asked for.

It was easier work now to pull our loads straight-forwardly South than to
play about and expend our uttermost effort daily on those "qualified"
motors.

Even Day confessed that his relief went hand in hand with his
disappointment. He and Hooper stood both over six feet, neither of them
had an ounce of spare flesh on them.

Lashly and I were more solid and squat, and we fixed our party up in
harness so that the tall men pulled in front while the short, heavy pair
dragged as "wheelers." Scott described our sledging here as "exceedingly
good going," we were only just starting, that is Lashly and myself, for
we two were in harness for more than three months on end.

I was very proud of the Motor Party, and determined that they should not
be overtaken by the ponies to become a drag on the main body. As it
happened, there was never a chance of this occurrence, for Scott
purposely kept down his marches to give the weaker animals a chance.

As will be seen, we were actually out-distancing the animal transport by
our average marches, for in spite of our full load we covered the
distances of 15 1/2 to 17 miles daily, until we were sure that we could
not be overtaken, before arriving at the appointed rendezvous in latitude
80 degrees 30 minutes.

Now was the time for marching though, fine weather, good surfaces, and
not too cold. The best idea, of our routine can be gleaned by a type
specimen diary page of this stage of the journey:

"_November_ 4, 1911.--Called tent at 4.50 a.m. and after building a
cairn started out at 7.25. Marched up to 'Blossom' cairn (Lat. 78
degrees 2 minutes 33 seconds S. Long. 169 degrees 3 minutes 25
seconds E.) where we tied a piece of black bunting to pull Crean's
leg--mourning for his pony. We lunched here and then marched on till
6.55 p.m., when we camped, our day's march being 15 miles 839 yards.
I built a snow cairn while supper was being prepared. Surface was very
good and we could have easily marched 20 miles, but, we were not
record breaking, but going easy till the ponies came up. All the same
we shall have to march pretty hard to keep ahead of them. Minimum
temperature: -12.7 degrees, temperature on camping +5 degrees."

We were very happy in our party, and when cooking we all sang and yarned,
nobody ever seemed tired once we got quit of the motors. We built cairns
at certain points to guide the returning parties. We had a light snowfall
on