FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
7 
was full of tubs and tinned-meat cans. If it had not 
been for these wretched tubs and things, I was told, I 
would have been welcome to stow away there, but there 
was absolutely nowhere else to put them. This was 
poor comfort, and I returned to Edinburgh in a very low 
state of mind, and for two or three days laboured at my 
frieze, avoided the face of man, and vainly tried to forget 
my Antarctic castle in the air. That was impossible. 
Bruce was camped in my quarters, and his preparations 
for the voyage made me think of the tumbling seas and 
glittering green bergs instead of dusty old memories of 
dead kings. 
Just three days before the Balaena sailed I went through 
to Dundee to see for the last time whether a berth could 
not be found on one of the ships. The master of the 
Balsena was not on board, so I went to the other ships 
to find if there was still a berth to be had before the mast. 
There was apparently plenty of room there, as it seemed 
that it was hard to get hands for the Antarctic, though 
there were numbers ready for the Arctic. Before signing the 
articles I determined to pay one more visit to the Balsena, 
and this time the result was satisfactory ; for at last I was 
told that the bunk beside the doctor s was mine if he could 
put me up in his cabin for the first week at sea— after 
that week the bunk would be cleared of the stores that 
were then in it I could scarcely believe my good fortune 
— how I hugged myself as I trained home that evening ! 
The other passengers in the carriage must have wondered 
what on earth could make the opposite party look so 
happy. A pretty French bonne, in charge of two children, 
