Dogs

No. 1.
lbs. 
Sledge straps and tanks              54
Drivers’ ski and bags                80
Cooker primus and instruments        50
Tank contents:  biscuit              221
Alpine rope                           5
Lamps and candles                     4
2 shovels                             9
Ready provision bag                  63
Sledge meter                          2
—–­
488

No. 2.
lbs. 
Sledge straps and tanks 54
Drivers’ ski and bags 80
Tank contents:  food bags 324
Tent and poles 33
—–­
491

10-ft. sledge:  men’s harness, extra tent.

Thursday, January 26.—­Yesterday I went to the ship with a dog team.  All went well till the dogs caught sight of a whale breeching in the 30 ft. lead and promptly made for it!  It was all we could do to stop them before we reached the water.

Spent the day writing letters and completing arrangements for the ship—­a brisk northerly breeze sprang up in the night and the ship bumped against the glacier until the pack came in as protection from the swell.  Ponies and dogs arrived about 1 P.M., and at 5 we all went out for the final start.

A little earlier Pennell had the men aft and I thanked them for their splendid work.  They have behaved like bricks and a finer lot of fellows never sailed in a ship.  It was good to get their hearty send off.  Before we could get away Ponting had his half-hour photographing us, the ponies and the dog teams—­I hope he will have made a good thing of it.  It was a little sad to say farewell to all these good fellows and Campbell and his men.  I do most heartily trust that all will be successful in their ventures, for indeed their unselfishness and their generous high spirit deserves reward.  God bless them.

So here we are with all our loads.  One wonders what the upshot will be.  It will take three days to transport the loads to complete safety; the break up of the sea ice ought not to catch us before that.  The wind is from the S.E. again to-night.

Friday, January 27.—­Camp 2.  Started at 9.30 and moved a load of fodder 3 3/4 miles south—­returned to camp to lunch—­then shifted camp and provisions.  Our weights are now divided into three loads:  two of food for ponies, one of men’s provisions with some ponies’ food.  It is slow work, but we retreat slowly but surely from the chance of going out on the sea ice.

We are camped about a mile south of C. Armitage.  After camping I went to the east till abreast of Pram Point, finding the ice dangerously thin off C. Armitage.  It is evident we must make a considerable detour to avoid danger.  The rest of the party went to the Discovery hut to see what could be done towards digging it out.  The report is unfavourable, as I expected.  The drift inside has become very solid—­it would take weeks of work to clear it.  A great deal of biscuit and some butter, cocoa, &c., was seen, so that we need not have any anxiety about provisions if delayed in returning to Cape Evans.