38 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



they fit tightly when buttoned up, so that they resemble a 

 giant's riding breeches worn by a dwarf ! 



When Nelson ran short of thick breeches he made some 

 by the simple process of cutting out a kilt of dreadnought 

 blanket, putting in two brass eyelets and lashing it with 

 string. As he had a red mob-cap, a sweater, and long sea- 

 boots, he stalked about for days a living representation of 

 Captain Kidd. 



The official breeches are adorned with bone soup-plate 

 buttons which displease some of the wearers, so that the bowie 

 knives have come into play and cut them off. Tastes vary 

 with regard to knives. Experienced men seem to prefer a 

 shilling butcher's knife with a rough wooden handle ; but the 

 budding sailorman, if he has any money, cannot resist the 

 ornamental daggers, ranging to two feet in length, with highly 

 ornamental handles, cross-guards, and sheaths. For seal- 

 killing these are practically useless, for the cross-guard pre- 

 vents a deep stab, which is the speediest method of despatching 

 the animal. 



There is much variation in footgear. Our Canadian wears 

 " shoe-packs " or soft-soled boots, with some resemblance to a 

 polony in shape. During the earlier part of our voyage in the 

 " furious fifties," every one used sea boots of leather, rubber, 

 or leather and canvas. A local New Zealand brand were very 

 comfortable, though heavy, and so long that, as an envious 

 officer remarked, " they only needed braces to turn them into 

 trousers." It seemed almost impossible to get wet in them, 

 but in the gales we discovered they were waterproof from the 

 quantities of water we poured out on changing them. This 

 had all swept in from above, but was just as wet as if it had 

 soaked through in the normal manner ! 



Every week increasing cold has led to a greater bulk of 

 underclothing, but little change is apparent in the outer man. 

 With plenty of food, plenty of blankets, and plenty of rope- 

 hauling, the cold is hardly noticed so far. 



The poop-deck was converted into a barber's shop the first 

 day outward bound. Scissors were despised by the operators, 

 who preferred horse-clippers, with which they simply and 

 thoroughly removed every possible hair. Ponting (the 

 photographer) has a specially close-cutting pair of clippers, 

 designed to trim off frosty beards on sledging trips, and one 



