ALL ABOARD: THE RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND 



rpHE Nimrod, with the members of the Northern 

 Party aboard, got back to the winter quarters 

 on February 11 and landed Mawson. The hut party 

 at this period consisted of Murray, Priestley, Mawson, 

 Day and Roberts. No news had been heard of the 

 Southern Party, and the Depot Party, commanded by 

 Joyce, was still out. The ship lay under Glacier Tongue 

 most of the time, making occasional visits to Hut Point 

 in case some of the men should have returned. On 

 February 20 it was found that the Depot Party had 

 reached Hut Point, and had not seen the Southern 

 Party. The temperature was becoming lower, and the 

 blizzards were more frequent. 



The instruction left by me had provided that if 

 we had not returned by February 25, a party was to 

 be landed at Hut Point, with a team of dogs, and on 

 March 1 a search-party was to go south. On Febru- 

 ary 21 Murray and Captain Evans began to make prep- 

 arations for the landing of the rehef party. The ship 

 proceeded to Cape Royds where Mawson was picked 

 up. In accordance with my expressed wish he was 

 offered the command of the relief party, and accepted 

 it. If it became necessary to go south in search of the 

 Southern Party the men landed at Hut Point would 

 have to spend another winter in the south, as the ship 

 could not wait until their return. It was therefore 

 a serious matter for those who stayed, but there was 

 no lack of volunteers. These arrangements being com- 



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