54 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' 



ship's company, and certainly on board the ' Discovery ' the 

 warrant officers played a highly important part. They lived in 

 a small berth occupying one corner of the mess-deck, and 

 comprised the boatswain, carpenter, second engineer, and 

 ship's steward. With one exception I had known nothing 

 personally of these men before they joined the expedition, but 

 I had fully realised the importance of their duties and had 

 taken great pains to select them from amongst other men who 

 were recommended to me by my friends. In no case could I 

 have made a happier choice ; it would be impossible to 

 exaggerate the admirable manner in which they all did their 

 duties throughout the voyage. 



Our boatswain, Thomas Feather, was a thorough seaman, 

 and took that intense pride in his charge which was so well 

 known in the old sailing days. A sailor will understand well 

 the merits of a boatswain who can make the proud boast that 

 the * Discovery ' circumnavigated the world without losing a 

 rope or a sail. Our boatswain, like the rest of us, under new 

 conditions had to turn his talents into fresh channels ; in the 

 Far South all that pertained to our sledge equipment was 

 placed in his charge, and with him rested the responsibility 

 that everything was in readiness when we started out on our 

 sledge journeys. And here, as before, he proved his excellence, 

 for I do not remember a single complaint or breakdown that 

 could have been obviated by more careful preparation. 



In his own department our carpenter, F. E. Dailey, worked 

 with the same zealous care as the boatswain. He possessed 

 the same ' eye ' for defects and the same determination that 

 his charge should be beyond reproach. 



I speak feelingly in these matters ; anyone who has been 

 captain of a ship will know the countless things that continually 

 get out of order, and he will know, on the one hand, how 

 annoying it is to have constantly to call attention to them, and, 

 on the other, how pleasant it is to feel that close supervision is 

 not necessary. I speak feelingly, therefore, because I was 

 saved all these minor worries. I knew that whatever was 

 ' adrift ' with the rigging, the hull, or the machinery of the 



