FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
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foolishly let the men know the name of the girl he left 
behind him, was chaffed for pastime. It amused them, 
and he did not mind ; of course he must have been of 
Saxon extraction, from Fife or Forfar. Catch a canny 
Shetlander or John Highlandman letting out his heart's 
secret in a focsle ! 
About ten we began to think we were going to spend 
the night on the ice, and kept an anxious look-out for the 
Balaena, and at last to our great relief her spars appeared 
over the ice horizon. As we could not go into the small 
sea outside our shelter for fear of swamping, we lay 
snug, lit another pipe, cut another chew, and waited for 
her to come down to us. Some of those who read this 
may remark on this objectionable habit of chewing tobacco. 
My opinion on the matter is that on occasions, say after 
long exposure it is remarkably soothing and sustaining ; 
and for men working as our crew work from morning 
till night in the boats, one hour hot and the next freezing 
cold, with boots full of snow-broo and blood, and waist- 
belts pulled in to the last hole, anything that dulls the 
senses without paralysing them is welcome. 
At eleven we were on board tucking into penguin stew 
— at least I was. My companions have to do any cooking 
for themselves when they come in like this at night, and 
of course they were too fagged to cook anything, but ate 
their cold tinned meat and biscuit, lit their pipes, looked 
to their cut hands, damned a little, and lay down as they 
were on their chest-lids for forty winks before turning 
out to their morning watch. A man who would work a 
hired dog on the 12th as these poor beggars are worked 
