SOUTH 
and had it up just as Lees had determined that the pros had 
it. There were now four men up on the thwarts of the Dudley 
Docker, and the five sailors and Hussey on those of the Stan- 
comb Wills, the remainder disposing themselves on the floor," 
The floor was at first covered with snow- and ice, frozen in 
amongst the pebbles. This Avas cleared out, and the remainder 
of the tents spread out over the stones. Within the shelter of 
these cramped but comparatively palatial quarters cheerful- 
ness once more reigned amongst the party. The blizzard, how- 
ever, soon discovered the flaws in the architecture of their 
hut, and the fine drift-snow forced its way through the crevices 
between the stones forming the end walls. Jaeger sleeping- 
bags and coats were spread over the outside of these walls, 
packed over with snow and securely frozen up, effectively 
keeping out this drift. 
At first all the cooking was done outside under the lee of 
some rocks, further protection being provided by a wall of 
provision-cases. There were two blubber-stoves made from 
old oil-drums, and one day, when the blizzard was unusually 
severe, an attempt was made to cook the meals inside the hut. 
There being no means of escape for the pungent blubber-smoke, 
the inmates had rather a bad time, some being affected with 
a form of smoke-blindness similar to snow-blindness, very 
painful and requiring medical attention. 
A chimney was soon fitted, made by Kerr out of the tin 
lining of one of the biscuit- cases, and passed through a close- 
fitting tin grummet sewn into the canvas of the roof just between 
the keels of the two boats, and the smoke nuisance was soon 
a thing of the past. Later on, another old oil-drum was made 
to surround this chimney, so that two pots could be cooked at 
once on the one stove. Those whose billets were near the stove 
suffered from the effects of the local thaw caused by its heat, 
but they were repaid by being able to warm up portions of 
steak and hooshes left over from previous meals, and even to 
warm up those of the less fortunate ones, for a consideration. 
This consisted generally of part of the hoosh or one or two 
pieces of sugar. 
The cook and his assistant, which latter job was taken by 
226 
