Scott’s return if possible:  Wilson himself inclined to the view that he himself would stay if Scott stayed, and return if Scott returned.  I think that Oates meant to return, and am sure that Bowers meant to stay:  indeed he welcomed the idea of one more year in a way which I do not think was equalled by any other member of the expedition.  For the most part we felt that we had joined up for two years, but that if there was to be a third year we would rather see the thing through than return home.

I hope I have made clear that the primary object of this journey with the dog-teams was to hurry Scott and his companions home so that they might be in time to catch the ship if possible, before she was compelled by the close of the season to leave McMurdo Sound.  Another thing which made Scott anxious to communicate with the ship if possible before the season forced her to leave the Sound was his desire to send back news.  From many remarks which he made, and also from the discussions in the hut during the winter, it was obvious that he considered it was of the first importance that the news of reaching the Pole, if it should be reached, be communicated to the world without the delay of another year.  Of course he would also wish to send news of the safe return of his party to wives and relations as soon as possible.  It is necessary to emphasize the fact that the dog-teams were intended to hasten the return of the Polar Party, but that they were never meant to form a relief journey.

But now Atkinson was left in a rather difficult position.  I note in my diary, after we had reached the hut, that “Scott was to have sent back instructions for the dog party with us, but these have, it would seem, been forgotten”; but it may be that Scott considered that he had given these instructions in a conversation he had with Atkinson at the top of the Beardmore Glacier, when Scott said, “with the depot [of dog-food] which has been laid come as far as you can.”

According to the plans for the Polar Journey the food necessary to bring the three advance parties of man-haulers back from One Ton Depot to Hut Point was to be taken out to One Ton during the absence of these parties.  This food consisted of five weekly units of what were known as XS rations.  It was also arranged that if possible a depot of dog-biscuit should be taken out at the same time:  this was the depot referred to above by Scott.  In the event of the return of the dog-teams in the first half of December, which was the original plan, the five units of food and the dog-biscuit would have been run out by them to One Ton.  If the dog-teams did not return in time to do this a man-hauling party from Cape Evans was to take out three of the five units of food.

It has been shown that the dog-teams were taken farther on the Polar Journey than was originally intended,[260] indeed they were taken from 81 deg. 15’, where they were to have turned back, as far as 83 deg. 35’.  Nor were they able to make the return journey in the fast time which had been expected of them, and the dog-drivers were running very short of food and were compelled to encroach to some extent upon the supplies left to provide for the wants of those who were following in their tracks.[261] The dog-teams did not arrive back at Cape Evans until January 4.