LAYING THE DEPOTS Mackintosh's account of the depot-laying journeys undertaken by his parties in the summer of 1915-16 unfortunately is not available.

The leader of the parties kept a diary, but he had the book with him when he was lost on the sea-ice in the following winter.

The narrative of the journeys has been compiled from the notes kept by Joyce, Richards, and other members of the parties, and I may say here that it is a record of dogged endeavour in the face of great difficulties and serious dangers.

It is always easy to be wise after the event, and one may realize now that the use of the dogs, untrained and soft from shipboard inactivity, on the comparatively short journey undertaken immediately after the landing in 1915 was a mistake.

The result was the loss of nearly all the dogs before the longer and more important journeys of 1915-16 were undertaken.