246 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' Qune 



time than the very numerous alterations that have been made 

 to suit individual taste, and even if it had, there is now ample 

 opportunity for such work. 



'The necessity of continually facing a blighting wind is 

 calling forth original genius and inventive talent in devising 

 a headgear which shall protect one's necessarily exposed 

 features. Our helmets are made of a thick fleecy material 

 woven of camel's hair, which is satisfactory enough for winter 

 wear, though many of us are not in favour of it for sledging. 

 When buttoned across, this helmet comes low on the forehead 

 and circles round over the chin and close under the mouth, 

 leaving only the cheeks and nose exposed ; but in a cold wind 

 it takes all one's time to keep even these members from being 

 frost-bitten. At first talent was devoted to finding some 

 practicable form of ' nose-nip,' a semi-attached piece which can 

 be disposed to cover the nose and cheeks in windy weather, 

 but in spite of all efforts the same difficulty always arises : one's 

 breath is caught as it ascends and freezes on it, gradually 

 accumulating until one's face is covered with a mass of ice. 

 The same drawback is found to occur to a greater degree with 

 any form of face-mask. A new departure is now being devel- 

 oped by which a sort of blinker is placed on each side of 

 the helmet, and each blinker is capable of being pushed for- 

 ward according to the direction of the wind.' 



The development of this new idea finally put us in posses- 

 sion of a device which proved really admirable, and which I 

 can confidently recommend to expeditions that may be called 

 on to face equally windy conditions. A light peak about two 

 or two and a quarter inches deep, constructed of gaberdine 

 stiffened with canvas, was carried across the forehead and down 

 on each side of the face well below the chin, and attached to 

 the edge of the helmet aperture ; in its ordinary position, it lay 

 flat back against the helmet, but either side could be thrust 

 forward separately, or both together. The beauty of this 

 device was that with the wind on either side one had but to 

 push forward the guard on that side to obtain shelter, whereas 

 if the wind was ahead one pushed forward both sides and, 



