CHAPTER XIV 

 PREPARATIONS: THE SPRING JOURNEY 



Friday, September i. A very windy night, dropping to 

 gusts in morning, preceding beautifully calm, bright day. If 

 September holds as good as August we shall not have cause of 

 complaint. Meares and Demetri started for Hut Point just 

 before noon. The dogs were in fine form. Demetri's team 

 came over the hummocky tide crack at full gallop, depositing 

 the driver on the snow. Luckily some of us were standing on 

 the floe. I made a dash at the bow of the sledge as it dashed 

 past and happily landed on top; Atkinson grasped at the same 

 object, but fell, and was dragged merrily over the ice. The 

 weight reduced the pace, and others soon came up and stopped 

 the team. Demetri was very crestfallen. He is extremely active 

 and it's the first time he's been unseated. 



There is no real reason for Meares' departure yet awhile, 

 but he chose to go and probably hopes to train the animals 

 better when he has them by themselves. As things are, this 

 seems like throwing out the advance guard for the summer 

 campaign. 



I have been working very hard at sledging figures with 

 Bowers' able assistance. The scheme develops itself in the 

 light of these figures, and I feel that our organisation will not 

 be found wanting, yet there is an immense amount of detail, and 

 every arrangement has to be more than usually elastic to admit 

 of extreme possibilities of the full success or complete failure 

 of the motors. 



I think our plan will carry us through without the motors 

 (though in that case nothing else must fail), and will take full 

 advantage of such help as the motors may give. Our spring 

 travelling is to be limited order. E. Evans, Gran, and Forde 

 will go out to find and re-mark ' Corner Camp.' Meares will 

 then carry out as much fodder as possible with the dogs. Simp- 



