SOUTH 
were stranded on Elephant Island owe their lives to him. The 
demons of depression could find no foothold when he was 
around ; and, not content with merely telling," he was 
doing " as much as, and very often more than, the rest. He 
showed wonderful capabihties of leadership and more than 
justified the absolute confidence that I placed in him. Hussey, 
with his cheeriness and his banjo, was another vital factor in 
chasing away any tendency to downheartedness. 
Once they were settled in their hut, the health of the party 
was quite good. Of course, they were all a bit weak, some were 
light-headed, all were frost-bitten, and others, later, had attacks 
of heart failure. Blackborrow, whose toes were so badly frost- 
bitten in the boats, had to have all five amputated while on the 
island. With insufficient instruments and no proper means 
of sterilizing them, the operation, carried out as it was in a 
dark, grimy hut, with only a blubber-stove to keep up the 
temperature and with an outside temperature well below freez- 
ing, speaks volumes for the skill and initiative of the surgeons. 
I am glad to be able to say that the operation was very success- 
ful, and after a little treatment ashore, very kindly given by 
the Chilian doctors at Punta Arenas, he has now completely 
recovered and walks with only a slight limp. Hudson, who 
developed bronchitis and hip disease, was practically well again 
when the party was rescued. All trace of the severe fi'ost-bites 
suffered in the boat journey had disappeared, though traces of 
recent superficial ones remained on some. All were naturally 
weak when rescued, owing to having been on such scanty rations 
for so long, but all were alive and very cheerful, thanks to 
Frank Wild. 
August 30, 1916, is described in their diaries as a day of 
wonders." Food was very short, only two days' seal and 
penguin meat being left, and no prospect of any more arriving. 
The whole party had been collecting limpets and seaweed to 
eat with the stewed seal bones. Lunch was being served by 
Wild, Hurley and Marston waiting outside to take a last long 
look at the direction from which they expected the ship to 
arrive. From a fortnight after I had left, Wild would roll up 
his sleeping-bag each day with the remark, " Get your things 
238 
