running fairly rough. However, the ship was hove to, a boat lowered, and
Nigger was rescued. He spent another happy year on board, but disappeared
one dark night when the ship was returning from her second journey to the
South in 1912, during a big gale. He often went aloft with the men, of
his own accord. This night he was seen on the main lower topsail yard,
higher than which he never would go. He disappeared in a big squall,
probably because the yard was covered with ice.

Wilson rejoined the ship at Melbourne; and Scott left her, to arrange
further business matters, and to rejoin in New Zealand. When he landed I
think he had seen enough of the personnel of the expedition to be able to
pass a fair judgment upon them. I cannot but think that he was pleased.
Such enthusiasm and comradeship as prevailed on board could bear only
good fruit. It would certainly have been possible to find a body of men
who could work a sailing ship with greater skill, but not men who were
more willing, and that in the midst of considerable discomfort, to work
hard at distasteful jobs and be always cheerful. And it must have been
clear that with all the energy which was being freely expended, the
expedition came first, and the individual nowhere. It is to the honour of
all concerned that from the time it left London to the time it returned
to New Zealand after three years, this spirit always prevailed.

Among the executive officers Scott was putting more and more trust in
Campbell, who was to lead the Northern Party. He was showing those
characteristics which enabled him to bring his small party safely through
one of the hardest winters that men have ever survived. Bowers also had
shown seamanlike qualities which are an excellent test by which to judge
the Antarctic traveller; a good seaman in sail will probably make a
useful sledger: but at this time Scott can hardly have foreseen that
Bowers was to prove "the hardest traveller that ever undertook a Polar