i 9 o 3 ] COMMUNICATION WITH THE 'MORNING' 123 



'To-day England, Evans, and nine men came from the 

 " Morning," bringing us a fresh load of papers and some more 

 luxuries, especially potatoes. At present I feel that if I had 

 the power of poetic expression I should certainly write an ode 

 to the potato. Can one ever forget that first fresh "hot and 

 floury" after so long a course of the miserable preserved 

 article ? ' 



' February 10. — To-day we gave a dinner party, the invita- 

 tion being delivered across six miles of ice through the medium 

 of the semaphore. Colbeck, Doorly, Morrison, and Davidson 

 arrived as guests clad in good stout canvas suits and quite 

 ready for the feast. They brought good news, for they re- 

 ported that more than a mile of ice has broken away yesterday 

 and this morning. We entertained our guests principally on 

 the luxuries they had brought us, and there was little to be 

 complained of in the fare ; we had giblet soup, skua gull as 

 an entree, then our one and only turkey, and a joint of beef, 

 with plum-pudding and jellies to follow. Truly we are living 

 high in these days, and I ask myself whether it was really I 

 who was eating seal blubber a fortnight ago. After dinner we 

 had the usual musical gathering, to which our guests brought 

 a great deal of fresh talent. We have had a right merry night, 

 and now all are coiled down to sleep ; those who cannot find 

 berths are snoring happily on the wardroom table.' 



''February 12. — The weather has changed very much for 

 the worse. The day of our return seemed to mark the last of 

 the fine sunny summer ; since that it has been almost con- 

 tinuously overcast, and our old enemy the wind returns at all 

 too frequent intervals. Colbeck was weather-bound yesterday, 

 but it gave us an opportunity of discussing the situation. If 

 the ice is to be very late in breaking up, I think it is advisable 

 that the " Morning " should not delay to await our release ; 

 she at least should run no risk of being detained, and it is to be 

 remembered that she has little power to push through the 

 young ice. We have decided to commence the transport of 

 stores to-morrow ; it will be tiresome work, but we ought to 

 get it over in less than a fortnight.' 



