320 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 



with Victor, Seaman Evans with Snatcher, Crean with 

 Bones. 



Each of these three parties was self-contained with tent, 

 cooker and weekly bag, and the times of starting were so 

 planned that the three parties arrived at the end of the 

 march about the same time. 



There was a strong head wind and low drift as we 

 rounded Cape Armitage on our way to the Barrier and 

 the future. Probably there were few of us who did 

 not wonder when we should see the old familiar place 

 again. 



Scott's party camped at Safety Camp as the Baltic fleet 

 were getting under weigh again. Soon afterwards Ponting 

 appeared with a dog sledge and a cinematograph, — how 

 anomalous it seemed — which " was up in time to catch the 

 flying rearguard which came along in fine form, Snatcher 

 leading and being stopped every now and again — a won- 

 derful little beast. Christopher had given the usual trouble 

 when harnessed, but was evidently subdued by the Barrier 

 Surface. However, it was not thought advisable to halt 

 him, and so the party fled through in the wake of the ad- 

 vance guard." 1 



Immediately afterwards Scott's party packed up. 

 " Good-bye and good luck," from Ponting, a wave of the 

 hand not holding in a frisky pony and we had left the 

 last link with the hut. "The future is in the lap of 

 the gods ; I can think of nothing left undone to deserve 

 success." 2 



The general scheme was to average 10 miles (11.5 

 statute) a day from Hut Point to One Ton Depot with 

 the ponies lightly laden. From One Ton to the Gateway 

 a daily average of 13 miles (15 statute) was necessary to 

 carry twenty-four weekly units of food for four men each 

 to the bottom of the glacier. This was the Barrier Stage 

 of the journey, a distance of 369 miles (425 statute) as 

 actually run on our sledge-meter. The twenty-four weekly 

 units of food were to carry the Polar Party and two sup- 

 porting parties forward to their farthest point, and back 



1 Scott's Last Expedition, vol. i. p. 449. 2 Ibid. p. 446. 



