228 WITH SCOTT : THE SILVER LINING 



to calling them the " Bunderlohg," and did so for the rest 

 of the winter. 



Debenham fixed up a terra-cotta curtain across our 

 entrance which had been presented by Ponting, and now we 

 were hidden from the vulgar gaze, though one frank critic 

 said our sanctum looked like nothing so much as an opium 

 den. Day had run in a branch acetylene light, and Debenham 

 had stained everything stainable a dull red-brown with that 

 beauteous dye, " Condy's Fluid." Not to be outdone, Gran 

 fixed red linen borders on the shelves made from photographic 

 " window " material, while I draped my bunk with a deep 

 blue hanging, which had originally formed part of the Sunday 

 tablecloth. We put down all captious remarks to jealousy ; 

 and the " Ubdugs ' were more secluded than any other 

 coterie in the hut. 



Immediately north of Cape Evans the coast-line con- 

 sisted of alternating rocky crags and snow-drifts, but about 

 half a mile away this gave place to the vertical wall of the 

 Barne Glacier. In places this ice barrier rose to 180 feet, and 

 was fissured with crevasses from which frequent falls took 

 place. These varying features were named later on, and 

 Wright, Debenham, and myself were never tired of examining 

 the silt bands, and included blocks, crevasses, debris slopes, 

 etc., which characterized the vicinity of High Cliff. 



The summer sun acting on some of the dark boulders 

 included in the ice face had etched them out until they 

 appeared like giant gargoyles projecting three or four feet 

 beyond the general plane of the ice wall. I made a rough 

 pencil sketch of these " gargoyles," and on my return to the 

 hut asked Dr. Bill to show me how to improve on this 

 attempt. 



On the 27th an important institution was inaugurated, 

 which was afterwards called Universitas Antarctica. Captain 

 Scott had sounded Wilson, and then he called up Simpson 

 and myself and asked us if we would be willing to help 

 carry out a scheme of winter lectures which he had drawn 

 out. 



We had a notice board on the side of the " Owner's " 

 cubicle, and on this he appended the following notice : — 



