And we finally left the camp in a state of hurry bordering upon panic.  Since the ice to the south of us, the road to the Barrier, was being nibbled away by thaw, winds and tides, it was impossible to lead the ponies down from the Cape on to the sea-ice.  The open sea was before us and on our right front.  It was necessary to lead them up among the lava blocks which lay on the escarpment of Erebus, south-eastwards towards Land’s End, and thence to slide them down a steep but rubbly slope to the ice which still remained.  As a matter of fact that ice went out the very next day.

During the last two days provisions had been bagged with the utmost despatch; sledges packed; letters scribbled; clothing sorted and rough alterations to it made.  Scott was busy, with Bowers’ help, making such arrangements as could be suggested for a further year’s stay, for which the ship was to order the necessaries.  Oates was busy weighing out the pony food for the journey, sorting harness, and generally managing a most unruly mob of ponies.  Many were the arguments as to the relative value of a pair of socks or their equivalent weight in tobacco, for we were allowed 12 lbs. of private gear apiece, to consist of everything which we did not habitually wear on our bodies.  This included such things as: 

Sleeping-boots. 
Sleeping-socks. 
Extra pair of day socks. 
A shirt. 
Tobacco and pipe. 
Notebook for diary and pencil. 
Extra balaclava helmet. 
Extra woollen mitts. 
Housewife containing buttons, needles, darning needles,
thread and wool. 
Extra pair of finnesko. 
Big safety-pins with which to hang up our socks. 
And perhaps one small book.

My most vivid recollection of the day we started is the sight of Bowers, out of breath, very hot, and in great pain from a bad knock which he had given his knee against a rock, being led forward by his big pony Uncle Bill, over whom temporarily he had but little control.  He had been left behind in the camp, giving last instructions about the storage of cases and management of provisions, and had practically lost himself in trying to follow us over what was then unknown ground.  He was wearing all the clothing which was not included in his personal gear, for he did not think it fair to give the pony the extra weight.  He had bruised his leg in an ugly way, and for many days he came to me to bandage it.  He was afraid that if he let the doctors see it they would forbid him to go forward.  He had had no sleep for seventy-two hours.

That first night (January 24) we pitched our inexperienced camp not far from Hut Point.  But our first taste of sledging was not without incident.  Starting with the ponies only we walked them to Glacier Tongue, where the ice and open water joined, and as we went we watched the ship pass us out in the Strait and moor up to the end of the Tongue.  Getting the ponies across the Tongue with its shallow but numerous