Campbell did not do much conning except in the early morning, as his executive duties kept him well occupied.  The Polar sledge journey had its attractions, but Campbell’s party were to have interesting work and were envied by many on board.  For reasons which need not here be entered into Campbell had to abandon the King Edward VII.  Land programme, but in these days his mob were known as the Eastern Party, to consist of the Wicked Mate, Levick, and Priestley, with three seamen, Abbott, Browning, and Dickason.  Campbell had the face of an angel and the heart of a hornet.  With the most refined and innocent smile he would come up to me and ask whether the Eastern Party could have a small amount of this or that luxury.  Of course I would agree, and sure enough Bowers would tell me that Campbell had already appropriated a far greater share than he was ever entitled to of the commodity in question.  This happened again and again, but the refined smile was irresistible and I am bound to say the Wicked Mate generally got away with it, for even Bowers, the incomparable, was bowled over by that smile.

We crossed the Antarctic Circle on the morning of the 10th, little dreaming in those happy days that the finest amongst us would never recross it again.

We took a number of deep-sea soundings, several of over 2000 fathoms, on this first southward voyage.  Rennick showed himself very expert with the deep-sea gear and got his soundings far more easily than we had done in the “Discovery” and “Morning” days.

We were rather unfortunate as regards the pack ice met with, and must have passed through 400 miles of it from north to south.  On my two previous voyages we had had easier conditions altogether, and then it had not mattered, but all with these dogs and ponies cooped up and losing condition, with the “Terra Nova” eating coal and sixty hungry men scoffing enormous meals, we did not seem to be doing much or getting on with the show.  It was, of course, nobody’s fault, but our patience was sorely tried.

We made frequent stops in the pack ice, even letting fires out and furling sail, and sometimes the ice would be all jammed up so that not a water hole was visible—­this condition would continue for days.  Then, for no apparent reason, leads would appear and black water-skies would tempt us to raise steam again.  Scott himself showed an admirable patience, for the rest of us had something to occupy our time with.  Pennell and I, for instance, were constantly taking sights and working them out to find our position and also to get the set and drift of the current.  Then there were magnetic observations to be taken on board and out on the ice away from the magnetic influence of the ship, such as it was.  Simpson had heaps to busy himself with, and Ponting was here, there, and everywhere with his camera and cinematograph machine.  Had it not been for our anxiety to make southward progress, the time would have passed pleasantly enough, especially in fine weather.  Days came when we could get out on the floe and exercise on ski, and Gran zealously looked to all our requirements in this direction.