Meanwhile a man-hauling party from Cape Evans, consisting of Day, Nelson, Clissold and Hooper, had already, according to plan, taken out three of the five XS rations for the returning parties.  The weights of the man-hauling party did not allow for the transport of the remaining two XS rations, nor for any of the dog-food.  Thus it was that when Atkinson came to make his plans to go South with the dogs he found that there was no dog-food south of Corner Camp, and that the rations for the return of the Polar Party from One Ton Depot had still to be taken out.  That is to say, the depot of dog-food spoken of by Scott did not exist.  There was, however, enough food already at One Ton to allow the Polar Party to come in on reduced rations.  This meant that what the dog-teams could do was limited, and was much less than it might have been had it been possible to take out the depot of dog-food to One Ton.  Also the man-food for the Polar Party had to be added to the weights taken by the dogs.

To estimate even approximately at what date a party will reach a given point after a journey of this length when the weather conditions are always uncertain and the number of travelling days unknown, was a most difficult task.  The only guide was the average marches per diem made by our own return party, and the average of the second return party if it should return before the dog party set out.  A week one way or the other was certainly not a large margin.  A couple of blizzards might make this much difference.

In the plan of the Southern Journey Scott, working on Shackleton’s averages, mentions March 27 as a possible date of return to Hut Point, allowing seven days in from One Ton.  Whilst on the outward journey I heard Scott discuss the possibility of returning in April; and the Polar Party had enough food to allow them to do this on full rations.

Atkinson and Dimitri with the two dog-teams left Cape Evans for Hut Point on February 13 because the sea-ice, which was our only means of communication between these places, and so to the Barrier, was beginning to break up.  Atkinson intended to leave Hut Point for the Barrier in about a week’s time.  At 3.30 A.M. on February 19 Crean arrived with the astounding news that Lieutenant Evans, still alive but at his last gasp, was lying out near Corner Camp, and that Lashly was nursing him; that the Last Supporting Party had consisted of three men only, a possibility which had never been considered; and that they had left Scott, travelling rapidly and making good averages, only 148 geographical miles from the Pole.  Scott was so well advanced that it seemed that he would be home much earlier than had been anticipated.