flew farewell messages, which we did our best to answer.

Some members went down by train to Dunedin and joined us at Port
Chalmers. We filled up here with what coal we could squeeze into our
already overloaded ship and left finally for the Great Unknown on
November 29, 1910.

Lady Scott, Mrs. Wilson, and my own wife came out with us to the Heads
and then went on board the "Plucky" tug after saying good-bye. We were
given a rousing send-off by the small craft that accompanied us a few
miles on our way, but they turned homeward at last and at 3.30 p.m. we
were clear with all good-byes said--personally I had a heart like lead,
but, with every one else on board, bent on doing my duty and following
Captain Scott to the end. There was work to be done, however, and the
crew were glad of the orders that sent them from one rope to another and
gave them the chance to hide their feelings, for there is an awful
feeling of loneliness at this point in the lives of those who sign on the
ships of the "South Pole trade"--how glad we were to hide those feelings
and make sail--there were some dreadfully flat jokes made with the best
of good intentions when we watched dear New Zealand fading away as the
spring night gently obscured her from our view.




CHAPTER IV


THROUGH STORMY SEAS