i9l PENGUIN MEAT 105 



night, for this will complete our sledging provisions. We served 

 out an extra biscuit for supper. The fine day has made us all 

 impatient to start. 



September 19. Snowing all day, but we had plenty of work 

 to do in the hut, sewing bags and repairing sledge gear. The 

 sea is freezing over again. 



September 20. Priestley and Abbott went over to the depot 

 moraine to dig for the precious specimens, the rest of us sewing 

 or cutting -up meat for the journey. In the afternoon I walked 

 over and joined Priestley. I found them very disappointed, 

 having been digging all day without success. I thought they were 

 digging too far to the westward, so I tried sinking pits at the 

 east end of the drift, and after about half an hour's work, found 

 the specimens. We carried them all to the moraine and stacked 

 them round the bamboo mark. We got back late and found the 

 others cutting up the last bag of sledging meat. 



Served out one biscuit and six lumps of sugar each and had 

 seal's brain in the hoosh. 



September 21. A fine morning; Levick and Abbott dug out 

 the last sledge, but had to come back in the afternoon, as it 

 came on to snow and blow hard. I got noon sights for time 

 and found my watch had kept a fairly even rate, which was 

 satisfactory. 



September 24. We were able to start carrying meat, &c., 

 down to the sledges to-day as it was fine. The weather the two 

 previous days had been very bad. Browning has had another 

 acute attack of dysentery and we cannot march until he is better. 



On my way back from the sledges I saw some fresh guano 

 on the sea ice, and looking about saw an Emperor penguin." I 

 killed it and we carried it up to the hut; I hope it may do Brown- 

 ing good, as the seal meat certainly does not agree with him. 

 We are all ready to start now as soon as he is fit to walk, but it 

 is blowing a gale to-night. 



September 27. Still blowing, but clear. We found two seals 

 up under the lee of some pressure, and killed one for extra meat; 

 the other was the first we have been able to let go since the last 

 autumn. 



September 28. Strong south-west wind and overcast in 

 the morning, clearing and coming out finer in the late noon. 

 Priestley saw six Emperors. We got five of them. I was very 



