THE FIRST WINTER 211 
called Krisravitza, which is the Russian (so I’m told) for 
‘most beautiful.’ This fancy originated in the fact that to 
Kris, as the most truculent of our untamed devils, fella large 
share of well-deserved punishment. A living thing in 
trouble be it dog or man was something to be helped. 
Being the smallest man in the party he schemed to have 
allotted to him the largest pony available both for the 
Depot and Polar Journeys. ‘Their exercise, when he suc- 
ceeded, was a matter for experiment, for his knowledge of 
horses was as limited as his love of animals was intense. 
He started to exercise his second pony (for the first was 
lost on the floe) by riding him. “I'll soon get used to 
him,” he said one day when Victor had just deposited 
him in the tide-crack, “‘ to say nothing of his getting used 
to me,” he added in a more subdued voice. 
This was open-air work, and as such more congenial 
than that which had to be done inside the hut. But his 
most important work was indoors, and he brought to it 
just the same restless enthusiasm which allowed no leisure 
for reading or relaxation. 
| He joined as one of the ship’s officers in London. 
Given charge of the stores, the way in which he stowed 
the ship aroused the admiration of even the stevedores, 
especially when he fell down the main hatch one morning 
on to the pig-iron below, recovered consciousness in about 
half a minute, and continued work for the rest of the day 
as though nothing had happened. 
As the voyage out proceeded it became obvious that his 
knowledge of the stores and undefeatable personality would 
be of great value to the shore party, and it was decided that 
he should land, to his great delight. He was personally re- 
sponsible for all food supplies, whether for home consump- 
tion or for sledging, for all sledging stores and the distribu- 
tion of weights, the loading of sledges, the consumption 
of coal, the issue of clothing, bosun’s stores, and carpenter’s 
stores. Incidentally the keeper of stores wanted a very exact 
knowledge of the cases which contained them, for the drifts 
of snow soon buried them as they lay in the camp outside. 
As time proved his capacity Scott left one thing after 
