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 away from winter quarters, it would be preferable to have
only a small, carefully selected party of men ashore after the hut had
been built and the stores landed. These men could proceed to lay out
depots by man-haulage and make short journeys with the dogs, training
them for the long early march in the following spring. The majority of
the scientific men would live aboard the ship, where they could do
their work under good conditions. They would be able to make short
journeys if required, using the 'Endurance' as a base. All these plans
were based on an expectation that the finding of winter quarters was
likely to be difficult. If a really safe base could be established on
the continent, I would adhere to the original programme of sending one
party to the south, one to the west round the head of the Weddell Sea
towards Graham Land, and one to the east towards Enderby Land.

We had worked out details of distances, courses, stores required, and
so forth. Our sledging ration, the result of experience as well as
close study, was perfect. The dogs gave promise, after training, of
being able to cover fifteen to twenty miles a day with loaded sledges.
The trans-continental journey, at this rate, should be completed in 120
days unless some unforeseen obstacle intervened. We longed keenly for
the day when we could begin this march, the last great adventure in the
history of South Polar exploration, but a knowledge of the obstacles
that lay between us and our starting-point served as a curb on
impatience. Everything depended upon the landing. If we could land at
Filchner's base there was no reason why a band of experienced men
should not winter there in safety. But the Weddell Sea was notoriously
inhospitable and already we knew that its sternest face was turned