3 04 WITH SCOTT : THE SILVER LINING 



observations on the coral reefs of the Great Barrier. Debenham 

 instanced Funafuti — that coral islet bored by Professor David 

 to show the depth of a reef formation. Birdie wanted to 

 know why a sea anemone wasn't a plant ? And some one 

 thereupon asked Nelson if he could explain why a Birdie 

 wasn't a cabbage ? But this problem proved too difficult for 

 the lecturer. 



Wilson with his usual kindness was now copying some 

 of my western sketches and turning them into splendid pen- 

 and-ink drawings. He spent many hours coaching me in 

 drawing, but indeed he would always help any one if it lay in 

 his power. I think what touched some of us as much as 

 anything was his willingness to take the last and longest hour 

 of any one's night-watch ! He used to say, " I don't mind 

 getting up at seven ; I'll get on with my painting. Just put a 

 kettle on to boil, and wake me, and then you can turn in ! " 

 I'm afraid I took advantage of this, when my watch lasted 

 through to the morning, though usually I shared it with 

 Nelson. 



About this time Scott and Bowers spent their leisure in 

 photographic work. Ponting was untiring in coaching them, 

 and the excellent results obtained by these absolute tyros on 

 the southern journey speaks well for teacher and pupils. 

 Bowers handed over the pony " Chinaman " to Wright, who 

 " gets run away with, with great regularity." Cherry was 

 typing out those sections from the " Heart of the Antarctic " 

 which would help Scott in his southern journey. 



On the 15th of September Captain Scott set out for a trip 

 to the Ferrar Glacier and thereabouts. They carried about 

 200 lbs. of food for us to Butter Point, where we were to 

 pick it up later. Nelson and I helped them along for three 

 miles, though the party, consisting of Scott, Bowers, Simpson, 

 and Taff Evans, needed us little. It was — 40 starting, but 

 luckily there was no wind. A big shear-crack about two and 

 a half miles out marked a permanent crack in the sea-ice 

 extending between Inaccessible Isle and Cape Royds. It had 

 developed into a fractured wall, as much as ten feet high in 

 places, where the floes ground together, and gave us some 

 trouble. However, Nelson and I were able to steady the 

 sledge and guard the sledge meter, and so they soon nego- 

 tiated it. 



