202 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [May 



culties that stand in the way of experiment in this direction, since 

 cold air can only hold the smallest quantities of moisture, and 

 saturation covers an extremely small range of temperature. 



Monday, May 29. Another beautiful calm day. Went out 

 both before and after the mid-day meal. This morning with 

 Wilson and Bowers towards the thermometer off Inaccessible 

 Island. On the way my companionable dog was heard barking 

 and dimly seen we went towards him and found that he was 

 worrying a young sea leopard. This is the second found in the 

 Strait this season. We had to secure it as a specimen, but it 

 was sad to have to kill. The long lithe body of this seal makes 

 it almost beautiful in comparison with our stout, bloated Wed- 

 dells. This poor beast turned swiftly from side to side as we 

 strove to stun it with a blow on the nose. As it turned it gaped 

 its jaws wide, but oddly enough not a sound came forth, not 

 even a hiss. 



After lunch a sledge was taken out to secure the prize, which 

 had been photographed by flashlight. 



Ponting has been making great advances in flashlight work, 

 and has opened up quite a new field in which artistic results 

 can be obtained in the winter. 



Lecture Japan. To-night Ponting gave us a charming lec- 

 ture on Japan with wonderful illustrations of his own. He is 

 happiest in his descriptions of the artistic side of the people, with 

 which he is in fullest sympathy. So he took us to see the flower 

 pageants. The joyful festivals of the cherry blossom, the wis- 

 taria, the iris and chrysanthemum, the sombre colours of the 

 beech blossom and the paths about the lotus gardens, where 

 mankind meditated in solemn mood. We had pictures, too, of 

 Nikko and its beauties, of Temples and great Buddhas. Then 

 in more touristy strain of volcanoes and their craters, waterfalls 

 and river gorges, tiny tree-clad islets, that feature of Japan 

 baths and their bathers, Ainos, and so on. His descriptions were 

 well given and we all of us thoroughly enjoyed our evening. 



Tuesday, May 30. Am busy with my physiological investi- 

 gations.* Atkinson reported a sea leopard at the tide crack; 

 it proved to be a crab-eater, young and very active.^ In curious 

 contrast to the sea leopard of yesterday in snapping round it 

 uttered considerable noise, a gasping throaty growl. 



* I.e. in relation to a sledging ration. 



