92 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [Jan. 



the incidents of such a day leave too deep an impression to 

 need the aid of any note to recall them. 



Nature wore its brightest aspect to welcome us home, and 

 early in the brilliant, cloudless morning we packed up our camp 

 for the last time, and set our faces towards Observation Hill. 

 We had plodded on for some hours when two specks appeared 

 ahead, which at first we took to be penguins, but soon made 

 out were persons hurrying towards us. They proved to be 

 Skelton and Bernacchi. We had been reported early by 

 watchers on the hills ; these two had hastened out to meet us, 

 and soon we were gathered in our small tent whilst cocoa was 

 made, and we listened to a ceaseless stream of news, for now 

 not only had all our other travellers returned safe and sound 

 with many a tale to tell, but our relief-ship, the 'Morning/ 

 had arrived, bringing a whole year's news of the civilised 

 world. 



And so at our last sledging lunch, and during the easy 

 march which followed, we gradually gathered those doings of 

 the great world which had happened between December 1901 

 and December 1902, and, as can be imagined, these kept our 

 thoughts full until we rounded the cape to see once more our 

 beloved ship. 



Though still held fast in her icy prison, our good vessel 

 looked trim and neat. She was fully prepared to face again 

 the open seas, and the freshly painted side glistened in the 

 sunlight. A fairer sight could scarcely meet our snow-tried 

 eyes ; and to mark the especial nature of the occasion a brave 

 display of bunting floated gently in the breeze, while, as we 

 approached, the side and the rigging were thronged with our 

 cheering comrades. 



But how can I describe this home-coming ; how we again 

 clasped the hands of our friends ; how our eyes wandered about 

 amongst familiar faces and objects ; how we dived into our 

 comfortable quarters to find every want forestalled and every 

 trouble lifted from our shoulders by our kind companions ; 

 how for the first time for three months we shaved our ragged 

 chins and sponged ourselves in steaming hot water ; how in 



