THE TERRA NOVA GOES SOUTH 73 



prodding in front with an oar — we found no sign of the bird 

 but the reddened snow. However, eight penguins was a fair 

 bag, and we returned toward the ship. We had had so much 

 trouble rubbing our way through zig-zag gaps in the floes 

 that we ran the pram on to the larger floe near the ship and 

 hauled her most of the way. It was somewhat unpleasant to 

 slip in almost to one's waist in mushy floe, as happened to 

 two of the party, but otherwise we had no misadventure. A 

 close inspection of the penguins showed that their surprised 

 appearance in the photographs is not due to abnormally wide- 

 open eyes, but to the presence of a colourless eyelid completely 

 surrounding the eye. 



Although we made practically no progress south in the 

 days around Christmas, yet we did not allow this to affect our 

 festivities. Owing to the coincidence that Christmas Eve and 

 Boxing Day were the birthdays of two members of the after- 

 guard, we celebrated them also with appropriate ceremonial. 

 We toasted the victim at dinner, and after much bashful 

 hesitation he made a satisfactory speech. Then he was 

 " chaired " twice round the mess (only, as there were no 

 chairs, this consisted in passing him from man to man shoulder 

 high). He was next lifted up over the main beam (crossing 

 the wardroom) and passed down again and then left in peace. 

 Songs for two hours and a scrimmage in the " nursery ' 

 (which was dignified by the name of Lancers !) completed the 

 evening. 



On Christmas morning we started off well by pumping 

 for half an hour. When the furnaces are out, this is done 

 by hand ; but she is making very little water now. Six- 

 teen of the afterguard, led by Priestley, singing " Ranzo, 

 Boys, Ranzo," soon cause the valves to give the cheery 

 chuckles which announce that air is mixing with the water 

 and that the bilge is nearly dry. Then with a will to break- 

 fast. After the meal was cleared away, our " pack-ice ' 

 pattern tablecloth was replaced by one of noble blue, and we 

 decorated the wardroom for Christmas. All the sledge-flags 

 were brought out and hung around the walls outside the 

 cabins of their owners, as in mediaeval times. There was 

 great discussion as to the proper heraldic description of our 

 flags, but the Encyclopaedia on board showed nothing like 

 them in its article on heraldry. Captain Scott's has the white 



