i9ii] SHIPMENT OF MULES 255 



and Government departments can only be fully realised by the 

 ship's party, who found all difficulties smoothed away for them 

 as soon as they arose. Dr. John Guthrie, M.D., of Lyttelton 

 took on the duty of honorary doctor and Mr. P. Strain of Christ- 

 church volunteered as honorary dentist. The services of both 

 gentlemen were frequently and gratefully invoked. 



The ship was rather over two months at Lyttelton, and the 



time was just sufficient. Rennick was able to finish the chart of 



the Three Kings and the ship's soundings by working 



Lyttelton, hard at it, although the time was very short for such 



Oct. io-Dec. * 



The mules, given by the Indian Government, had 

 arrived some weeks before the return of the ship and were en- 

 joying themselves in the fields on Quail Island, while the four- 

 teen Siberian dogs from Vladivostock arrived during October. 

 Everything that care and foresight could do for the mules had 

 been done before they left India, and the Expedition owes a deep 

 debt of gratitude to Lieutenant George Pulleyn of the Indian 

 army, in whose care they were, for the trouble taken over them. 

 For some time before leaving India they had been exercised in 

 rocking-boxes to develop the muscles especially brought into 

 use by the motion of a ship; and their equipment, which was sent 

 with them, had been thought out with the greatest care. As we 

 had only seven mules, the stables were built over the fore-hatch 

 on the foremost side of the ice-house, so that they all were in 

 the open air. 



The dogs travelled unattended from Japan, and the officers 

 of the different ships in which the mules and the dogs travelled 

 took every possible pains to keep them in good health, with the 

 most happy results in both cases. 



Mr. James Dennistoun joined the expedition here to take 

 charge of the mules on the way south. 



Lillie had a very fairly successful month at Wangamumu, as 

 a good many whales were caught, all however, of one species 

 the Humpback. On his return from there he went off to Mount 

 Potts in the South Island, collecting fossil plants, being for- 

 tunate in obtaining some specimens of the early Mesozoic flora. 



The programme for the cruise as far as could be foreseen 

 and according to the outline given in Captain Scott's sailing 

 orders to the ship was: 



