438 
SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION 
[October 
This morning the engines were set going again, and 
shortly after 10 a.m. a fresh start was made. At first 
there were a good many stops, but on the whole the 
engines seemed to be improving all the time. They are 
not by any means working up to full power yet, and so 
the pace is very slow. The weights seem to me a good 
deal heavier than we bargained for. Day sets his motor 
going, climbs off the car, and walks alongside with an 
occasional finger on the throttle. Lashly hasn't yet 
quite got hold of the nice adjustments of his control 
levers, but I hope will have done so after a day's practice. 
The only alarming incident was the slipping of the 
chains when Day tried to start on some ice very thinly 
covered with snow. The starting effort on such heavily 
laden sledges is very heavy, but I thought the grip of the 
pattens and studs would have been good enough on any 
surface. Looking at the place afterwards I found that the 
studs had grooved the ice. 
Now as I write at 12.30 the machines are about a mile 
out in the South Bay ; both can be seen still under weigh, 
progressing steadily if slowly. 
I find myself immensely eager that these tractors 
should succeed, even though they may not be of great 
help to our southern advance. A small measure of success 
will be enough to show their possibilities, their ability to 
revolutionise Polar transport. Seeing the machines at 
work to-day, and remembering that every defect so far 
shown is purely mechanical, it is impossible not to be 
convinced of their value. But the trifling mechanical 
defects and lack of experience show the risk of cutting out 
