76 WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORELE 
from most of the wind. I am not sure that the steersman — 
did not have the most uninviting job, but hot cocoa is a 
most comforting drink and there was always plenty to 
be had. 
Rennick was busy sounding. The depths varied from 
1804 to at least 3890 fathoms, and the bottom generally 
showed volcanic deposits. Our line of soundings showed — 
the transition from the ocean depths to the continental 
shelf. A series of temperatures was gained by Nelson by 
means of reversible thermometers down to 3891 metres. 
The winch upon which the sounding line was wound 
was worked by|hand on this cruise. It was worked mechani- 
cally afterwards, and of course this ought always to be 
done if possible. Just now it was a wearisome business, 
especially when we lowered a water-sample bottle one day 
to 1800 metres, spent hours in winding it up and found it 
still open when it arrived at the surface! Water samples 
were also obtained at the various depths. Lillieand Nelson — 
were both busy tow-netting for plankton with full-speed, — 
Apstein, Nansen, 24- and 180-mesh nets. 
I don’t think many at home had a more pleasant Christ- 
mas Day than we. It was beautifully calm with the pack — 
all round. At 10 we had church with lots of Christmas 
hymns, and then decorated the ward-room with all our 
sledging flags. These flags are carried by officers on Arctic — 
expeditions, and are formed of the St. George’s Cross with 
a continuation ending in a swallow-tail in the heraldic 
colours to which the individual is entitled, and upon this is 
embroidered his crest. The men forrard had their Christ- _ 
mas dinner of fresh mutton at mid-day; there was plenty of © 
penguin for them, but curiously enough they did not think | 
it good enough for a Christmas dinner. The ward-room 
ate penguin in the evening, and after the toast of ‘absent 
friends’ we began to sing, and twice round the table every- 
body had to contribute a song. Ponting’s banjo songs were 
a great success, also Oates’s ‘ The Vly on the tu-urmuts.’ 
Meares sang “‘a little song about our Expedition, and 
many of the members that Southward would go,” of his 
own composition. The general result was that the watches _ 
