114 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [1902^ 



efforts, enough money was collected to equip our expedition in 

 a thoroughly efficient manner. This being the case, and there 

 being no reason to suppose that the ' Discovery ' was in distress, 

 it may not be quite clear why it was thought necessary to send 

 a relief ship in the following year. Indeed, the reason will 

 probably not be plain to anyone who is incapable of putting 

 himself into the position of those who bore the responsibihty 

 of the expedition. 



Taking any general case where an expedition is sent forth 

 to the Polar Regions, it is evident that when it has passed 

 beyond the limits of communication, the authorities who 

 despatched it must bear some burden of anxiety for its safety ; 

 whilst they may hope that all will be accomplished without 

 disaster, they cannot blind themselves to the risks that have 

 been taken, and must inevitably ask themselves whether on 

 their part they have done everything possible to avert mis- 

 chance. If the expedition has departed without any definite 

 plan, or has passed into a region in which it would be hopeless 

 to search, those at home can do nothing ; if, on the other hand, 

 it has planned to pass by known but unvisited places, then it 

 is obvious that its footsteps can be traced with the possibility 

 of ascertaining its condition and of relieving distress. In this 

 last case the proper action of the authorities is clear : they 

 must endeavour to take no risk of their relief arriving too late, 

 but do their utmost to despatch it as early as possible in the 

 track of the first venture. Such has always been the attitude 

 of those responsible for North Polar voyages, and in the South 

 there is a further reason for its observance in the fact that the 

 Antarctic Regions are surrounded by a belt of tempestuous 

 ocean, across which it would be impossible for explorers to 

 retreat should they have suffered the loss of their ship. 



As soon as the ' Discovery ' had departed on her long 

 voyage all these facts began to be practically considered, and 

 the necessity of safeguarding the enterprise by the early 

 despatch of relief was realised. 



To raise the necessary funds for this second venture was 

 no hght task, but the Geographical Society recognised its 



