We spent a day making up the mound which contained about a ton of provisions, oil, compressed fodder, oats and other necessaries for the forthcoming Polar Journey.  Scott was satisfied with the result, and indeed this depot ensured that we could start southwards for the Pole fully laden from this point.

Here the party was again split into two for the return.  Scott was anxious to get such news about the landing of Campbell’s party on King Edward VII.’s Land as the ship should have left at Hut Point on her return journey.  He decided to take the two dog-teams, the first with himself and Meares, the second with Wilson and myself, and make a quick return, leaving Bowers with Oates and Gran to help him to bring back the five ponies, driving them one behind the other.

* * * * *

THE RETURN OF THE PONY PARTY FROM ONE TON DEPOT

(From a Letter written by Bowers)

As our loads were so light Titus thought it would be better for the ponies to do their full march in one stretch and so have a longer rest.  We, therefore, decided to forgo lunch and have a good meal on camping.  The recent trails were fresh enough to follow and so saved us steering by compass, which is very difficult as the needle will only come to rest after you have been standing still for about a minute.  That march was extraordinary, the snowy mist hid all distant objects and made all close ones look gigantic.  Although we were walking on a flat undulating plain, one could not get away from the impression that the ground was hilly—­quite steep in places with deep hollows by the wayside.  Suddenly a herd of apparent cattle would appear in the distance, then you would think, ‘No, it’s a team of dogs broken loose and rushing towards you.’  In another moment one would be walking over the black dots of some old horse droppings which had been the cause of the hallucinations.  Since then I have often been completely taken in by appearances under certain conditions of light, and the novelty has worn off.  Sastrugi are the hard waves formed by wind on a snow surface; these are seldom more than a foot or so in height, and often so obscured as to be imperceptible irregularities.  On this occasion they often appeared like immense ridges until you walked over them.  After going about 10 miles we spotted a tiny black triangle in the dead white void ahead, it was over a mile away and was the lunch camp of the dogs.  We were fairly close before they broke camp and hurriedly packed up.  I thought they looked rather sheepish at having been caught up, like the hare and the tortoise again.  Still we had been marching very quickly and Scott was delighted to see Weary Willie going so well.  They then dashed off, and after completing just over 12 miles we reached Pagoda Cairn where a bale of fodder had been left.