

~\' < Y 



THE TERRA NOVA GOES SOUTH 35 



the Boy Scouts. Personally I prefer the Morse code, for it 

 can be learned in ten minutes by a dodge which may interest 

 my readers as it did the Antarctic party. Each sign is repre- 

 sented by a word or combination, which can readily be asso- 

 ciated with the letter required. In these key-words dots are 

 represented by vowels and the isolated letters s, z, and h ; 

 dashes by the consonants (including w andjy). Thus A (dot, 

 dash) is an ; B (dash, dot, dot, dot) is base ; C is cave ; die, 

 e, safe, gnu, hush, is, kit, aloe, Mr., no, PQR, Epps, QRST, are, 

 sss, t, usk, azov, awl, yell, bruz. Of the remaining letters J is 

 the exact opposite of B and X of P. It was rather a curious 

 coincidence that both Dr. Simpson and myself became inte- 

 rested in these codes through reading a tale, " Raymond Fre- 

 zols," years ago in the good old B.O.P. 



At dusk on Sunday the 27th we entered the heads of Port 

 Chalmers. This is another drowned upland valley of a similar 

 nature to Lyttelton Harbour. The novices in the after-guard 

 chose this opportunity to essay the rigging. The scientists 

 who had made the voyage from England lay out along the 

 yard in fine style, in a manner which seemed distinctly pre- 

 carious. Standing on a jumping " foot-rope," and leaning 

 over the broad wooden surface of the yard, both hands can be 

 used for furling the sails. When the next sailor gets off the 

 foot-rope the latter jerks up a foot or more, so that this posi- 

 tion one hundred feet above the water is not one likely to 

 attract a nervous person. On this particular occasion it was 

 too much for the hardy sailor man. The wind was dead 

 astern, and we were burning Westport coal — which is a tre- 

 mendous soot-producer, whatever its steam qualities are. As 

 a result, a dense mephitic fog enveloped every one, full of 

 sulphurous fumes, with clinging clots of soot. It was a weird 

 spectacle to see the men working in what one might call a 

 " Hades in the Heavens " — while elsewhere the whole atmo- 

 sphere was calm and clear. Our photographer rushed out to 

 try and get the effect, but the wind shifted slightly, and the 

 men had come down for a breather. Soon they returned and 

 made a " harbour stow " for the credit of the ship and the 

 gratification of the good folks of Dunedin. 



The most striking object in a polar exploring ship is un- 

 doubtedly the crow's nest. This is a large barrel, about four 

 feet high, with a rudimentary seat therein, and a floor which 



