THE ROOF GOES 33 



ting a lot in Birdie's corner. The only possible thing to do for the 

 roof would have been lashings over it outside, and in that wind 

 that was out of the question. Our position, with the tent gone, 

 was bad.] 



We could not understand quite how the tent had been blown 

 away, for we had taken extra precautions in setting it, and had 

 got as nearly perfect a spread as possible. Moreover, it was in 

 the lee of the hut, and we had buried the valance not only with 

 heaps of snow, but with 4 or 5 rocks on the snow in each bay, 

 and to make things quite secure, the last thing before turning in 

 Bowers and I had hoisted the heavy canvas tank, full of gear, 

 almost more than one could lift alone, on to the weather skirt. 



We could only think that the same sucking action which lifted 

 our roof also lifted the tent, or that it was twisted off its legs by 

 getting caught sideways by a squall which came partly round the 

 end of the hut corner. Anyhow, as it was gone, we decided to 

 take the earliest opportunity of any light to go and look for it. 



Other things happened before this opportunity arrived. 



Sunday, July 23, 1911. Bowers estimated the wind at force 

 ii and noted it as blowing with almost continuous storm force, 

 with very slight lulls followed by squalls of great violence. 



About noon the canvas roof of the hut was carried away, and 

 the storm continued unabated all day, but latterly without much 

 drift. 



It happened that this was my birthday and we spent it lying 

 in our bags without a roof or a meal, wishing the wind would 

 drop, while the snow drifted over us. 



The roof went as follows. We saw, as soon as light showed 

 through the canvas in the early morning, that the snow blocks 

 on the top had all been blown off, and that the upward strain was 

 now as bad as ever, with a greater tendency to flap at the lee 

 end wall. And where the canvas was fixed in over the door it 

 began to work on the heavy stones which held it down, jerking 

 and shaking them so that it threatened to throw them down. 

 Bowers was trying all he could to jam them tight with pyjama 

 jackets and bamboos, and in this I was helping him when the 

 canvas suddenly ripped, and in a moment I saw about six rents 

 all along the lee wall top, and in another moment we were under 

 the open sky with the greater part of the roof flapped to shreds. 

 The noise was terrific, and rocks began to tumble in off the walls 



VOL. II 3 



