SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
CHAPTER I 
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 
The Final Preparations in New Zealand 
The first three weeks of November have gone with such 
a rush that I have neglected my diary and can only 
patch it up from memory. 
The dates seem unimportant, but throughout the 
period the officers and men of the ship have been 
unremittingly busy. 
On arrival the ship was cleared of all the shore party, 
stores, including huts, sledges, &c. Within five days 
she was in dock. Bowers attacked the ship's stores, 
surveyed, relisted, and restowed them, saving very much 
space by unstowing numerous cases and stowing the con- 
tents in the lazarette. Meanwhile our good friend Miller 
attacked the leak and traced it to the stern. We found 
the false stem split, and in one case a hole bored for a 
long-stem through-bolt which was much too large for the 
bolt. Miller made the excellent job in overcoming this 
difficulty which I expected, and since the ship has been 
afloat and loaded the leak is found to be enormouslv 
