“Wright’s pony was the first harnessed to its sledge.  Chinaman is Jehu’s rival for last place, and as some compensation is easy to harness.  Seaman Evans led Snatcher, who used to rush ahead and take the lead as soon as he was harnessed.  Cherry had Michael, a steady goer, and Wilson led Nobby—­the pony rescued from the killer whales in March.  Scott led out Snippets to the sledges, and harnessed him to the foremost, with little Anton’s help—­only it turned out to be Bowers’ sledge!  However he transferred in a few minutes and marched off rapidly to the south.  Christopher, as usual, behaved like a demon.  First they had to trice his front leg up tight under his shoulder, then it took five minutes to throw him.  The sledge was brought up and he was harnessed in while his head was held down on the floe.  Finally he rose up, still on three legs, and started off galloping as well as he was able.  After several violent kicks his foreleg was released, and after more watch-spring flicks with his hind legs he set off fairly steadily.  Titus can’t stop him when once he has started, and will have to do the fifteen miles in one lap probably!

“Dear old Titus—­that was my last memory of him.  Imperturbable as ever; never hasty, never angry, but soothing that vicious animal, and determined to get the best out of most unpromising material in his endeavour to do his simple duty.

“Bowers was last to leave.  His pony, Victor, nervous but not vicious, was soon in the traces.  I ran to the end of the Cape and watched the little cavalcade—­already strung out into remote units—­rapidly fade into the lonely white waste to southward.

“That evening I had a chat with Wilson over the telephone from the Discovery Hut—­my last communication with those five gallant spirits."[181]

All the ponies arrived at Hut Point by 4 P.M., just in time to escape a stiff blow.  Three of them were housed with ourselves inside the hut, the rest being put into the verandah.  The march showed that with their loads the speed of the different ponies varied to such an extent that individuals were soon separated by miles.  “It reminded me of a regatta or a somewhat disorganized fleet with ships of very unequal speed."[182]

It was decided to change to night marching, and the following evening we proceeded in the following order, which was the way of our going for the present.  The three slowest ponies started first, namely, Jehu with Atkinson, Chinaman with Wright, James Pigg with Keohane.  This party was known as the Baltic Fleet.

Two hours later Scott’s party followed; Scott with Snippets, Wilson with Nobby, and myself with Michael.

Both these parties camped for lunch in the middle of the night’s march.  After another hour the remaining four men set to work to get Christopher into his sledge; when he was started they harnessed in their own ponies as quickly as possible and followed, making a non-stop run right through the night’s march.  It was bad for men and ponies, but it was impossible to camp in the middle of the march owing to Christopher.  The composition of this party was, Oates with Christopher, Bowers with Victor, Seaman Evans with Snatcher, Crean with Bones.