INTRODUCTION li 
been made without success. Would Campbell winter where 
he was? Would he try to sledge down the coast ? 
In the absence of Scott the command of the expedi- 
tion under the extraordinarily difficult circumstances which 
arose, both now and during the coming year, would natur- 
ally have devolved upon Lieutenant Evans. But Evans, 
very sick, was on his way to England. The task fell to 
Atkinson, and I hope that these pages will show how diffi- 
cult it was, and how well he tackled it. 
There were now, that is since the arrival of the dog- 
teams, four of us at Hut Point; and no help could be got 
from Cape Evans owing to the open water which inter- 
vened. T'wo of us were useless for further sledging and the 
dogs were absolutely done. As time went on anxiety con- 
cerning the non-arrival of the Polar Party was added to the 
alarm we already felt about Campbell and his men; winter 
was fast closing down, and the weather was bad. So little 
could be done by two men. What was to be done? When 
was it to be done with the greatest possible chance of suc- 
cess? Added to all his greater anxieties Atkinson had me 
on his hands—and I was pretty ill. 
In the end he made two attempts. 
The first with one seaman, Keohane, to sledge out on 
to the Barrier, leaving on March 26. They found the con- 
ditions very bad, but reached a point a few miles south 
of Corner Camp and returned. Soon after we knew the 
Southern Party must be dead. 
Nothing more could be done until communication was 
effected with Winter Quarters at Cape Evans. This was 
done by a sledge journey over the newly frozen ice in the 
bays on April ro. Help arrived at Hut Point on April 14. 
The second attempt was then made, and this consisted 
of a party of four men who tried to sledge up the Western 
Coast in order to meet and help Campbell if he was trying 
to sledge to us. This plucky attempt failed, as indeed it 
was practically certain it would. 
The story of the winter that followed will be told, and 
of the decision which had to be taken to abandon either the 
search for the Polar Party (who must be dead) and their 
