THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



accomplished, there was a long wait for the next con- 

 signment. 



Work was continued all night, though every one was 

 nearly dropping with fatigue; but I decided that the boat 

 returning to the ship at 5 a.m. (the 18th) should take a 

 message to England that the men were to knock off for 

 breakfast and turn to at seven o'clock. Meanwhile 

 Roberts had brewed some hot coffee in the hut, where we 

 now had the stove going, and, after a drink of this, our 

 weary people threw themselves down on the sleeping-bags 

 in order to snatch a short rest before again taking up the 

 weary work. At 7 a.m. I went to the top of Flagstaff 

 Point, but instead of seeing the ship close in, I spied her 

 hull down on the horizon, and could see no sign of her 

 approaching the winter quarters to resume discharging. 

 After watching her for about half an hour, I returned to 

 the hut, woke up those of the staff who from utter weari- 

 ness had dropped asleep, and told them to turn into their 

 bags and have a proper rest. I could not imagine why 

 the ship was not at hand, but at a quarter to eleven 

 Harboard came ashore and said that England wanted to 

 see me on board; so, leaving the others to sleep, I 

 went off to the Nirnrod. On asking England why the 

 ship was not in at seven to continue discharging, he 

 told me that all hands were so dead-tired that he 

 thought it best to let them have a sleep. The men 

 were certainly worn out. Davis' head had dropped 

 on the wardroom table, and he had gone sound asleep 

 with his spoon in his mouth, to which he had just con- 

 veyed some of his breakfast. Cotton had fallen asleep 

 on the platform of the engine-room steps, whilst Mawson, 

 whose lair was a little store-room in the engine-room, 

 was asleep on the floor. His long legs, protruding 

 through the doorway, had found a resting-place on the 

 cross-head of the engine, and his dreams were mingled with 



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