ld be sufficient to support it for about two months, to
provide for the possibility of the failure of the ship to return.

I imagine this landing will be effected about January 18 or 19, and the
party should be instructed to be prepared to be re-embarked on February
15. It will, of course, be under your orders, and you should be careful
that the place for relief is thoroughly understood by all concerned.

After landing this party you will proceed to Cape Evans, and should you
reach it on or about January 23 you will have three weeks in McMurdo
Sound before proceeding to finally relieve the Geological Party.

There will be a great deal of work to be done and very little assistance:
the order in which it is performed must depend on the state of the ice,
etc., but of course the practical work of relieving the station must take
precedence in point of importance.

Simpson will remain in charge of the station, and is provided with
complete lists of the stores remaining, together with the requirements
for the future. Bowers will have left a letter for you concerning these
matters. It is probable that a good many of the stores you bring will not
be required on shore, and in any case you will easily determine what is
wanted. If 10 tons of patent fuel remain, we shall not require more than
15 tons of additional fuel.

In addition to stores I hope you will be landing some fresh transport
animals. Oates has drawn a plan for extending the stable accommodation,
which will be left with Simpson. The carpenter should be landed for this
work and for the few small alterations in the hut accommodation which may
be necessary.

The Discovery Hut at Cape Armitage has now been put into fairly good
order, and anticipating that returning parties may have to remain there
for some time, as we did last year, I am arranging to transport a
quantity of stores to Hut Point. In case the ponies are unable to finish
this work, I should like you to complete it at some convenient season.
According to circumstances you will probably wait till the ice has broken
well back.

Mails and letters for members of the Southern Party should be taken to
Hut Point and left in clearly marked boxes.

Simpson will inform you of the plan on which the Southern Journey is
being worked. The first returning parties from the South should reach Hut
Point towards the end of January. At as early a date as convenient I
should like you to proceed to the Western side of the So