424 WITH SCOTT: THE SILVER LINING 



while Atkinson and Keohane were stationed at the Old 

 Discovery Hut to receive the Pole Party. 



The members of the headquarters staff who returned to 

 take up other duties were Simpson, Taylor, Ponting, Meares, 

 and Day. With the addition of Lieutenant Evans, who was 

 at first seriously affected by scurvy, and Jim Dennistoun (of 

 New Zealand), we formed a very happy family during the 

 month of " wind-jamming " which now awaited us. 



This was Jim Dennistoun's birthday, and to celebrate it 

 and our start for home, I brought out the huge cake sent 

 down from home. Half went forward to the mess deck, and 

 it was much appreciated. We had a sing-song with banjo 

 accompaniment by Ponting and Bruce, both of whom could 

 sing pleasantly. Alf Cheetham gave us some typical sailor 

 chanties in his humorous falsetto voice. Neuralgia kept 

 me from adding to the entertainment, -and I listened from the 

 after cabin. 



During the next few days the afterguard were glad to get 

 warm either coal-trimming or hauling sails. We would be 

 shivering in the wa 1 -oom when Pennell would come to the 

 " balcony " and yell, " Any volunteers to trim coal? ' Den- 

 nistoun was shipped as mule-overseer for the voyage down, 

 and there was apparently a moral obligation that he should 

 earn his shilling a week on the return by trimming coal ! So 

 he always turned out and climbed into the bunkers. We 

 followed suit after a few days' rest, and worked away in 

 the hold and in the warmer dusty " bunkers " next the boilers. 

 Then another naval " tyrant " would look down at the coal- 

 trimmers and yell, " All hands on deck to haul mainsail ! ' 

 We were true sailormen in that a chorus of anathemas saluted 

 our naval colleague ! However, we'd go upon deck and get 

 into oilskins and sou'westers, and then search out the special 

 halyard in question, usually finding that the operation had 

 been concluded some minutes previously ! 



With two Liberal Socialists like Simpson and myself, it is 

 not to be supposed that this continued long ! We went on 

 strike and delivered our ultimatum — 



"Either coal-trimming or sail-hauling — but not both." 

 Pennell grinned cheerfully, and said we could do all the coal- 

 trimming if we liked. Personally I felt this was more 

 scientific, as touching the departments of statics and applied 



