1912] MID-WINTER DAY 223 
mas tree, sledging flags, and some red bunting. A large white 
ensign was hung over all as a canopy. Nelson presented each 
member with a very pretty menu card. These were cut out of 
cardboard and painted to represent Adélie penguins. 
The menu was: 
Cape Evans, 
June 22nd, Mid-winter’s Day. 
Croute Erebus. Amandes Sellés. 
Créme de Volaille Ferrar. 
Noisettes d’Agneau Darwinian. 
Centre Filet de Beuf roti. 
Asperges en Branches. 
Pommes de Terre Naturel. 
Poudin Noél. Paté d’Eunice. 
Compote de Fruits. 
Charlotte Russe glacée a la Beardmore. 
Buszard’s Cake. __ Dessert. 
After dinner, when various healths had been drunk, Gran 
jumped out of the dark room dressed as a clown, with his face 
powdered and painted. His acting was splendid, with a joke for 
everybody and sometimes a piece of poetry which he declaimed 
to the men as they came forward to receive their presents. Gran 
made an excellent clown, and the whole entertainment went with 
a roar from beginning to end. Then Debenham put up his lan- 
tern and gave us a lot of pictures of all kinds, leaving Dunedin, in 
the pack, Cape Crozier, the Western Mountains, ponies, and 
many more. He had taken a lot of time and trouble over these 
slides and they were excellent and added to the enjoyment of 
everybody. The evening was closed by a sing-song. Each day 
now we knew meant one more towards the return of light and use- 
fulness, and preparations were started for the future sledging 
season. After dinner I called together the members and told 
them what I proposed to do in the coming season, stating the 
reasons and asking for their criticism. Two alternatives lay 
before us. One was to go south and try to discover the fate of 
Captain Scott’s party. I thought it most likely that they had 
been lost in a crevasse on the Beardmore Glacier. Whether 
their bodies could be found or not, it was highly desirable to go 
even as far as the Upper Glacier Depot, nearly 600 miles from 
