NEVER AGAIN 577 



whether your man whose work lies in or round the hut 

 shirks a bit or not, just as it does not matter much in civiliz- 

 ation : it is just rather a waste of opportunity. But there's 

 precious little shirking in Barrier sledging : a week finds 

 most of us out. 



There are many questions which ought to be studied. 

 The effect upon men of going from heat to cold, such as 

 Bowers coming to us from the Persian Gulf: or vice versa 

 of Simpson returning from the Antarctic to India ; differ- 

 ences of dry and damp cold ; what is a comfortable tem- 

 perature in the Antarctic and what is it compared to a com- 

 fortable temperature in England, the question of women 

 in these temperatures . . . ? The man with the nerves 

 goes farthest. What is the ratio between nervous and 

 physical energy ? What is vitality ? Why do some things 

 terrify you at one time and not at others ? What is this 

 early morning courage ? What is the influence of imagin- 

 ation ? How far can a man draw on his capital ? Whence 

 came Bowers' great heat supply ? And my own white 

 beard ? and X's blue eyes : for he started from England 

 with brown ones and his mother refused to own him when 

 he came back ? Growth and colour change in hair and 

 skin ? 



There are many reasons which send men to the Poles, 

 and the Intellectual Force uses them all. But the desire 

 for knowledge for its own sake is the one which really 

 counts and there is no field for the collection of know- 

 ledge which at the present time can be compared to the 

 Antarctic. 



Exploration is the physical expression of the Intel- 

 lectual Passion. 



And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge 

 and the power to give it physical expression, go out and 

 explore. If you are a brave man you will do nothing : if 

 you are fearful you may do much, for none but cowards 

 have need to prove their bravery. Some will tell you that 

 you are mad, and nearly all will say, "What is the use?" 

 For we are a nation of shopkeepers, and no shopkeeper 

 will look at research which does not promise him a financial 



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