THE GRANITE HARBOUR EXPEDITION 355 



granite crossed the beach, and between two of these was an area 

 where our kitchen was almost half built. Surrounded on 

 three sides by solid granite walls three feet high was an en- 

 closure which we managed to roof in well enough to hold 

 the blubber stove. Forde and Gran were especially keen 

 on this edifice, which they called Granite House from Verne's 

 " Mysterious Island." 



It was a day or two before the house was finished. 

 Forde was master mason and Gran chief labourer. He used 

 to delight in bringing to the site great cubes of granite which 

 we others could hardly move. There was a most uncom- 

 fortable block of granite projecting into the hut, but by the 

 repeated dropping of huge blocks on to it, Gran finally 

 managed to remove this excrescence. 



After lunch on the 30th Gran and I went off to obtain the 

 wherewithal for our first seal-hoosh. Luckily there was a 

 seal a quarter of a mile from the camp, and we soon slew him 

 in the usual manner. Gran would attract the doomed animal's 

 attention, while I stole alongside from behind and stunned 

 him with a blow on the nose. This was almost the chief use 

 I made of the geological hammer, for Debenham was making 

 the rock collections while I studied glacial topography chiefly. 



Forde gave us a lesson in butchering. Most people do 

 not realize that a seal is not far removed from an otter. 

 Anyhow, his anatomy is near enough to that of a sheep for 

 one to know where the choicest meat lies. In fact, a seal's 

 skeleton is just like a sheep's, in which the two hind legs 

 have been folded together close to the tail and converted into 

 swimming flappers. 



We cut off two wide strips of blubber first from the belly ; 

 then rolled the seal over — an operation of great difficulty — 

 and obtained two more from the back. Beneath these strips 

 of blubber were the best portions of the flesh, except the liver, 

 which needed especial anatomizing. Around the neck I cut off 

 odd bits of blubber, and one of these served to cook a meal 

 on the stove, so that there was plenty of fuel on a seal to 

 cook the meat it provided. 



We staggered back laden with spoil, leaving the carcase to 

 a multitude of skuas. How they quarrelled and fought over 

 the pieces ! Every skua seemed to prefer to grab a piece 

 already selected by another. I suppose they were not used 



