WAITING FOR THE SHIP 



the sleeping-bag, leaving Mackay to take the first 

 of our four hour watches on the look-out for the Nimrod, 

 During his watch he walked up to our depot and dug 

 out our biscuit tin, which had served us as a blubber 

 lamp and cooker, together with the cut-down paraffin 

 tin which we had used as a frying-pan. Both these he 

 carried down to our tent. There he Ht the blubber 

 lamp just outside the tent and cooked some penguin 

 meat, regaling himself at intervals during his four 

 hour's watch with dainty morsels from the savoury 

 dish. When he called me up at 4 a.m. I found that 

 he had thoughtfully put into the frying-pan a junk of 

 Emperor's breast, weighing about two pounds, for me 

 to toy with during my watch. A chilly wind was 

 blowing off the plateau, and I was truly thankful for 

 an occasional nibble at the hot penguin meat. After 

 cooking some more penguin meat I called up Mawson 

 soon after 8 a.m. on February 4, and immediately 

 afterwards turned into the bag, and at once dropped 

 off sound asleep. 



Mawson did not call Mackay and myself until after 

 2 P.M. We at once rolled up the sleeping-bag, and 

 Mawson cooked a generous meal of seal and penguin 

 meat and blubber, while Mackay made a thin soupy 

 broth on the Primus. Meanwhile, I went on to the 

 ice mound with the field-glasses, but could see nothing 

 in the way of a ship to seaward and returned to the 

 tent. We all thoroughly enjoyed our liberal repast, and 

 particularly relished the seal's blood, gravy and seal oil. 



After the meal we discussed our future plans. We 

 decided that we had better move the tent that afternoon 

 up to our old depot, where it would be a conspicuous 

 object from the sea, and where, too, we could command 

 a more extensive view of the ocean. We also talked 

 over what we had best do in the event of the Nimrod 



Vol. II.— 14 



209 



