FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 311 
and before, stated with the light in his eye, was, 1 It's the 
difference between Heaven and Hell.' 
On Friday our programme was the same as Thursday, 
— turned out stiff as a board, rowed, and killed seals all 
day. Cest le premier coup qui coAte, and in this work 
it is the first few hundred yards rowing that we feel most, 
then the soreness goes out of our bones, we warm to the 
work, and the beauty of our surroundings again 
appeals to \ us. 
Saturday. — We all turned out with our spirits buoyed 
up with the hope that this would be the last day's sealing, 
for the tanks are nearly full, and the decks are so piled 
up with skins that the enormous weight must make some- 
thing give way. 
There was an incident in this Saturday's sealing that 
made a beautiful subject for an ice-picture. We had 
found a few scattered seals lying on the end of a 
stream of ice and the men had landed to kill them, whilst 
I stayed in the boat to keep her clear of some ice-blocks 
that threatened to close us in. Happening to look up 
over the floe in the direction of the men, I was astonished 
