FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS 



was not attempted owing largely to the unexpected 

 loss of ponies before the winter. I laid all my plans 

 very carefully, basing them on experience I had gained 

 with the Discovery expedition, and in the fitting out of 

 the relief ships Terra Nova and Morning, and the 

 Argentine expedition that went to the relief of the 

 Swedes. I decided that I would have no committee, as 

 the expedition was entirely my own venture, and I wished 

 to supervise personally all the arrangements. 



When I found that some promises of support had 

 failed me and had learned that the Royal Geographical 

 Society, though sympathetic in its attitude, could not 

 see its way to assist financially, I approached several 

 gentlemen and suggested that they should guarantee 

 me at the bank, the guarantees to be redeemed by me in 

 1910, after the return of the expedition. It was on this 

 basis that I secured a sum of £20,000, the greater part 

 of the money necessary for the starting of the expedi- 

 tion, and I cannot express too warmly my appreciation 

 of the faith shown in me and my plans by the men who 

 gave these guarantees, which could be redeemed only 

 by the proceeds of lectures and the sale of this book after 

 the expedition had concluded its work. These prelim- 

 inary matters settled, I started to buy stores and equip- 

 ment, to negotiate for a ship, and to collect round me 

 the men who would form the expedition. 



The equipping of a polar expedition is a task demand- 

 ing experience as well as the greatest attention to 

 points of detail. When the expedition has left civilisa- 

 tion, there is no opportunity to repair any omission 

 or to secure any article that may have been forgotten. 

 It is true that the explorer is expected to be a handy 

 man, able to contrive dexterously with what materials 

 he may have at hand, but makeshift appliances mean 

 increased difficulty and added danger. The aim of 



5 



