MID-WINTER DAY 223 



mas tree, sledging flags, and some red bunting. A large white 

 ensign was hung over all as a canopy. Nelson presented each 

 member with a very pretty menu card. These were cut out of 

 cardboard and painted to represent Adelie penguins. 

 The menu was: 



Cape Evans, 



June 22nd, Mid-winter's Day. 



Croute Erebus. Amandes Selles. 



Creme de Volaille Ferrar. 



Noisettes d'Agneau Darwinian. 



Centre Filet de Boeuf roti. 



Asperges en Branches. 

 Pommes de Terre Naturel. 

 Poudin Noel. Pate d'Eunice. 



Compote de Fruits. 



Charlotte Russe glacee a la Beardmore. 

 Buszard's Cake. Dessert. 



After dinner, when various healths had been drunk, Gran 

 jumped out of the dark room dressed as a clown, with his face 

 powdered and painted. His acting wa splendid, with a joke for 

 everybody and sometimes a piece of poetry which he declaimed 

 to the men as they came forward to receive their presents. Gran 

 made an excellent clown, and the whole entertainment went with 

 a roar from beginning to end. Then Debenham put up his lan- 

 tern and gave us a lot of pictures of all kinds, leaving Dunedin, in 

 the pack, Cape Crozier, the Western Mountains, ponies, and 

 many more. He had taken a lot of time and trouble over these 

 slides and they were excellent and added to the enjoyment of 

 everybody. The evening was closed by a sing-song. Each day 

 now we knew meant one more towards the return of light and use- 

 fulness, and preparations were started for the future sledging 

 season. After dinner I called together the members and told 

 them what I proposed to do in the coming season, stating the 

 reasons and asking for their criticism. Two alternatives lay 

 before us. One was to go south and try to discover the fate of 

 Captain Scott's party. I thought it most likely that they had 

 been lost in a crevasse on the Beardmore Glacier. Whether 

 their bodies could be found or not, it was highly desirable to go 

 even as far as the Upper Glacier Depot, nearly 600 miles from 



