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engaged in final
preparation. The last we heard of the war was when we left Buenos
Ayres. Then the Russian Steam-Roller was advancing. According to
many the war would be over within six months. And so we left, not
without regret that we could not take our place there, but secure in the
knowledge that we were taking part in a strenuous campaign for the
credit of our country.
Apart from private individuals and societies I here acknowledge most
gratefully the assistance rendered by the Dominion Government of
New Zealand and the Commonwealth Government of Australia at the
start of the Ross Sea section of the Expedition; and to the people of
New Zealand and the Dominion Government I tender my most grateful
thanks for their continued help, which was invaluable during the dark
days before the relief of the Ross Sea Party.
Mr. James Allen (acting Premier), the late Mr. McNab (Minister of
Marine), Mr. Leonard Tripp, Mr. Mabin, and Mr. Toogood, and many
others have laid me under a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.
This is also the opportunity for me to thank the Uruguayan Government
for their generous assistance in placing the government trawler,

'Instituto de Pesca', for the second attempt at the relief of my men on
Elephant Island.
Finally, it was the Chilian Government that was directly responsible for
the rescue of my comrades. This southern Republic was unwearied in
its efforts to make a successful rescue, and the gratitude of our whole
party is due to them. I especially mention the sympathetic attitude of
Admiral Muñoz Hurtado, head of the Chilian Navy, and Captain Luis
Pardo, who commanded the 'Yelcho' on our last and successful venture.
Sir Daniel Gooch came with us as far as South Georgia. I owe him my
special thanks for his help with the dogs, and we all regretted losing his
cheery presence, when we sailed for the South.
CHAPTER I
INTO THE WEDDELL SEA
I decided to leave South Georgia about December 5, and in the
intervals of final preparation scanned again the plans for the voyage to
winter quarters. What welcome was the Weddell Sea preparing for us?
The whaling captains at South Georgia were generously ready to share
with me their knowledge of the waters in which they pursued their
trade, and, while confirming earlier information as to the extreme
severity of the ice conditions in this sector of the Antarctic, they were
able to give advice that was worth attention.
It will be convenient to state here briefly some of the considerations
that weighed with me at that time and in the weeks that followed. I
knew that the ice had come far north that season and, after listening to
the suggestions of the whaling captains, had decided to steer to the
South Sandwich Group, round Ultima Thule, and work as far to the
eastward as the fifteenth meridian west longitude before pushing south.
The whalers emphasized the difficulty of getting through the ice in the
neighbourhood of the South Sandwich Group. They told me they had
often seen the floes come right up to the group in the summer-time, and
they thought the Expedition would have to push through heavy pack in
order to reach the Weddell Sea. Probably the best time to get into the

Weddell Sea would be the end of February or the beginning of March.
The whalers had gone right round the South Sandwich Group and they
were familiar with the conditions. The predictions they made induced
me to take the deck-load of coal, for if we had to fight our way through
to Coats' Land we would need every ton of fuel the ship could carry.
I hoped that by first moving to the east as far as the fifteenth meridian
west we would be able to go south through looser ice, pick up Coats'
Land and finally reach Vahsel Bay, where Filchner made his attempt at
landing in 1912. Two considerations were occupying my mind at this
juncture. I was anxious for certain reasons to winter the 'Endurance' in
the Weddell Sea, but the difficulty of finding a safe harbour might be
very great. If no safe harbour could be found, the ship must winter at
South Georgia. It seemed to me hopeless now to think of making the
journey across the continent in the first summer, as the season was far
advanced and the ice conditions were likely to prove unfavourable. In
view of the possibility of wintering the ship in the ice, we took extra
clothing from the stores at the various stations in South Georgia.
The other question that was giving me anxious thought was the size of
the shore party. If the ship had to go out during the winter, or if she
broke