THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



of conversation until this first course had been disposed 

 of. Then came the order from the messman, " up bowls," 

 and reserving our spoons for future use, the bowls were 

 passed along. If it were a " fruit day," that is a day 

 when the second course consisted of bottled fruit, the 

 bowls were retained for this popular dish. 



At twenty-five minutes to ten breakfast was over 

 and we had had our smokes. All dishes were passed 

 up, the table hoisted out of the way, and the messman 

 started to wash up the breakfast-things, assisted by his 

 cubicle companion and by one or two volunteers who 

 would help him to dry up. Another of the party swept 

 out the hut; and this operation was performed three 

 times a day, so as to keep the building in a tidy state. 

 After finishing the breakfast-things, the duty of the man 

 in the house was to replenish the melting-pots with ice, 

 empty the ashes and tins into the dust-box outside 

 and get in a bag of coal. By half -past ten the morning 

 work was accomplished and the messman was free until 

 twenty minutes to one, when he put the water on for the 

 mid-day tea. At one o'clock tea was served and we had 

 a sort of counter lunch. This was a movable feast, for 

 scientific and other duties often made some of our party 

 late, and after it was over there was nothing for the 

 messman to do in the afternoon except to have sufficient 

 water ready to provide tea at four o'clock. At a quarter 

 past six the table was brought down again and dinner, 

 the longest meal of the day, was served sharp at 6.30. 

 One often heard the messman anxiously inquiring what 

 the dinner dishes were going to consist of, the most 

 popular from his point of view being those which resulted 

 in the least amount of grease on the plates. Dinner 

 was over soon after seven o'clock and then tea was 

 served. Tobacco and conversation kept us at table 

 until 7.30, after which the same routine of washing up 



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