Those who could be spared were given leave here; some of us went up-country for a few days and had a chance to enjoy South African scenery.  Oates, Atkinson, and Bowers went to Wynberg and temporarily forgot the sea.  Oates’s one idea was a horse, and he spent his holiday as much on horse-back as he possibly could.  In a letter he expressed great admiration for the plucky manner in which Atkinson rode to hounds one day at Wynberg.  These two were great friends, but it would be hard to imagine two more naturally silent men, and one wonders how evident pleasure can be obtained with a speechless companion.

Scott now changed with Wilson, who went by mail steamer to Australia in order to organise and finally engage the Australian members of our staff.  Our leader was without doubt delighted to make the longer voyage with us in the “Terra Nova” and to get away from the hum of commerce and the small talk of the many people who were pleased to meet him—­until the hat was handed round—­that awful fund-collecting.

CHAPTER III

ASSEMBLING OF UNITS—­DEPARTURE FROM NEW ZEALAND

The trip from Simon’s Town to Melbourne was disappointing on account of the absence of fair winds.  We had a few gales, but finer weather than we expected, and took advantage of the ship’s steadiness to work out the details for the sledge journeys and depot plans.  The lists of those who were to form the two shore parties were published, together with a skeleton list for the ship.  The seamen had still to be engaged in New Zealand to complete this party.

A programme was drawn up for work on arrival at winter quarters, a routine made out for McMurdo Sound or Cape Crozier, if it so happened that we could effect a landing there, weights were calculated for the four men sledging-units, sledge tables embellished with equipment weights, weekly allowances of food and fuel, with measures of quantities of each article in pannikins or spoonfuls, provisional dates were set down in the general plan, daily ration lists constructed, the first season’s depot party chosen and, in short, a thoroughly comprehensive hand-book was made out for our guidance which could be referred to by any member of the Expedition.  Even an interior plan of the huts was made to scale for the carpenter’s edification.

It was an enormous advantage for us to have our leader with us now, his master mind foresaw every situation so wonderfully as he unravelled plan after plan and organised our future procedure.

Meantime, the seamen were employed preparing the sledge gear, sewing up food bags, making canvas tanks and sledge harness, fitting out Alpine ropes; repair bags, thongs, lampwick bindings, and travelling equipment generally.  Gran overlooked the ski and assigned them to their future owners, Petty Officer Evans prepared the sewing outfits for the two shore parties, the cooks assembled messtraps and cooking utensils, and Levick and Atkinson, under Dr. Wilson’s guidance, assembled the medical equipment and fixed up little surgical outfits for sledge parties.  By the time we arrived at Melbourne, our next port of call, a great deal had been accomplished and people had a grasp of what was eventually expected of them.