er by each returning unit--realising that the
descent of the Glacier would knock our sledges about and most likely
break them up to some extent.

We were now organised into three teams of four, pulling 170 lb. per man,
and in this formation we made the advance up the Glacier.

The teams were as follows:

1.--Scott. 2.--Evans (Lieut.) 3.--Bowers.
Wilson. Atkinson. Cherry-Garrard
Oates. Wright. Crean.
Evans (Seaman). Lashly. Keohane.

With us we kept the dog teams pulling 600 lb. of our own weights and the
200 lb. gross for placing in the Lower Glacier Depot.

Soft snow made the dragging very heavy, and in the afternoon, working on
ski, I am sorry to say my party dropped astern and got into camp an hour
late--it could not be helped, we had borne the brunt of the hard work;
Lashly and I had man-hauled daily for five weeks, and Atkinson and Wright
for some time also. I had a long talk next morning after breakfast with
Captain Scott. He was disappointed with our inability to keep up with the
speed of the main party, but I pointed out that we could not expect to do
the same as fresh men--the other eight had only put on the sledge harness
for the first time on December 10: Scott agreed, but seemed worried and
fretful. However that may be, we got into the lunch camp first of the
three sledges, to have our short-lived triumph turned to disaster by a
very poor show after the meal--Scott was much disappointed and
dissatisfied: he appeared to think Atkinson was done; Wilson said Wright
was played out and Lashly tired. They both seemed to think I was all
right, but all the same I felt that my unit had been called on to do more
than its share and was suffering as a natural consequence. The depot was
built in a conspicuous position, and this done, Meares's work ended. He
and Dimitri came along with us for a while and then turned back for a
long, lonely run over the inhospitable Barrier.

To help us Meares and the Russian dog-boy had travelled farther South
than their return rations allowed for, and for the 450 mile Northward
march to Cape Evans the two of them went short one meal a day rather than
deplete the depots. It is a dreadful thing on an Antarctic sledge journey
to forfeit a whole meal daily, and Meares's generosity should not be
forgotten.

The advance of Scott's men up the Beardmore was retarded considerabl