THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



accident. My instructions to Murray on this point were 

 as follows: 



" In the event of the non-arrival of .the Southern 

 Party by February 25 you are to land sufficient coal 

 and provisions to support a party of seven men for 

 one year at Cape Royds. You are then to pick three 

 men to .stay behind, and you will pick these 

 men from volunteers. If there are no volunteers, 

 which is highly improbable, you are to select three 

 men and order them to stay. You will give these 

 three men instructions to proceed at once to the 

 south on the 168th meridian in search of the Southern 

 Party, the leader using discretion as to the time they 

 should take over the search. You are to leave all the 

 dogs ashore to assist this party. You will instruct 

 them to search for the remains of the Southern Party 

 in the following summer. You are to use your dis- 

 cretion as to any other orders you may think it 

 desirable to issue. The Nimrod is to land as much 

 sugar, fruit and jam as possible. There are ample 

 provisions otherwise, but anything in the way of 

 dainties or special vegetables should be landed. 

 There are sufficient ordinary vegetables. The Nimrod 

 is also to land any clothing that you may think 

 necessary for the party of three men remaining 

 behind. ... In the event of J. B. Adams returning 

 and my non-return, he is in full command of the 

 whole expedition, and has my instructions in the 

 matter. The ship must on the 1st of March steam 

 to the entrance of McMurdo Sound to see the ice 

 conditions, and if there is no heavy pack likely to 

 hold her up, she can return to Cape Royds again; 

 but I think that the utmost limit for the date to which 

 you should remain is the 10th of March, 1909, as if we 



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