248 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' [June 



l June 10. — - ... In considering the excellent manner in 

 which we are getting through the long winter and the good 

 health enjoyed by all, the share which our material comforts 

 have had in the result must not be forgotten. We have fresh 

 well-baked bread continuously, seal-meat three times a week, 

 pies and other dishes of tinned meat three times, and fresh 

 mutton once. To this is added a good supply of butter, milk, 

 cheese, jam, and bottled fruits, whilst cakes are constantly 

 made for all. There is, of course, a certain amount of same- 

 ness in the diet, and preserved foods are more likely to become 

 wearisome than fresh, and of course, also, appetites are tending 

 to grow fastidious from the inactive life ; but, taking it all in 

 all, the food is quite good enough to tempt us to eat a sufficiency, 

 whilst, as may perhaps be equally fortunate, it is not so 

 attractive as to leave us with any desire to take more than that 

 sufficiency. The main point is that we all seem to thrive well 

 on it. Perhaps the articles we miss most are fresh vegetables ; 

 tinned vegetables are always a poor substitute, and with the 

 exception of the potatoes ours are unfit for food. Our preserved 

 potatoes are as good as such things can be, but the best pre- 

 served potatoes are dull and uninteresting. The greatest 

 drawback to the galley productions, however, is the cook. 

 We shipped him at the last moment in New Zealand, when our 

 trained cook became too big for his boots, and the exchange 

 was greatly for the worse ; I am afraid he is a thorough knave, 

 but what is even worse, he is dirty — an unforgivable crime in a 

 cook. I think if the men were free to deal with him it would 

 be " something slow with boiling oil " ; but, alas ! one cannot 

 be rid of the most undesirable in this far-off land : one is 

 forced to make the best of a bad job. Luckily, he is a com- 

 paratively isolated blemish. Luckily, also, our cook's mate is 

 a good man and an excellent baker ; it is he who provides us 

 with our good bread and toothsome cakes.' 



*June 12. — . . . We keep a very regular weekly routine ; 

 each day has its special food and its special tasks, and as far as 

 possible we stick to what the sailor calls " man-of-war fashion." 

 The week's work ends on Friday ; Saturday is devoted to " clean 



