PONIES LAME 



Glacier Tongue were taken down by the penguin rookery 

 and over to the rough ice. At 9.30 a.m. the supporting 

 party started and was soon out of sight, as the motor 

 was running well. At 10 a.m. we four of the Southern 

 Party followed. As we left the hut where we had spent 

 so many months in comfort, we had a feeling of real 

 regret that never again would we all be together there. 

 It was dark inside, the acetylene was feeble in com- 

 parison with the sun outside, and it was small compared 

 to an ordinary dwelling, yet we were sad at leaving it. 

 Last night as we were sitting at dinner the evening 

 sun entered through the ventilator and a circle of light 

 shone on the picture of the Queen. Slowly it moved 

 across and lit up the photograph of his Majesty the 

 King. This seemed an omen of good luck, for only 

 on that day and at that particular time could this have 

 happened, and to-day we started to strive to plant the 

 Queen's flag on the last spot of the world. At 10 a.m. 

 we met Murray and Roberts, and said good-bye, then 

 went on our way. Both of these, who were to be left, 

 had done for me all that men could do in their own 

 particular line of work to try and make our little expedi- 

 tion a success. A clasp of the hands means more than 

 many words, and as we turned to acknowledge their 

 cheer and saw them standing on the ice by the familiar 

 cliffs, I felt that we must try to do well for the sake of 

 every one concerned in the expedition. 



Hardly had we been going for an hour when Socks 

 went dead lame. This was a bad shock, for Quan had 

 for a full week been the same. We had thought that 

 our troubles in this direction were over. Socks must 

 have hurt himself on some of the sharp ice. We had 

 to go on, and I trust that in a few days he will be all 

 right. I shall not start from our depot at Hut Point 

 until he is better or until I know actually what is going 

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