everybody sitting round the ward-room table sucking pens or pencils, looking very wooden-faced and nonchalant despite the fact that we were most certainly writing to our nearest and dearest, sending through our letters an unwritten prayer that we should be spared after steadfastly performing our alloted tasks with credit to our flag and with credit to those at whose feet we yearned to lay the laurels we hoped to win.  Even as I wrote my farewell letters Captain Scott, Wilson, Bowers, and Nelson found time to write to my wife; Scott’s letter may well be included here for it shows his thoughtfulness and consideration: 

   “January, 25, 1911,
   Glacier Tongue,
   McMurdo Sound.

“Dear Mrs. Evans,—­I thought you might be glad to have a note to tell you how fit and well your good man is looking, his cheery optimism has already helped me in many difficulties and at the present moment he is bubbling over with joy at the ‘delights’ of his first sledge trip.

“He will have told you all the news and the ups and downs of our history to date, and you will have guessed that he has always met the misfortunes with a smile and the successes with a cheer, so that very little remains for me to say—­except that I daily grow more grateful to you for sparing him for this venture.  I feel that he is going to be a great help in every way and that it will go hard if, with so many good fellows, we should fail in our objects.

“Before concluding I should really like to impress on you how little cause you have for anxiety.  We have had the greatest luck in finding and establishing our winter quarters, and if I could go shopping to-morrow I should not know what to buy to add to our comfort.  We are reaping a full reward for all those months of labour in London, in which your husband took so large a share—­if you picture us after communication is cut off it must be a very bright picture, almost a scene of constant revelry, with your husband in the foreground amongst those who are merry and content—­I am sure we are going to be a very happy family and most certainly we shall be healthy and well cared for.

   “With all kind regards and hopes that you will not allow yourself to
  be worried till your good man comes safely home again.

   “Yours sincerely,

   “R.  SCOTT.”

I said my good-byes after an early tea to the fellows of the “Terra Nova” and also to the Eastern party, the lieutenants saw me over the side, and I went away with a big lump in my throat, then Nelson and I took out a 10-ft. sledge with 530 lb. of fodder on it—­rather too heavy a load, but it all helped, and the sea ice surface was none too bad.  We did not get to camp till 10.35 p.m.:  Meares, with his usual good-heartedness, came out from the tent and helped us in for the last miles or so.  He had driven the dogs out with another load after tea time.  Uncle Bill had a fine pemmican supper