You will, of course, make every effort to be at the rendezvous at the proper time, January 15, and you need not be surprised if the ship does not appear on the exact date. The Commanding Officer has been instructed in the following words:
"I wish the ship to be at Granite Harbour on or about January 15….
No anxiety need be felt if she is unable to reach this point within a
week or so of the date named."
You are now in possession of all the information I can give you on this point, and it must be left to your discretion to act in accordance with unforeseen circumstances.
Should the ship fail to find you it is probable she will not make a protracted search before going to Cape Evans to gather further particulars and land stores; it is to be remembered also that an extent of fast ice or pack may prevent a search of the coast at this early season.
Should the ship fail to appear within a fortnight of the date named you should prepare to retreat on Hut Point, but I am of opinion that the retreat should not be commenced until the Bays have refrozen, probably towards the end of March. An attempt to retreat over land might involve you in difficulties, whereas you could build a stone hut, provision it with seal meat, and remain in safety in any convenient station on the coast. In no case is an early retreat along the coast to be attempted without the full concurrence of the members of your party.
Should the ship embark you on or about the proper date, you will take on board your depot stores, except one week's provision. These stores should serve your travelling needs for the remainder of the season.
Whilst expressing my wishes to the Commanding Officer of the "Terra Nova," I have given him full discretion to act according to circumstances, in carrying out the further programme of the season.
You will, of course, be under his orders and receive his instructions concerning your further movements.
In your capacity as leader of a party I cannot too strongly impress on you the necessity for caution in your movements. Although you will probably travel under good weather conditions, you must remember that violent storms occasionally sweep up the coast and that the changes of weather are quite sudden, even in summer. I urge this the more especially because I think your experiences of last year are likely to be misleading.
I am confident that it is not safe for a party in these regions to be at a great distance from its camp, and that, for instance, it would be dangerous to be without shelter in such storms as that encountered by the "Discovery" off Coulman Island early in January, 1902.