266 FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
I daresay, if one had to put in a winter here, that a taste 
for them might be developed. 
. . . You can loaf in the Antarctic when the sun shines, 
just as well as at home, and you can loaf longer, for the 
sun does not set, neither does the dew fall and make you 
uncomfortable at night. I loafed all day, shamelessly, in 
the maintop, enjoying life to its full. From the ship's deck 
you have quite a limited view of the ice-floes ; when you 
climb up the rigging it spreads and extends till the canals 
of open water, running in and out among the ice islands 
like purple veins, seem to grow narrower and narrower 
till at last they are lost in the distance, and the ice on the 
horizon seems to form a solid field. 
The sea between the islands is of the most delicate 
warm lilac colour, and as smooth as crystal, excepting 
where faint cats'- paws tint the water with a darker 
violet. The scene is so utterly quiet and beautiful that 
it is perfect bliss to sit and look, and inhale the pure, 
sunny air. 
To the west we have a clear view of the land, and see 
several unnamed islands. The Jason is keeping us com- 
pany just now ; she is a mile or two to the south, steering 
in and out amongst the ice. At times her black hull is 
hidden by the white blocks, then we see her all perfectly 
reflected. Her boats, like water-spiders, are flitting up 
and down the water lanes ; one of them stops against 
an ice island, and the black spider divides into several 
black dots that go straggling over the snow, and a distant 
pop, popping of rifles tells of the death of seals. 
The air is so intensely still that up here in the maintop 
