248 WITH SCOTT : THE SILVER LINING 



Wright, from which they are with difficulty ejected, and then 

 I start ye eternal narrative of the Western Journey." 



The next lecture was on Ice Problems, by Wright. He 

 showed fifteen slides, including some made from views on our 

 western journey. 



We had a long discussion on the flow of glaciers, which 

 lasted till 1 1 p.m. Discussions were in the air nowadays, and 

 no one had a greater belief in them than Captain Scott. He 

 was quicker to see the weak link in a chain of argument than 

 any man I have ever met. In my own special study of the 

 glacial geology of Antarctica, his practical knowledge quite 

 balanced what I had gained from books or travels among 

 glaciers of the temperate zone, so that I had many talks with 

 him, and owe him much scientifically for his help in criticizing 

 and so strengthening my main conclusions. 



Physical measurements took place again on the 21st. 

 There were loud cheers when Atkinson announced my waist 

 as 35 inches. I had " gone steady " on food during the past 

 few weeks and knew this was another libel, and when he cor- 

 rected his statement I was proud to rank with Dr. Bill with a 

 waist of 29! inches ! 



" May 25. — It has been blizzing all day, and I will describe 

 the doings in the hut. I am sitting on my bunk in the pose 

 photoed by Ponting, using my little drawing-board as a table. 

 Gran is writing one of his six diaries with Deb's nib, which 

 he blunts. He has a patent plasticene pen rack, which doesn't 

 improve the handle. I told him to learn Russian, or write an 

 Antarctic novel in Norwegian, for he will be at a loose end 

 until ski-ing is possible. 



" Debenham is painting his third masterpiece. He uses 

 my plane-table sheet on which to paste down his papers. His 

 little terra-cotta water-pots (shrimp paste !) are much admired. 

 He is rather fed up, because he has just found that he is 

 painting on the wrong side of his drawing. I tell him that 

 won't make any difference ! Day also is busy elaborating his 

 sketches. Marie Nelson is writing a voluminous lecture, and 

 making certain of all future arguments by questioning Atkin- 

 son, Bill, and Titus (re horses, etc.) beforehand. Dr. Atkin- 

 son is groping among encysted * mully-grubs ' at his half of 

 the table, while Silas Wright wrestles with pendulum details 

 on the other side. 



