88 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 
clothing—I do not know how many times we sledged over 
that sea-ice, but 1 do know that we were landed as regards 
all essentials in six days. “ Nothing like it has been done 
before ; nothing so expeditious and complete.” 1... and 
“Words cannot express the splendid way in which every 
one works.’’? 
The two motors, the two dog-teams, man-hauling 
parties, and, as they were passed for work by Oates, the 
ponies; all took part in this transport. As usual Bowers 
knew just where everything was, and where it was to go, 
and he was most ably seconded on the ship by Rennick and 
Bruce. Both man-hauling parties and pony-leaders com- 
monly did ten journeys a day, a distance of over thirty 
miles. The ponies themselves did one to three or four 
journeys as they were considered fit. 
Generally speaking the transport seemed satisfactory, 
but it soon became clear that sea-ice was very hard on the 
motor sledge runners. “‘’The motor sledges are working 
well, but not very well; the small difficulties will be got 
over, but I rather fear they will never draw the loads we 
expect of them. Still they promise to be a help, and they 
are a lively and attractive feature of our present scene as 
they drone along over the floe. Ata little distance, without 
silencers, they sound exactly like threshing machines.”’3 
The ponies were the real problem. It was to be ex- 
pected that they would be helpless and exhausted after their 
long and trying voyage. Not a bit of it! They were soon 
rolling about, biting one another, kicking one another, and 
any one else, with the best will in the world. After two 
days’ rest on shore, twelve of them were thought fit to do 
one journey, on which they pulled loads varying from 700 
to 1000 Ibs. with ease on the hard sea-ice surface. But it 
was soon clear that these ponies were an uneven lot. There 
were the steady workers like Punch and Nobby; there 
were one or two definitely weak ponies like Blossom, 
Bliicher and Jehu; and there were one or two strong but 
rather impossible beasts. One of these was soon known as 
Weary Willie. His outward appearance belied him, for he 
1 Scott’s Last Expedition, vol. i. p. rt 1. 2 Ibid. p. 94. 3 Ibid, p. 100. 
