rds we encountered on the depot journey.

Bowers and Co. made a good start, but the ponies they had were
undoubtedly tired and listless after their hard journey, they were also
in bad condition and frequently had to be rested. When they had advanced
some way towards Hut Point over good strong sea ice, cracks became
apparent and a slight swell showed Bowers that the sea ice was actually
on the move. Directly this was appreciated his party turned and hastened
back, but the ice was drifting out to sea. The ponies behaved splendidly,
jumping the ever widening cracks with extraordinary sagacity, whilst
Bowers and his two companions launched the sledges over the water spaces
in order not to risk the ponies' legs. Eventually they reached what
looked like a safe place and, since men and ponies were thoroughly
exhausted, camp was pitched and the weary party soon fell asleep, but at
4.30 the next morning Bowers awoke hearing a strange noise. He opened the
tent and found the party in a dreadful plight--the ice had again
commenced to break up and they were surrounded by water. One of the
ponies had disappeared into the sea. Camp was again struck and for five
hours this plucky little party fought their way over three-quarters of a
mile of drifting ice. They never for an instant thought of abandoning
their charge, realising that Scott's Polar plans would in all probability
be ruined if four more ponies were lost with their sledges and equipment.
Crean, with great gallantry, went for support, clambering with difficulty
over the ice. He jumped from floe to floe and at last climbed up the face
of the Barrier from a piece of ice which swung round in the tideway and
just touched the ice cliff at the right moment. Cherry-Garrard stayed
with Bowers at his request, for this undaunted little seaman would never
give up his charge while a gleam of hope remained.

For a whole day these two were afloat on a floe about 150 ft. square, all
the ice around was broken up into similar floes, which were rising and
falling at least a foot to the heavy swell. A moderate breeze was blowing
from the eastward, and nothing was visible above the haze and frost smoke
except the tops of two islands named White and Black Islands, and the
hills around Hut Point. Whilst Crean was clambering over bits of ice and
jumping by means of connecting pieces from one big floe to another, his
progress was watched by Bowers through the telescope of a theodolite. One
can gather