COMRADES AND COMRADESHIP 125 



Koettlitz, Ferrar, Taylor, and Mackay Glaciers with which 

 the following pages are concerned. 



Now as to my mates. What is the ' Call to the Wild ' which 

 seems to draw men back to the Antarctic? In my opinion it is 

 the association with picked companions, especially chosen for 

 their suitability for the environment, which constitutes the charm 

 of life in the Antarctic. The deserts of Australia or the wilds 

 of Spitzbergen would appeal equally to me with the same 

 companions. 



There is a famous old school near Sydney where for many 

 years there were representatives from two families, the Deben- 

 hams and Taylors. So that Frank Debenham and myself were 

 old friends and graduates in geology of the same 'Varsity. In 

 later years at Cambridge there was an informal club of re- 

 search students in which Wright of Caius and Taylor of Em- 

 manuel were fellow-members. Debenham's experience as Com- 

 missary-General at many a camp in Australia made him invalu- 

 able sledging while Wright was an expert in traversing snow- 

 clad country, for he often spent his vacations from Toronto 

 University surveying in the Canadian backwoods/ 



Next may I introduce Tryggve Gran, the youngest and yet 

 the most travelled officer in the Expedition except our leader 

 himself. Interested in sport, travel, music, literature and lan- 

 guages, ' Trigger ' never let a day pass without enlivening our 

 march by some of his many adventures. 



Of the two petty officers, Edgar Evans coached the first 

 party, all of whom were new chums, in Antarctic sledging. He 

 was one of the Discovery men and was an ideal sledge mate; 

 while Forde, another giant of the navy, was sledge master on 

 our Granite Harbour journey. 



It is interesting to note that the six men represented six 

 nationalities. Debenham and Wright come from Australia and 

 Canada; Gran is a hardy Norseman; Forde is Irish; Evans 

 came from Cardiff; while I was the only member born in Eng- 

 land. If I have dwelt on this question of personnel, it is because 

 it is so important a factor in exploration, and these few words 

 help to explain the unbroken harmony which existed during our 

 six months' sledging. 



On January 26, 1911, Captain Scott handed to me the Sledg- 

 ing Orders governing our movements on the first Western Jour- 



