The sun returned after its four months’ absence on August 23 and found the little party in excellent health and cheerful spirits.  The mules and dogs had been carefully exercised to be ready and fit for the new journey South.  A depot was laid 12 miles south of Corner Camp in mid-October, and another by the dogs soon after.  On October 29 Wright, Nelson, Gran, Lashly, Crean, Williamson, Keohane, and Hooper left with six mules, sledges, and a considerable provision store to search for Captain Scott and the Polar Party.  Atkinson followed with Cherry-Garrard and Dimitri on 1st November, taking the best available dogs in two teams.  Without any great trouble they reached One Ton Camp on November 10, having joined forces with the mule party.  Atkinson notes that here he found, as we had done before, an oil shortage from paraffin tins in the depot leaking, although there was no hole discernible.  Some stores had been spoilt in consequence.  On the morning of 12th November the party found what they sought—­Scott’s tent, snowed up and presenting a cairn-like appearance.

From Gran’s diary the following is taken: 

“It has happened—­horrible, ugly fate, only 11 miles from One Ton Depot, Scott, Wilson, and Birdie.  All ghastly.  I will never forget it as long as I live:  a terrible nightmare could not have shown more horror than this ‘Campo Santo.’  In a tent, snow covered to above the door, we found the three bodies.  Scott in the middle, half out of his bag, Birdie on his right, and Uncle Bill on the left, lying head towards the door. ..  Bowers and Wilson seem to have passed away in a kind of sleep....  Concerning our unlucky Polar Party we learned that Petty Officer Evans died at the Lower Glacier Depot; he was done, and had fallen coming down the Glacier:  death was the result of a concussion of the brain.  On the Barrier they met with extreme low temperatures.  Down to -50 degrees in the night time for weeks, also head wind.

“‘Soldier’ had got his feet frost-bitten badly and suffered enormously.  He understood that the salvation of the party depended on his death—­but as death would not relieve him he went out of the tent in a blizzard to meet it.  The three others arrived here at this camp March 21 with food for two days and fuel for one meal.  A terrible blizzard prevented them from getting in, and on March 29 all was finished.

   “Scott writes in his diary:  ’There is no more hope, and so God look
   after our people....’  All this only a day’s march from plenty....  We
   buried them this morning, a solemn undertaking.  How strange it was to
   see men bareheaded whilst the wind blew with the thermometer at -20
   degrees.  We are now going to look for ‘Soldier’ and then return to
   look for Campbell.  I must say our Expedition is not given much luck
    ... the sun is shining beautifully in this place of death:  over the
   Bluff this morning stood a distinct cross in clouds.”