FINAL INSTRUCTIONS 



which was to be under the command of Joyce, was to 

 return to Hut Point, reload its sledge, and march out 

 to the depot a second time, to await the arrival of the 

 Southern Party there until February 10. If we had then 

 not arrived, they were to go back to Hut Point and 

 thence to the ship. 



If the ice in the sound broke out, the ship, which 

 should reach the winter quarters late in December or 

 early in January, was to watch for the Northern and 

 Western Parties, which would signal from Butter Point. 

 If nothing had been heard of Professor David, Mawson 

 and Mackay by February 1, the Nimrod was to proceed 

 to Granite Harbour and search for record on the north 

 side of the entrance to the harbour. If there was no 

 record the ship was to proceed north as far as the low 

 beach on the north side of the Drygalski Barrier, keeping 

 as close as practicable to the shore and making a 

 thorough search for the party. The Nimrod was to 

 return to winter quarters not later than February 10. 

 In the event of the non-return of the Southern Party, 

 the Nimrod was to make another search for the Northern 

 Party, examining the coast as thoroughly as was com- 

 patible with the safety of the ship. The return of the 

 Southern Party was to be expected after the first week 

 in February, and the men at the winter quarters were 

 to watch for a flash signal from Glacier Tongue between 

 noon and 1 p.m. each day. If the ice had broken out 

 south of the Tongue, the ship was to be sent down to 

 Hut Point occasionally to look for the party. In the 

 meantime all the collections and gear were to be placed 

 on board the ship in preparation for the final departure. 



It was necessary to prepare for the non-return of 

 the Southern Party, although we were taking no gloomy 

 view of our prospects, and I therefore left full instruc- 

 tions for the conduct of the expedition in the event of 



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