196 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



flavouring in all our hooshes ! And there was of course the 

 definite dep6t of captain's biscuits left in 1903, and also a 

 few wholemeal biscuits which Shackleton had depoted in 1908. 

 The latter swelled like muffins on the red-hot stove, and 

 we used to have one with butter as a special luxury. Those 

 Shackleton biscuits were a dream ! 



On the 20th seals were reported just under Hut Point, 

 and of course were much handier than the rookery at Pram 

 Point. So Scott and four of us went off to get them. We 

 lowered Keohane and Evans down the steep cliff below 

 Vince's Cross on to a piece of fixed floe, and the two seals 

 were killed with a few blows on the nose with a pick handle. 

 Dr. Bill and Meares went down to help cut them up, and 

 Scott and I hoisted the flesh up by the ropes. Just as we 

 were finishing three more seals appeared, and one crawled 

 right up to the shambles. He stayed there all the time, and 

 only left when the carcases were thrown overboard. 



That night there was a wild storm. Spray was blown 

 up over the cape and over the hut, where it instantly 

 froze. It cemented the snow heaps, and would have 

 encased some of the dogs if they had not been freed from 

 their chains. Next morning I had to chip my way down to 

 the shelf where I had left the thermometers. We had to cut 

 out fresh holes for the dogs, during which operation one 

 aggressive fellow got hold of another by the neck, and 

 the combined efforts of the sapping party could not drag 

 him off. 



When the weather permitted we went off to get seals or to 

 have some exercise. A strong wind used to blow almost 

 constantly towards the hut through the " Gap." 



Often when one was loaded with seal blubber, or camping 

 material, the icy slope between the gap and the hut was 

 dangerous work. By this time our crampons (spiked over- 

 shoes) were useless, for the spikes had worn quite blunt. 

 The wind would catch us, and irresistibly slant us down the ice 

 slope to the sea. On several occasions, when one of the 

 Western Party was wearing his iron steig-eisen, an unfortunate 

 crampon-wearer would clutch hold of him and accept escort 

 over this giant " slide." 



What long discussions we had ! Scott was interested in 

 everything, and I note that one evening we discussed 



