from John Lecky & Co. for our ponies and dogs, motor 
accessories for that part of our transport, &c., &c. 
Our telescopes were presented by Lieut.-Col. J. W. Gifford of 
Oakland Chard. He gave us a 34” equatorial telescope for 
which he calculated the lenses, and also a light 134” glass for the 
Southern Journey. Binoculars were provided by the staff. 
Besides this we had great quantities of fishing gear, needles 
and scissors, knives, &c., from Milward’s firm, and sewing ma- 
chines from Singer’s. 
The Welsh Tin Plate and Metal Stamping Co. provided the 
majority of our cutlery, cooking apparatus and mess traps free. 
And then, lest anything should be forgotten, the Army and 
Navy catalogue was searched from cover to cover by the office 
staff for anything that might have been forgotten. Captain Scott 
