A MONTH IN THE OLD DISCOVERT HUT 195 



day. Dr. Bill is mending gloves with pared seal-skin. Gran 

 is making a ski-stick from a piece of bamboo he's found. 

 Debenham is tidying the kitchen, and puts up racks to hold 

 the { spirtles ' (i.e. porridge-stirrers). I rifled the 1902 mag- 

 netic huts, and cut out lids for the porridge-pans from sheets 

 of asbestos. Our literature consists of Contemporary Reviews, 

 Eclectic Magazines, Girls' Own, and the Family Herald" 



We spent some time trying to make the hut snugger. 

 We piled heaps of snow and ice against the walls to keep off 

 the blizzards. Among the debris I found ancient dog biscuits 

 which reverted to their original purpose, and an old bag of 

 oatmeal which went into our menu. A great discovery was 

 a torn copy of " My Lady Rotha." The first and last chapters 

 were missing, but I gathered the loose pages and dried them, 

 and enjoyed reading it again. Curiously no one else in the 

 hut had read it, and as we had only about three books, every 

 one read Weyman's novel. I couldn't remember quite how 

 it ended, for the plot is very concentrated to the end ; the 

 elderly hero not having found a son or a second wife ; and 

 the lady debating between the ancient count and the lunatic 

 lover. 1 am afraid I finished it off in several ways to 

 various applicants, none of which would have pleased the 

 author ! 



There was another book which Gran had taken sledging 

 and had torn off the first few pages for pipe lights. This was 

 " Springtime," a romance of medieval Italy. A good yarn, 

 and Scott guessed it was by Hewlett. I disagreed, but 

 couldn't remember the writer — who is H. C. Bailey, I 

 believe. 



It was very curious how useful were the 1902 remains. 

 That expedition wintered on the ship, but some articles had 

 been left ashore, and the hut had only been used as a 

 hospital. 



However, we found old awnings, which Taff Evans used 

 as arras (or is it arrases ?) for our bed-chamber ! There were 

 asbestos sheets with which we levelled the floor, and made 

 pan lids ; brass nails, also from the magnetic hut, which had 

 not rusted of course ; long stove pipes and asbestos cement, 

 with which we ultimately made a smoke-free blubber stove. 

 A dubious mass of brownish glue turned up under some 

 snow. Bowers tested this, and ultimately we had bovril 



