IN WINTER QUARTERS WITH CAPTAIN SCOTT 293 



have no fresh vegetables, but we have bread, butter, cocoa, 

 sugar, jam, porridge, tinned fruit, tinned milk and cheese. 

 (I lived on a less varied diet in Cambridge, only I still don't 

 enjoy the cheese lunches where the pungent stilton stalks 

 around, and the exclusives have to collect together and wave 

 the phantom off.) Bowers said that Bill developed spots on 

 his face on the Crozier journey ; but Bill swore they were 

 beard sprouts. Birdie had been nodding a bit, so I said he 

 was evidently scorbutic, as he exhibited a tendency to syncope, 

 deposit of fat, and an inflamed head (a cruel hit at his red 

 hair). Ponting had been listening anxiously to the doctor's 

 criticisms of sausages, and various potted meats, and then 

 read us a cable he had received in November announcing that 

 a friend meant to send a half ton of sausages by the Relief ! " 



On Saturday night (19th August) we experienced the 

 maximum wind pressure of the winter. " It rose from forty- 

 five miles per hour to eighty-six miles in one fell shriek." 

 There was such heavy drift that it blew through the outer walls 

 (of cases) and filled the annexe. The temperature had risen 

 astonishingly, for we found "Bertram" registering +2° F., 

 whereas a day or two before mercury was freezing ! The 

 blizzards were sometimes accompanied by a sort of " foehn " 

 wind warming affect, and nearly always raised the temperature 

 slightly. They swept away the stagnant heavy cold air which 

 collected at sea-level, and which normally surrounded the 

 Hut. 



The 2 1 st of August was a calm, clear day. The sun 

 was due in a day or two now. Nelson was having some 

 trouble with his soundings at the " Igloo." So seven of 

 us marched out to help him free his rope. It was quite 

 a procession, Nelson going first to fix a block and tackle 

 (pronounced taikle !) on his obdurate rope. Then Atkin- 

 son and Clissold — who worked the fish trap, and so were 

 professionals in such jobs — walked along in a dignified 

 way. Then long Day on ski, followed by Debenham also 

 on ski, and causing some amusement by his " croppers." 

 Finally, " Trigger " Gran started long after us, and " flapping " 

 along on his ski easily caught us up. I could easily keep up 

 over a couple of miles without ski, but over a longer distance 

 there is no doubt as to the advantage of the ski. We all 

 hauled on the " taikle," and so broke Nelson's rope away 



