(JEHOO)

“Aged, suffering from debility and worn out,” was how Captain Lawrence E. G. Oates first described Jehu. A cavalry officer, Oates was in charge of the ponies’ care throughout the expedition.

Jehu performed better than expected, as Scott recorded on November 9: “An amusing incident happened when Wright left his pony to examine his sledgemeter. Chinaman evidently didn’t like being left behind and set off at a canter to rejoin the main body. Wright’s long legs barely carried him fast enough to stop this fatal stampede, but the ridiculous sight was due to the fact that old Jehu caught the infection and set off at a sprawling canter in Chinaman’s wake. As this is the pony we thought scarcely capable of a single march at start, one is agreeably surprised to find him still displaying such commendable spirit.”