38 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLD 
which more often than not only blows and the dorsal fins 
can be observed. ‘The nomenclature of dolphins especially 
leaves much to be desired, and it is to be hoped that some 
expedition in the future will carry a Norwegian harpooner, 
who could do other work as well since they are very good 
sailors. Wilson was strongly of this opinion and tried hard 
to get a harpooner, but they are expensive people so long 
as the present boom in whaling lasts, and perhaps it was on 
the score of expense that the idea was regretfully aban- 
doned. We carried whaling gear formerly taken on the 
Discovery Expedition, and kindly lent for this expedition 
by the Royal Geographical Society of London. A few shots 
were tried, but an unskilled harpooner stands very little 
chance. If you go whaling you must have had experience. 
The ship was not slowed down to enable marine bio- 
logical observations to be taken on this part of the expedi- 
tion, but something like forty samples of plankton were 
taken with a full-speed net. We were unable to trawl on the 
bottom until we reached Melbourne, when a trawl was 
made in Port Phillip Harbour to try the gear and accustom 
men to its use. It was not a purpose of the expedition to 
spend time in deep-sea work until it reached Antarctic seas. 
For four days the wind, such as there was of it, was 
dead ahead ; it is not very often in the Forties that a ship 
cannot make progress for want of wind. But having set all 
plain sail on October 2 with a falling glass we got a certain 
amount of wind on the port beam, and did 158 miles in 
the next twenty-four hours. Sunday being quiet Scott 
read service while the officers and men grouped round 
the wheel. We seldom had service on deck ; for Sundays 
became proverbial days for a blow on the way out, and 
service, 1f held at all, was generally in the ward-room. On 
one famous occasion we tried to play the pianola to accom- 
pany the hymns, but, since the rolls were scored rather for 
musical effect than for church services, the pianola was 
suddenly found to be playing something quite different 
from what was being sung. All through the expedition the 
want of some one who could play the piano was felt, and 
such a man 1s certainly a great asset in a life so far removed 
