1912] 
ARRIVE AT CAPE EVANS 
179 
news of the loss of the Polar Party. The names of the 
party were not given, and finding Atkinson in charge of the 
search party which had started, I was afraid two units, 
or eight men, were lost. Finding a sledge only slightly 
damaged I took that back to the camp, getting back there 
about 5 P.M. 
We were all rather tired, so instead of starting straight 
on to Cape Evans, we had supper and went to sleep. Before 
turning in we made a depot of the broken sledge, all rock 
specimens, clothes, and food, so as to travel light to Cape 
Evans. I was very anxious to get there as soon as possible, 
as I thought there was a chance that there might be one 
or two mules or enough dogs to enable me to follow the 
search party. It had been a great disappointment for us 
to have missed them by a week, as we were all anxious 
to join in the search. 
November 7. — 4 a.m. A lovely morning. After a 
hasty breakfast we were off, arriving at Cape Evans at 
5 P.M. We found no one at home, but a letter on the door 
of the hut gave us all the news and the names of the lost 
party. Very soon Debenham and Archer returned, giving 
us a most hearty welcome, and no one can realise what it 
meant to us to see new faces and to be home after our long 
winter. Our clothes, letters, &c., had been landed from the 
ship, and we were able to read our home letters, which 
we had only time to glance at in the ship in February, 
Archer provided a sumptuous dinner that night, and we 
sailed into it in a way that made Debenham hold his 
breath. A bath and change of clothes completed the 
transformation. 
N 2 
