SOUTH 
Scott's parties, and they had not been in first-class condition 
when the sledging commenced. The threatened failure of a 
lamp was a matter of grave moment, since a party could not 
travel without the means of melting snow and preparing hot 
food. If Joyce took a faulty lamp past the 80° S. depot, his 
whole party might have to turn back at lat. 81° S., and this 
would imperil the success of the season's sledging. He decided, 
therefore, to send three men back from the 80° S. depot, which 
he reached on January 6, 1916. Cope, Gaze, and Jack were 
the men to return. They took the defective Primus and a 
light load, and by dint of hard travelling, without the aid of 
dogs, they reached Cape Evans on January 16. 
Joyce, Richards, and Hayward went forward with a load of 
1280 lb., comprising twelve weeks' sledging rations, dog-food 
a,nd depot supplies, in addition to the sledging-gear. They 
built cairns at short intervals as guides to the depots. Joyce 
was feeding the dogs well and giving them a hot hoosh every 
third night. " It is worth it for the wonderful amount of work 
they are doing. If we can keep them to 82° S. I can honestly 
say it is through their work we have got through." On 
January 8 Mackintosh joined Joyce, and from that point the 
parties, six men strong, went forward together. They marched 
in thick weather during January 10, 11, and 12, keeping the 
course by means of cainas, with a scrap of black cloth on top 
of each one. It was possible, by keeping the cairns in line 
behind the sledges and building new ones as old ones dis- 
appeared, to march on an approximately straight line. On the 
evening of the 12th they reached lat. 81° S., and built a large 
cairn for the depot. The stores left here were three weeks' 
rations for the ordinary sledging unit of three men. This 
quantity would provide five days' rations for twelve men, half 
for the use of the overland party, and half for the depot party 
on its return journey. 
The party moved southwards again on January 13 in bad 
weather. " After a little consultation we decided to get under 
way," wrote Joyce. "Although the weather is thick, and 
snow is falling, it is worth while to make the effort. A little 
patience with the direction and the cairns, even if one has to 
280 
