Nilsen, the first lieutenant of the Fram who is taking her back after landing the party, and a young lieutenant whose name none of us caught, to lunch.  After lunch a party of officers and men went to see the rest of the Norwegians, see over the ship, and say good-bye.  I did not go and was able to show Lieut.  Jensen over the ship in the meantime.  About three o’clock we let go the ice anchor and parted from the Fram, steaming along the ice very slowly in order to dredge from 190 to 300 fathoms.  The haul was successful, about two bucketsful of the muddy bottom being secured, and a still more valuable catch from the biological point of view were two long crinoids, about a couple of feet in length and in fairly perfect condition, which had become attached to the outside of the net.

“We are now standing along the Barrier continuing our survey to the bight we first struck, after which we sail to Cape Evans, stay a day there and then make up North to try and effect a lodgment on the coast beyond Cape Adare.

“During the morning Browning and I examined the ice-face forming the eastern face of the bight.  We found it to be made of clear ice of grain from a quarter to three-eighths of an inch in size and full of bubbles.

“On the way there I took a couple of photographs of some of Amundsen’s dogs, and when we were there I got a few of crevasses and caves in the Barrier face.

“Well! we have left the Norwegians and our thoughts are full, too full, of them at present.  The impression they have left with me is that of a set of men of distinctive personality, hard, and evidently inured to hardship, good goers and pleasant and good-humoured.  All these qualities combine to make them very dangerous rivals, but even did one want not to, one cannot help liking them individually in spite of the rivalry.

“One thing I have particularly noticed is the way in which they are refraining from getting information from us which might be useful to them.  We have news which will make the Western Party as uneasy as ourselves and the world will watch with interest a race for the Pole next year, a race which may go any way, and may be decided by luck or by dogged energy and perseverance on either side.

“The Norwegians are in dangerous winter quarters, for the ice is breaking out rapidly from the Bay of Whales which they believe to be Borchgrevink’s Bight, and they are camped directly in front of a distinct line of weakness.  On the other hand if they get through the winter safely (and they are aware of their danger), they have unlimited dogs, the energy of a nation as northern as ourselves, and experience with snow-travelling that could be beaten by no collection of men in the world.

“There remains the Beardmore Glacier.  Can their dogs face it, and if so, who will get there first.  One thing I feel and that is that our Southern Party will go far before they permit themselves to be beaten by any one, and I think that two parties are very likely to reach the Pole next year, but God only knows which will get there first.