344 
FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
very much down by the head by reason of the coal being 
all stowed forward, so we are taking the sea heavily over 
our bows. 
Friday. — A head wind under reefed topsails, staysails, 
reefed foresail. A heavy cross sea still running, making 
us roll tremendously, decks always awash, everything 
loose, banging about. In the dog watch the wind fell and 
we got up steam, then it came fair and we sailed. 
Wc have had nothing but contrary winds for some days, 
so the change was very welcome. Both watches were on 
deck, and so the two crowds each hauled at a topsail 
halyard at the same time. What a clang of voices there 
was, each watch shouting down the other ! What a wild 
fresh picture to remember in the foul streets in towns, — the 
sea plunging from bulwark to bulwark seething white, the 
men singing and laughing ; up to the tops of their 
boots in glittering foam, and a fair yellow light filling 
the sky, making the dark, lumpy waves look soft and 
delicate, shining through the jets of glittering broken 
water thrown up by the cross sea. 
<t 
Thursday. — Heavy Cape Horn sea. Bright, clear 
weather. We smelt land to-day ; I could swear to it. 
When I came out of the cabin there was a pleasant 
aromatic perfume of burning wood in the air, but on 
looking forward there was no smoke to be seen, and the 
wind was right across our deck. 
So it dawned on me that it must be from land, and 
standing right up to windward the smell was the same. 
Two hundred miles seems rather a long way for the scent 
