THE LAST WINTER 441 



at our feet. Of course we had a dog called Peary, and 

 another one called Cooke. Peary was killed on the Barrier 

 because he would not pull. Cooke, however, was still with 

 us, and seemed to have been ostracized by his fellows, a 

 position which in some lop-sided way he enjoyed. Loose 

 dogs chased him at sight, and when Cooke appeared, and 

 others were about, a regular steeplechase started. He also 

 came up the Ramp with me one day : half-way up he sud- 

 denly turned and fled for the hut as hard as he could go : 

 three other dogs came round the rocks in full chase, and 

 they all gave the impression of thoroughly enjoying them- 

 selves. 



The question of what ought to be done for the best 

 during the coming sledging season must have been in the 

 minds of all of us. Which of the two missing parties were 

 we to try and find ? A winter journey to relieve Campbell 

 and his five men was out of the question. I doubt the 

 possibility of such a journey to Evans Coves with fit men: 

 to us at any rate it was unthinkable. Also if we could do 

 the double journey up and down, Campbell could certainly 

 do the single journey down. Add to this that there was 

 every sign of open water under the Western Mountains, 

 though this did not influence us much when the decision 

 was made. The problem as it presented itself to us was 

 much as follows : 



Campbell's Party might have been picked up by the 

 Terra Nova. Pennell meant to have another try to 

 reach him on his way north, and it was probable that 

 the ship would not be able to communicate again with 

 Cape Evans owing to ice : on the other hand it was 

 likely that the ship had not been able to relieve him. It also 

 seemed that he could not have travelled down the coast 

 at this time, owing to the state of the sea-ice. The danger 

 to him and his men was primarily during the winter: every 

 day after the winter his danger was lessened. If we started 

 in the end of October to relieve Campbell, estimating the 

 probable date of arrival of the ship, we judged that we 

 could reach him only five or six weeks before the ship 

 relieved him. All the same Campbell and his men might 



