1066 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 
practically lost himself in trying to follow us over what was 
then unknown ground. He was wearing all the clothing © 
which was not included in his personal gear, for he did not 
think it fair to give the pony the extra weight. He had 
bruised his leg in an ugly way, and for many days he came 
to me to bandage it. He was afraid that if he let the doctors 
see it they would forbid him to go forward. He had had no 
sleep for seventy-two hours. 
That first night (January 24) we pitched our inex- 
perienced camp not far from Hut Point. But our first taste 
of sledging was not without incident. Starting with the 
ponies only we walked them to Glacier Tongue, where the 
ice and open water joined, and as we went we watched the 
ship pass us out in the Strait and moor up to the end of the 
Tongue. Getting the ponies across the Tongue with its 
shallow but numerous crevasses and holes was ticklish 
work, but we tethered them safely off the Terra Nova, 
which meanwhile was landing dogs, sledges and gear. 
Then we got some lunch on board. A large lead in the sea- 
ice to the south of the Tongue necessitated some hours’ 
work in man-hauling all sledges along the back of the 
Tongue until a way could be found down on to safe ice. 
We then followed with the ponies. “Ifa pony falls into 
one of these holes I shall sit down and cry,”’ said Oates. 
Within three minutes my pony was wallowing, with only 
his head and forelegs visible, in a mess of brash and snow, 
which had concealed a crack in the sea-ice which was 
obviously not going to remain much longer in its present 
position. We got lashings round him and hauled him out. 
Poor Guts! He was fated to drown: but in an hour he 
appeared to have forgotten all about his mishap, and was 
pulling his first load towards Hut Point as gallantly as 
always. 
The next day we took further stores from the ship to 
the camp which had formed. Some of these loads were to 
be left on the edge of the Barrier when we got there, but 
for the present we had to relay, that is, take one load for- 
ward and come back for another. 
On the 26th we sledged back to the ship for our last 
