I secured thicker biscuits than were used in the previous expedition, and the Plasmon Company supplied a ton of the best wholemeal biscuit, and with an allowance of one pound for each man per day we were as regards farinaceous food considerably better off than those on the _Discovery_ expedition had been. This allowance, I may mention, was reduced very considerably when food began to run short on the southern and northern journeys, but we had no fault to find with the quality of the biscuits and the addition of Plasmon certainly increased their food-value. Tea and cocoa were chosen as our beverages for use on the march, tea for breakfast and lunch; and cocoa, which tends to produce sleepiness, for dinner at night. Sugar is a very valuable heat-forming substance, and our allowance of this amounted to about a third of a pound per day for each man. We also took chocolate, cheese, and oatmeal, so that although there was not much variety we felt that we were getting the most nutritious food possible. I have already mentioned the clothing which I bought for the expedition, but as regards the most effective head-gear there were marked differences of opinion. The general method, however, of keeping head and ears warm was to wrap a woollen muffler twice round the chin and head, thus protecting the ears which are the first parts of the body to show signs of frost-bite. The muffler was then brought round the neck, and over the muffler was pulled a fleecy travelling-cap, a woollen helmet something like an old-time helmet without the visor. [Illustration: Plan of the Hut at Winter Quarters (_See page 64_)] If a blizzard were blowing the muffler was discarded, the helmet put on, and over this the Burberry helmet, which has a stiff flap in front that can be buttoned into a funnel-shape. In very low temperatures, or even in moderately low temperature and a breeze, we had occasionally to inspect each others' faces for the sign of frost-bite; and if the white patch denoting this was visible, it had to be attended to immediately. CHAPTER XIII OUR PONIES AND DOGS The experiences of the National Antarctic Expedition and of the _Discovery_ Expedition convinced me, that if we could use ponies instead of dogs for traction purposes we should be making a very successful change. It was a risk to take ponies from the far north through the tropics, and then across two thousand miles of stormy sea on a very small ship, but we eventually established ourselves at the winter quarters with eight ponies. Unfortunately, however, we lost four of them within a month of our arrival. In the case of three out of the four the loss was due to the facts that they were picketed at first on sandy ground, and that we did not notice that they were eating the sand. I had neglected to supply them with salt, and as they found a saline flavour in the sand they ate it at odd moments.