CHAPTER II 



SHIP LIFE IN CALM AND STORM 



The few days between our return from the New Zealand Alps 

 and the sailing of the Terra Nova were occupied by multifarious 

 duties. The ship had been dry-docked at Lyttelton, and a 

 bulkhead built across the fore hold. This space was filled 

 with water, and the leaks detected where the water spouted 

 out. At the same time the lock nuts on the four-bladed 

 propeller were inspected by chipping off the casing of concrete 

 in which they were embedded. A cross section amidships 

 was almost rectangular. I was surprised at the enormous 

 lateral bulges which almost made the boat flat-bottomed here- 

 abouts, though she narrowed to a sharp overhanging bow 

 heavily plated with iron. To a landsman the rudder appeared 

 strangely long and narrow, almost like a simple vertical beam. 

 But a broad rudder would project dangerously in floe work. 



After caulking, the ship was brought back to shed No. 5, 

 and the loading of the stores proceeded rapidly. On Friday 

 (25th October) the dogs and ponies were brought across from 

 Quail Island, some five miles higher up the harbour. Neither 

 gave much trouble, and I was struck with the calm way the 

 dogs endured the pulling and ignominious lifting by neck, 

 back, or legs without retaliating. Probably our dogs are 

 more gentlemanly than those of former expeditions. 



The ponies are placed in stalls in the fore part of the ship. 

 Four are just abaft the cook's galley in a strong shed, boarded 

 up for four feet, but otherwise open in front. The mess deck 

 — which may be described as the ground floor of the fore part 

 of the ship — has been given up to the remaining dozen in 

 similar stalls, six along each side. The seamen whose quarters 

 have thus been annexed have gone one storey lower. The 

 dogs were at first chained up everywhere — over the hatches, 



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