256 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [DECEMBER 



1. Pick up Campbell and party about January I at Cape 



Adare. 



2. Re-land them in the vicinity of Wood Bay. 



3. Relieve the geological party about January 15 at Granite 



Harbour. 



4. Land mules, dogs, stores, &c., at Cape Evans. 



5. Lay out various depots according to the orders to be re- 



ceived at the Hut, in readiness for the next season's 

 work. 



6. Consistently with carrying out the above, to make bio- 



logical collections, sound, and carry out other scientific 

 work to as large an extent as possible. 



SECOND VOYAGE 



At daybreak on December 15 the ship slipped and proceeded 



with mules, dogs, and all relief stores on board. This year was 



the year of transport workers' strikes at home, and 



DeC I5 'r j ^ was on ^y tne extreme energy and determination of 



ing Lytttlton. our manager, Mr. Wyatt, and the great consideration 



shown by the shipping companies that enabled the 



stores to be shipped out in time. Until Christmas Day, we had a 



high barometer and fine weather, with fairly light but continuous 



southerly winds. This made our progress slow, but the fine 



weather more than compensated for that. 



Rennick sounded twice a day while on the New Zealand con- 

 tinental shelf and once a day afterwards, except for two and a 

 half days round about Christmas, when the weather prevented 

 this work being done. 



The motor now worked without a hitch; without it the ne- 

 cessity of crossing the Southern Sea quickly, so as to save the ani- 

 mals, would have allowed very few soundings to be taken. The 

 smooth sea also allowed the mules to be moved in their stalls, 

 so that the stables could be properly cleaned out and thoroughly 

 disinfected. 



The Sunday before Christmas, just as we were going to lunch, 



Nigger, the cat, fell overboard. He had been baiting the dogs 



on the poop, got uncomfortably close to one and, 



Dec. 24, jumping to avoid the dog, went overboard. Fortu- 



1911, 60 } \ P' ij .1 



39' S., 178 nately it was an exceptionally calm day; the sea 



39' W. boat was lowered, and Nigger, who swam pluckily, 



