240 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan. 



that the ' Discovery ' and all on board her were safe and well 

 and prepared for a second winter, but perhaps rather unfor- 

 tunately it referred to the return of the 'Morning' in the 

 following summer as a foregone conclusion and enumerated 

 the stores which it was advisable she should bring ; it spoke 

 also of our attack of scurvy, though stating that there was little 

 chance of its recurrence. I had been tempted to omit this 

 matter as calculated to cause unnecessary anxiety, but, 

 reflecting that the rumour might spread from some other 

 source and become greatly exaggerated, I had finally decided 

 to state the facts exactly as they were. 



Such a report could leave only one impression on the 

 minds of the authorities to which I have referred — namely, 

 that at all hazards the ' Morning' must be sent South in 1903. 

 But this contingency, which could not easily have been fore- 

 seen, involved a serious difficulty, as the ' Morning ' fund was 

 found to be wholly inadequate to meet the requirements of 

 another year. There can be little doubt, I think, that had 

 time permitted an appeal to the public and a full explanation 

 of the necessities of the case, the required funds would have 

 been raised, but, unfortunately, time was very Hmited, and 

 already some weeks had elapsed since the reception of the 

 news. In these circumstances no course was left to the 

 Societies but to appeal to the Government, and after some 

 correspondence the Government agreed to undertake the 

 whole conduct of the relief expedition provided that the 

 ' Morning,' as she stood, was delivered to it. These arrange- 

 ments being made, the Government naturally placed the active 

 management of affairs in the hands of the Admiralty, and a 

 small committee of officers was appointed by this department 

 to deal w^ith it. 



It is scarcely necessary to point out that when the Govern- 

 ment undertakes a matter of this sort it must be with larger 

 responsibilities than can rest on private individuals. Had the 

 Societies possessed the necessary funds, they would have been 

 quite justified in relying on the ' Morning ' to force her way to 

 the South as she had done before, but when the Government 



