116 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 
difficulties in a snow-drift: the dogs of one team being very 
hungry took charge of their sledge and in a moment were 
on the horse, to all purposes a pack of ravenous wolves. 
Gran and Weary made a good fight and the dogs were 
driven off, but Weary came into camp without his sledge, 
covered with blood and looking very sick. 
We halted after doing only ? mile more after lunch; for 
the pony was done, and little wonder. The following day 
we did 74 miles with difficulty, both Uncle Billand Weary 
Willie going very slowly and stopping frequently. The 
going was very deep. The ponies were fast giving out, and 
it was evident that we had much to learn as to their use on 
the Barrier; they were thin and very hungry; their rations 
were unsatisfactory ; and the autumn temperatures and 
winds were beyond their strength. We went on one more 
day in a minus twenty temperature and light airs, and then 
in latitude 79° 29’ S. it was determined to lay the depéot, 
which was afterwards known as One Ton, and return. In 
view of subsequent events it should be realized that this 
depst was just a cairn of snow in which were buried food 
and oil, and over which a flag waved on a bamboo. There 
is no land visible from One Ton except ona very clear day 
and it is 130 geographical miles from Hut Point. 
We spent a day making up the mound which contained 
about a ton of provisions, oil, compressed fodder, oats and 
other necessaries for the forthcoming Polar Journey. Scott 
was satisfied with the result, and indeed this depét ensured 
that we could start southwards for the Pole fully laden from 
this point. | 
Here the party was again split into two for the return. 
Scott was anxious to get such news about the landing of | 
Campbell’s party on King Edward VII.’s Land as the ship 
should have left at Hut Point on her return journey. He | 
decided to take the two dog-teams, the first with himself 
and Meares, the second with Wilson and myself, and make 
a quick return, leaving Bowers with Oates and Gran to 
help him to bring back the five ponies, driving them one — 
behind the other. | 
