IN WINTER QUARTERS WITH CAPTAIN SCOTT 305 



On the 17th of September we actually had a "fine bright 

 sun, so that films of snow melt on the black rock." This 

 is an interesting date, for though the air temperature was 

 only +7 — that is, twenty-five degrees below freezing! — yet 

 the radiant heat from the black rock produced a little 

 water. 



Let us accompany the meteorologist, and see how a first- 

 class weather station is run at 77J S. lat. The weather man 

 has to rise about an hour before the others. (It was pleasant 

 to see Sunny Jim lying in his bunk till 8.30 on the 14th — as 

 he pathetically put it — for the first time since he'd landed 1) 

 I find I am dressed five minutes too soon, so I hit Wright 

 with a book to get him up in time to check the chronometers, 

 which is his " pigeon " ! 



1 . When I hear the automatic signal I have to fly around 

 and mark all the recording instruments to show exactly eight 

 o'clock on their charts. 



2. 1 read the large standard barometer and its attached 

 thermometer. 



3. Change the chronograph papers and put ink on the 

 pens, for the blizzometer, thermograph, barograph, and wind 

 velocity charts. (In all these chronograph drums the "clock " 

 part (carrying the paper) revolves about the central axle — 

 which is just the opposite of an ordinary clock !) 



4. Wind up the various chronograph clocks (once a week, 

 on Monday). 



Then I muffle myself in wind-clothes and gloves, and 

 collect the gear for the outdoor apparatus. 



A. A clock set to nearest half-minute. 



B. Sunshine paper for the record burnt by the glass 



ball. 



C. Tablet and pencil. 



5. I stagger up to the top of Wind Vane Hill — a long 

 operation and a cold one in September, for it is not far from 

 August, the coldest and roughest month. At a definite 

 minute I read the anemometer figures alongside the anemo- 

 meter cups. 



6. Then I press four times on a button alongside, and this 

 is electrically transmitted to the record in the hut, and so gives 

 a datum each day on that record. 



7. I walk across to the screen and read the three 



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