Arrived at this important depot we deposited the dog pemmican and took on three sacks of oats, but after proceeding under motor power for 1 1/2 miles, the big end brass of No. 1 cylinder went, so we discarded the car and slogged on foot with a six weeks’ food supply for one 4-man unit.  Our actual weights were 185 lb. per man.  We got the whole 740 lb. on to the 10 ft. sledge, but with a head wind it was rather a heavy load.  We kept going at a mile an hour pace until 8 p.m.

I had left a note at the Corner Camp depot which told Scott of our trying experiences:  how the engines overheated so that we had to stop, how by the time they were reasonably cooled the carburettor would refuse duty and must be warmed up with a blow lamp, what trouble Day and Lashly had had in starting the motors, and in short how we all four would heave with all our might on the spans of the towing sledges to ease the starting strain, and how the engines would give a few sniffs and then stop—­but we must not omit the great point in their favour:  the motors advanced the necessaries for the Southern journey 51 miles over rough, slippery, and crevassed ice and gave the ponies the chance to march light as far as Corner Camp—­this is all that Oates asked for.

It was easier work now to pull our loads straight-forwardly South than to play about and expend our uttermost effort daily on those “qualified” motors.

Even Day confessed that his relief went hand in hand with his disappointment.  He and Hooper stood both over six feet, neither of them had an ounce of spare flesh on them.

Lashly and I were more solid and squat, and we fixed our party up in harness so that the tall men pulled in front while the short, heavy pair dragged as “wheelers.”  Scott described our sledging here as “exceedingly good going,” we were only just starting, that is Lashly and myself, for we two were in harness for more than three months on end.

I was very proud of the Motor Party, and determined that they should not be overtaken by the ponies to become a drag on the main body.  As it happened, there was never a chance of this occurrence, for Scott purposely kept down his marches to give the weaker animals a chance.

As will be seen, we were actually out-distancing the animal transport by our average marches, for in spite of our full load we covered the distances of 15 1/2 to 17 miles daily, until we were sure that we could not be overtaken, before arriving at the appointed rendezvous in latitude 80 degrees 30 minutes.

Now was the time for marching though, fine weather, good surfaces, and not too cold.  The best idea, of our routine can be gleaned by a type specimen diary page of this stage of the journey: