The supporting-party started first, and at 10 A.M. we said good-bye to Murray and Roberts, who were to be left behind, and we four of the Southern Party followed with an intense desire to do well for the sake of every one concerned in the Expedition. Hardly, however, had we been marching for an hour when mishaps began to occur. First of all Socks went dead lame, and soon afterwards, when we were halting to feed ourselves and the ponies, Grisi lashed out and struck Adams just below the knee. Three inches higher and the blow would have shattered both his knee-cap and his hopes of reaching the South Pole. As it was the bone was almost exposed and he was in great pain, although he said very little about it. What he would have done if he had been completely knocked out it is impossible to imagine, as his interest in the Expedition was intense. On October 30 we reached Hut Point and with Adams better, the ponies recovered from their lameness, and the weather gloriously fine, we rejoiced to be out at last on the long trail. Quan fit or unfit was the most mischievous of all the ponies, for when any one was looking his special delight was to bite his tether, and unfortunately he did this on one occasion when no one was watching him and played havoc with the maize and other fodder. When we tried to catch him he dashed from one sledge to another tearing bags to pieces and trampling the food out, kicking up his heels and showing that he was deliberately destructive, for his distended appearance proved that he had eaten more than his fill. We left the sea ice on November 3, but instead of finding a better surface on the Barrier, we discovered that the going was more difficult than ever. The ponies, however, pulled magnificently and every hour the pony-leaders changed places with the sledge-haulers. On the next day we wore goggles, as we were already feeling the trying light, and as soon as we had passed the end of White Island the surface became softer and it was trying work for both men and ponies. Still, however, we tramped along, the supporting-party pulling magnificently, and our march for the day was over sixteen miles. Up to this time we had been blessed with fair weather, but on Guy Fawkes' Day we encountered driving snow which made our steering very wild. In the bad light the sastrugi could not be seen, and the surface was very bad for both ponies and men. Minor mishaps were natural under such conditions, and after Marshall, who was leading Grisi, had got his legs into a crevasse, and soon afterwards Wild, Adams and Marshall had got into another crevasse, there was nothing for it but to pitch camp and wait until the weather cleared.