THE DEPOT JOURNEY 1513 
Scott on the ‘ floe’ incident, which he asked me to set down 
long afterwards, I said, ‘In reconsidering the foregoing I 
have come to the conclusion that I underestimated the 
danger signs on the sea-ice on February 28, and on the 
following day might have attached more importance to the 
safety of my companions. As it was, however, all circum- 
stances seemed to conspire together to make the situation 
unavoidable.’ I did not forget to mention the splendid be- 
haviour of Cherry and Crean, and, for my own part, I have 
no regrets. I took the blame for my lack of experience, but 
knew that having done everything I could do, it did not 
concern me if anybody liked to criticize my action. My 
Own opinion is that it just had to be, the circumstances 
leading to it were too devious for mere coincidence. Six 
hours earlier we could have walked to the hut on sound 
sea-ice. A few hours later we should have seen open water 
on arrival at the Barrier edge. The blizzard that knocked 
out the beasts, the death of Weary, the misunderstanding 
of the dogs, everything, fitted in to place us on the sea-ice 
during the only two hours of the whole year that we could 
possibly have been in such a position. Let those who be- 
lieve in coincidence carry on believing. Nobody will ever 
convince me that there was not something more. Perhaps 
in the light of next year we shall see what was meant by 
such an apparent blow to our hopes. Certainly we shall 
start for the Pole with less of that foolish spirit of blatant 
boast and ridiculous blind self-assurance, that characterized 
some of us on leaving Cardiff. 
. “Poor Captain Scott had now a new anxiety thrust 
ufon him. The Winter Station with ponies, stores and 
motors was all situated on a low beach not twenty yards 
from the water’s edge, and now that the ice had gone out 
(and the hut was not six feet above sea-level at the floor) 
how had they fared in the storm ? This was a problem we 
could not solve without going to see. Cape Evans, though 
dimly in sight, was as far off as New Zealand till the sea 
froze over. The idea of attempting the shoulder of Erebus 
did occur to Captain Scott, but it was so heavily crevassed 
as to make a journey from our side almost impossible. 
