asses at the Admiralty, who swung the ship and adjusted our
compasses. Captain Scott joined us on the 4th and paid a visit with his
"yacht" to the R.Y.S. at Cows. On the 6th we completed a series of
magnetic observations in the Solent, after which many officers were
entertained by Captain Mark Kerr in the ill-fated "Invincible." We were
royally looked after, but I am ashamed to say we cleared most of his
canvas and boatswain's stores out of the ship. Perhaps a new 3 1/2-inch
hawser found its way to the "Terra Nova"; anyway, if the "Invincible's"
stores came on board the exploring vessel she made good use of them and
saved them their Jutland fate. We left the Solent in high feather on the
following day.

The "Sea Horse" took us in tow to the Needles, from whence H.M.S.
"Cumberland," Cadets' Training Ship; towed us to Weymouth Bay. This was
poor Scott's last Naval review. He had landed at Portsmouth and busied
himself with the Expedition's affairs and rejoined us at Weymouth in time
to steam through the Home Fleet assembled in Portland Harbour. We steamed
out of the 'hole in the wall' at the western end of Portland Breakwater
and rounded Portland Bill at sunset on our way to Cardiff, where we were
to be received by my own Welsh friends and endowed with all good things.
We were welcomed by the citizens of the great Welsh seaport with
enthusiasm. Free docking, free coal, defects made good for nothing, an
office and staff placed at our disposal, in fact everything was done with
an open-hearted generosity. We took another 300 tons of patent fuel on
board and nearly 100 tons of Insole's best Welsh steaming coal, together
with the bulk of our lubricating oils. When complete with fuel we met
with our first setback, for the little ship settled deeply in the water
and the seams, which had up till now been well above the water-line,
leaked in a way that augured a gloomy future for the crew in the nature
of pumping. With steam up this did not mean anything much, but under sail
alone, unless we could locate the leaky seams, it meant half an hour to
an hour's pumping every watch. We found a very leaky spot in the fore
peak, which was mostly made good by cementing.

On the 15th June we left the United Kingdom after a rattling good time in
Cardiff. Many shore boats and small craft accompanied us down the Bristol
Channel as far as Breaksea Light Vessel. We hoisted the Cardiff flag at
the fore and the Welsh flag at the mizen--some wag poi