THE DEPOT JOURNEY 105 
the lava blocks which lay on the escarpment of Erebus, 
south-eastwards towards Land’s End, and thence to slide 
them down a steep but rubbly slope to the ice which still 
remained. As a matter of fact that ice went out the very 
next day. 
During the last two days provisions had been bagged 
with the utmost despatch; sledges packed; letters 
scribbled; clothing sorted and rough alterations to it 
made. Scott was busy, with Bowers’ help, making such 
arrangements as could be suggested for a further year’s 
stay, for which the ship was to order the necessaries. Oates 
was busy weighing out the pony food for the journey, 
sorting harness, and generally managing a most un- 
ruly mob of ponies. Many were the arguments as to the 
relative value of a pair of socks or their equivalent weight 
in tobacco, for we were allowed 12 lbs. of private gear 
apiece, to consist of everything which we did not habit- 
ually wear on our bodies. This included such things as: 
Sleeping-boots. 
Sleeping-socks. 
Extra pair of day socks. 
A shirt. 
Tobacco and pipe. 
Notebook for diary and pencil. 
Extra balaclava helmet. 
Extra woollen mitts. 
Housewife containing buttons, needles, darning 
needles, thread and wool. 
Extra pair of finnesko. 
Big safety-pins with which to hang up our socks. 
And perhaps one small book. 
My most vivid recollection of the day we started is the 
sight of Bowers, out of breath, very hot, and in great pain 
from a bad knock which he had given his knee against a 
rock, being led forward by his big pony Uncle Bill, over 
whom temporarily he had but little control. He had been 
left behind in the camp, giving last instructions about the 
storage of cases and management of provisions, and had 
