IN WINTER QUARTERS WITH CAPTAIN SCOTT 241 



There were twenty-one victims this time. Atkinson had 

 caught two batches of forty-one and forty previously. We 

 put them in a bucket, where they froze immediately. The 

 change from +29 (in the water) to — 20 outside was too 

 much for them, and in their last gasps their gills swelled out 

 to an enormous extent. These fish were about eight inches 

 long, the same Notothenia we had met with before. In shape 

 they resembled " Miller's Thumbs." 



Atkinson found some parasitic grubs in some of these 

 fish, and took them over to Dr. Bill. The latter was engaged 

 on some wonderful sunset sketches, but abandoned this task 

 and nonchalantly proceeded to make a lifelike water-colour 

 of pink parasitic grubs on a purple background of liver 

 and gall ! 



I received a commission from Ye Editor to write the 

 introductory article for the South Polar Times. " On Ross 

 Island and the Ice Barrier. What it was like, is like, and 

 what it's going to be like ! ' I started seriously with 

 petrology and volcanics, etc., and then gave up and went in 

 for romance out of my head. Cherry seemed very satisfied 

 with it, and authorized me to write as much as six pages of 

 print — illustrations to be contributed by Bill ! 



Captain Scott gave his first lecture on the 8th of May 

 on the " Plans of the Expedition." He had thought out all 

 possible details, and ultimately carried out his plans exactly, 

 so that I do not need to give full notes. He relied on the 

 ponies essentially, and frankly confessed that he was dis- 

 appointed with the dogs, though he added that this may have 

 been due to their food. 



With regard to the motors, he hoped they would help ; 

 but he was not using their loads in his calculations. He 

 realized that he was here carrying out an experiment to benefit 

 future expeditions. 



He felt it best to adhere to his original plan and proceed 

 as if Amundsen were not in the field. 



He said the great difficulty would be on the plateau. 

 " Shackleton was five weeks there, and was nearly done, while 

 the Pole party will have to spend ten weeks on the plateau. 

 If we have bad weather," he added, " no one can stick it. 

 One last point : you will see that this will take 144 days. 

 If we start on November 3rd — and earlier will kill the ponies 



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