"He will have told you all the news and the ups and downs of our
history to date, and you will have guessed that he has always met the
misfortunes with a smile and the successes with a cheer, so that very
little remains for me to say--except that I daily grow more grateful
to you for sparing him for this venture. I feel that he is going to be
a great help in every way and that it will go hard if, with so many
good fellows, we should fail in our objects.

"Before concluding I should really like to impress on you how little
cause you have for anxiety. We have had the greatest luck in finding
and establishing our winter quarters, and if I could go shopping
to-morrow I should not know what to buy to add to our comfort. We are
reaping a full reward for all those months of labour in London, in
which your husband took so large a share--if you picture us after
communication is cut off it must be a very bright picture, almost a
scene of constant revelry, with your husband in the foreground amongst
those who are merry and content--I am sure we are going to be a very
happy family and most certainly we shall be healthy and well cared
for.

"With all kind regards and hopes that you will not allow yourself to
be worried till your good man comes safely home again.

"Yours sincerely,

"R. SCOTT."

I said my good-byes after an early tea to the fellows of the "Terra Nova"
and also to the Eastern party, the lieutenants saw me over the side, and