i 9 o 3 ] LIFE AT THE CAMP 231 



tell me stories at once, and from the noise which has come 

 from beyond the screen I know that my sledge companions 

 have been in much the same position. 



1 It appears that the work on the saws was felt very much 

 at first, and arms and backs became one huge ache. Every- 

 one had felt that if it had been leg work there would have 

 been no difficulty after the sledging experience, but the new 

 departure exercised a different set of muscles altogether, so 

 that after the first efforts people suffered much from stiffness ; 

 but this soon wore off, and then there had come the emulation 

 of one party against another to show which could complete the 

 longest cut in a four-hour spell. There had been no reason to 

 be alarmed about the appetites even before this work com- 

 menced, but as soon as it had settled down into full swing, it 

 was as much as the dog team and the seal killers could do to 

 keep up supplies. I could scarcely wonder at this from what 

 I saw to-night : one of the returning parties first fell on an 

 enormous potful of porridge, and it was gone before one could 

 well look round; next came a dish piled high with sizzling 

 seal steaks, and very soon the dish was empty ; then came the 

 jam course, with huge hunks of bread and "flap Johnny" 

 cakes, the sort of thing that is produced on a griddle, and 

 which I hear is very popular. Finally, after their light supper, 

 this party composed themselves to sleep, and very soon other 

 people arose and inquired how their breakfast was getting on. 



1 Each party have four of these meals in the day, so that 

 twelve meals altogether are served in the tent. Barne's party 

 seem to hold the record ; it appears that they possess an 

 excellent cook in Smythe, and that a few days ago he prepared 

 for them a splendid stew which took seven penguins in the 

 making j after cooking this he turned his attention to making 

 cakes, and not until these were finished did he demand his 

 share of the first dish, and then he discovered that there was 

 none left ! Considering that a penguin is not far off the size 

 of a goose, I think this party deserve to retain the palm. 



1 But, apart from this, I do not think I ever saw such 

 exuberant, overflowing health and spirits as now exist in this 



