i9"l THE SKUA GULLS 185 



couldn't do anything and pushed on. I got some relief for my 

 blessed tired legs by marching a longer stride, and we plugged on 

 hoping it would hold firm another hour. However at long 

 length we began to see details in the never-ending glacier wall on 

 our left icicles, crevasses and snow-drifts and at last could 

 make out a feasible slope up on to the cape and felt safe. I had 

 cramp from the pulling and couldn't move for a time.' It was, 

 however, a distinct anticlimax when we got to the top of the cape 

 to see that we had been misled by some queer shadows, that 

 there was firm ice for at least seven miles and no sign of water 

 anywhere ! However, our experience at New Harbour made 

 both Debenham and myself realise the risk we were running if 

 the break-up of the ice now long overdue had eventuated. 



'Monday, January 15, 1912; the day on which we were to 

 be relieved. Nary a relief nor any sign of it, and skuas 

 squawking round us ! 



' We surveyed our cape expecting to find lots, of pools of 

 water, but there is none anywhere. Everything is covered with 

 snow except the big boulders and three patches of gravel of 

 which we have annexed the largest.' When we arrived each was 

 inhabited by a pair of skua gulls which we may call White, 

 Black, and Gray. The Whites had one egg, the Blacks a young 

 chick, and the Grays two eggs. The history of these families 

 was pathetic in the extreme. 



We dispossessed the Blacks, and I put young Blackie in a 

 new nest just as well made as his own which I scraped out a 

 little distance away. The parents fled squawking and left the 

 chicken cruising about on strong stumpy legs with the head low 

 like an apteryx. All night long it yelled for food, so next day 

 I transferred it to the Whites' nest near the warm egg. Mean- 

 while Debenham set up the blubber stove on a rock ledge near by, 

 to get to which he crossed the Grays' nest rather frequently. 

 They resented this, but sensibly made the best of a bad job and 

 ate up their eggs. 



The further history of young Blackie was chronicled by the 

 Sledge Poet: 



' Lo! A miracle hath happened,' said returning Skua- White, 

 ' Here's our nest just full of chicken, full of howling appetite.' 

 Said Skua- White unto his mate, ' For fear this should become a habit 

 We'd better eat our egg Besides, you may be very sure he'd grab it.' 



