i 9 o 3 ] RETURN TO THE SHIP 219 



of figures of which our party might justifiably feel proud. In 

 our last absence of fifty-nine days we had travelled 725 miles ; 

 for nine complete days we had been forced to remain in camp, 

 so that this distance had been accomplished in fifty marching 

 days, and gave a daily average of 14-5 miles. 



Taking the eighty-one days of absence which had con- 

 stituted our whole sledging season, I found that Evans, Lashly, 

 and I had covered 1,098 miles, at an average of 15*4 miles a 

 day, and that, not including minor undulations, we had climbed 

 heights which totalled to 19,800 feet. 



I started my account of this journey by saying that I 

 thought we came near the limit of possible performance in the 

 circumstances, and I hope these figures will be considered as 

 justifying that remark. What the circumstances were I have 

 endeavoured to show, but when it is considered that to the 

 rigours of a polar climate were added those which must be 

 a necessary consequence of a great altitude, it needs little 

 explanation to prove that they were exceptionally severe. 



We may claim, therefore, to have accomplished a creditable 

 journey under the hardest conditions on record, but for my 

 part I devoutly hope that wherever my future wanderings may 

 trend, they will never again lead me to the summit of Victoria 

 Land. 



The four persons whom we found on board the ' Discovery ' 

 on our return were Dr. Koettlitz, our ship's steward, Handsley 

 (who had not yet fully recovered from his chest troubles), and 

 Quartley (who had received a slight injury on the southern 

 journey). All the remainder of our company had gone to the 

 north, in accordance with our pre-arranged plan, to saw through 

 the ice. I purposed shortly to go in this direction myself, but 

 after our excessive work the usual reaction set in, and I 

 thought that my small party had earned a few days' rest in 

 which we might renew our energies. Communications with 

 the northern camp were of daily occurrence, thanks to our new 

 team of dogs, which had been brought into capital working 

 order by their driver, Dell. 



It was not long therefore before I learnt the outlines of the 



