The supporting parties got back safely, but Lieutenant Evans was very seriously ill with scurvy.  The food necessary for the return of the Polar Party from One Ton Camp had not been taken out at the end of February 1912.  Evans’ illness caused a hurried reorganization of plans, and I was ordered to take out this food with one lad and two dog-teams.  This was done, and the journey may be called the Dog Journey to One Ton Camp.

We must now go back to the six men led by Campbell who were landed at Cape Adare in the beginning of 1911.  They were much disappointed by the small amount of sledge work which they were able to do in the summer of 1911-1912, for the sea-ice in front of them was blown out early in the year, and they were unable to find a way up through the mountains behind them on to the plateau.  Therefore, when the Terra Nova appeared on January 4, it was decided that she should land them with six weeks’ sledging rations and some extra biscuits, pemmican and general food near Mount Melbourne at Evans Coves, some 250 geographical miles south of Cape Adare, and some 200 geographical miles from our Winter Quarters at Cape Evans.  Late on the night of January 8, 1912, they were camped in this spot and saw the last of the ship steaming out of the bay.  They had arranged to be picked up again on February 18.

Let us return to McMurdo Sound.  My two dog-teams arrived at Hut Point from One Ton Depot on March 16 exhausted.  The sea-ice was still in from the Barrier to Hut Point, but from there onwards was open water, and therefore no communication was possible with Cape Evans.  Atkinson, with one seaman, was at Hut Point and the situation which he outlined to me on arrival was something as follows: 

The ship had left and there was now no possibility of her returning owing to the lateness of the season, and she carried in her Lieut.  Evans, sick with scurvy, and five other officers and three men who were returning home this year.  This left only four officers and four men at Cape Evans, in addition to the four of us at Hut Point.

The serious part of the news was that owing to a heavy pack the ship had been absolutely unable to reach Campbell’s party at Evans Coves.  Attempt after attempt had made without success.  Would Campbell winter where he was?  Would he try to sledge down the coast?

In the absence of Scott the command of the expedition under the extraordinarily difficult circumstances which arose, both now and during the coming year, would naturally have devolved upon Lieutenant Evans.  But Evans, very sick, was on his way to England.  The task fell to Atkinson, and I hope that these pages will show how difficult it was, and how well he tackled it.

There were now, that is since the arrival of the dog-teams four of us at Hut Point; and no help could be got from Cape Evans owing to the open water which intervened.  Two of us were useless for further sledging and the dogs were absolutely done.  As time went on anxiety concerning the non-arrival of the Polar Party was added to the alarm we already felt about Campbell and his men; winter was fast closing down, and the weather was bad.  So little could be done by two men.  What was to be done?  When was it to be done with the greatest possible chance of success?  Added to all his greater anxieties Atkinson had me on his hands—­and I was pretty ill.