32 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



and other delicate trifles were shoved in through the door, 

 when one had managed to open it sufficiently. 



I had no idea where we were going to bestow ourselves, 

 but an old voyager explained to me how it was to be done. 

 Obviously there was no floor space, no room for shelves, no 

 cupboards ; but the bunks (one above the other) are big solid 

 wooden structures provided with four blankets and a thick 

 mattress. A man does not need much more space than a 

 coffin to sleep in, and these bunks were nearly three feet 

 apart. It was almost impossible to fill that wonderful space 

 beneath the mattress ! I emptied into it two rucksacks of 

 books, etc., one of the aforementioned "sausages," a drawing- 

 board, all sorts of tools, diaries, hammers, bottles of ink, hunting 

 knives. When this was safely under the mattress my sleep 

 was not troubled by these crumpled rose-leaves. 



The three new-comers were all geologists, and as such 

 needed no laboratory on the ship, but the other scientists 

 were able to stow away many articles in the physical, chemical, 

 and biological laboratories. These palatial quarters will be 

 described later, when it will be understood that this does not 

 imply that their mattresses were free from protuberances. 

 Wires festoon some of the bunks to eke out the accommo- 

 dation. The space over one's feet is not wasted, for small 

 wooden boxes are nailed thereon — or maybe a small bookcase. 

 I thought that two of the shoulder-bags used in the Alps 

 (known as rucksacks) would be most useful if hung alongside 

 my bunk. This ingenious idea failed dismally, as will appear 

 later. No one in our cabin has succeeded in controlling the 

 vagaries of our ubiquitous water-can. It would appear to be 

 an ordinary utensil of a brown-yellow colour, with a spout. 

 But somewhere or other it has a pair of legs and a mischievous 

 brain contained within it. And usually it is drunk with its 

 powers for mischief, and is discovered on its side spilling 

 water on our socks and shoes, or inebriate in another corner 

 destroying all satisfaction in one's last dry change. It is only 

 of late that we have had peace, for now only half a cup of 

 water per day is allowed, and the bucket over the bulwarks 

 serves all other purposes. 



Let us pay a call next door — further for'ard, but still on 

 the port side of the wardroom. This apartment is known 

 as the " nursery." It is bigger than our dwelling, but needs 



