370 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Sept. 



around our necks, but we usually march with our hands free 

 and yet with pleasantly pink fingers. 



On coming to camp we can take things coolly — and as the 

 march has been carried to its utmost length, we are capable of 

 little else. Except for the cook, no one enters the tent now 

 until supper is ready ; for the rest there is plenty to be done 

 in thoroughly securing the tent, opening out the sleeping-bag, 

 and spreading out damp articles to dry. The cook calls us 

 when supper is ready, and we are not slow in answering the 

 call. After supper we leisurely change our foot-gear and 

 spread out the sleeping-bag, but instead of jumping into the 

 latter at once we carry our sodden boots and stockings into the 

 open and distribute them about the sledges, taking care to 

 secure them with string or safety pins that no unkind gust may 

 waft them away whilst we sleep. 



After this, with the memory of supper still fresh, it is 

 comfortable enough to sit in the sleeping-bag, smoke our pipes, 

 write up our diaries, and stitch away at some torn garment ; 

 then, perhaps, as the chill of the air creeps in or the fatigue of 

 the day overcomes us, we creep down into our berths and are 

 soon asleep. If it is calm and the sun shines directly on the 

 canvas side, it can be quite warm within the tent ; sometimes 

 we have to sleep with our heads in the open, and on rarer 

 occasions we have even had to leave the bag and sleep on top 

 of it. 



But there are troubles in the summer travelling as well 

 as in the spring, though they are of a somewhat different 

 nature. 



There are blizzards and winds still to be contended with ; 

 either will cover us with snow and put a stop to the drying, 

 and we have several days of damp misery before we can 

 recover from its effects. We leave our socks out to dry in a 

 bright sun. The wind springs up in the night, and they are 

 covered with drift ; the sun melts this into the fabric, and in 

 the morning, instead of dry foot-wear, we have to grapple with 

 masses of ice. The same sun melts the snow on the tent and 

 covers it with a sheet of ice. Though the temperature may be 



