ch. lvii] The Societies" Expedition 
459 
reached some rocks, and ultimately groped their way to 
the ship. 
Armitage was at once despatched with a relief party 
and a sledge laden with warm clothing and medical 
comforts, and fortunately not in vain. They came upon 
Lieut. Barne with two men, and learnt that when Barne 
left the rest in search of Evans, he found himself flying 
down an icy slope at a furious pace until he was stopped 
by soft snow. Within a few feet of him was Evans, then 
Ouartley came hurtling down. The soft snow saved all 
three, for they were on the brink of the precipice over 
which poor Vince had been hurled. 
All hope of finding young Hare, a lad of 18 who had 
been shipped at Lyttelton, had been given up. But on 
March 13th, a solitary figure was seen staggering towards 
the ship. It was Hare, exhausted and famished, but 
free from frost bites. He had been buried in the snow 
for thirty-six hours without food. His preservation was 
little short of miraculous. Of Vince's fate, however, 
there could be no doubt, though his body was never found. 
He was a fine young seaman, very popular, always 
obliging and cheerful. A cross, firmly fixed, was erected 
to his memory. Royds and his companions returned 
some days afterwards. 
The explorers now entered upon a very severe 
Antarctic winter in 77 0 52' S. All the scientific observers 
were soon steadily at work, and occupations were found 
for officers and men alike. Every Tuesday, after dinner, 
there was a debate in the ward-room on a given subject. 
The South Polar Times came out periodically, edited by 
Shackleton, and most beautifully illustrated by Dr Wilson. 
Some of the men, as well as officers, contributed. The 
men acted the drama of the " Ticketof-Leave Man" in 
the large hut, with Barne as stage manager. 
Captain Scott, throughout the winter, was diligently 
studying the problems connected with sledge travelling. 
In many respects Arctic sledging conditions differ from 
those of the Antarctic regions. The cold in the spring 
and summer is very much more severe in the south, where 
the thermometer often falls below - 6o° Fahr. On the 
other hand the southern traveller escapes the misery of 
water on the floes, which renders travelling in an Arctic 
