->?- 

 ($ 



l-o 



IN WINTER QUARTERS WITH CAPTAIN SCOTT 247 



interjected, " Where is a man to walk to be ' in command of a pony's 

 head and ribs ' if he's short in the arm ? " And Titus solemnly 

 answered, " Midway.") Cherry's and Birdie's ponies are balanced, but 

 it would take a giant to train " Weary Willie." If you want to back 

 a horse touch him on the front shin. The French school of haute kole 

 is rather in the nature of trick riding. 



In his second lecture (August 10, 191 1) Oates discussed pony 

 psychology. Said he, " Consider the thing a horse has in place of a 

 mind. He has no reasoning powers but has a very strong memory. 

 Their vision is not strong, but they do all by hearing. If they hear a shout 

 they connect it with some excitement. To shout ' Woh ! ' when a 

 horse is backing is both ludicrous and useless — I've done it ! 



" It might be a good thing to dye the forelock to prevent snow- 

 blindness. As to whether they should be groomed here, I think not. 

 The grease in the coat protects the body. It is best to cut it once and 

 then it will grow thick later. Litter might be an advantage, but they 

 don't lie down much." 



Atkinson came in and reported having seen a meteor fall 

 just beyond Erebus. Simpson's precise mind led him to ask, 

 " Did it really fall ? ' Wherefore Day interjected, " You 

 mean, was it pushed ! " Thus do the " pseudo-scientists " 

 hold their own. 



On the 1 8th we played our penultimate game of football. 

 The sun had vanished, but there was a little light at midday. 

 It was, however, so dark that on our return I chaffed Nelson 

 for funking it, and he retorted that he'd been playing just 

 behind me the whole game ! 



Our routine was now much the same each day. I will 

 quote my diary for May 19. 



" A calm morning, but snowing. Wakened by Hooper 

 at 8.15. ' Rouse and shine, Mr. Taylor, sir.' All, however, 

 lie low, except Birdie Bowers, Evans, and Sunny Jim. Then 

 Birdie starts chirruping and keeps it up solid, chiefly directed 

 at the opposite diarists' den. This is inhabited, according to 

 him, by the ' Rubbly Ubdugs.' I go out to breakfast and find 

 penguin feather flavour in the water, tea, and milk. (This is 

 due to a layer of feathers in our glacier supply.) So I make 

 a repast on porridge and marmalade. Nelson and Captain 

 Scott arrive later. I retreat to my bunk and read Edmund 

 Gosse ; Debenham starts rock sections ; Gran peruses maps 

 to decide where he will go next. 



" Our den is invaded by ' Titus ' Oates, f Mother ' Meares, 

 4 Birdie ' Bowers, c Sunny ' Jim, Bernard Day, and ' Silas ' 



