«9xi] LIVELY DISCUSSIONS 305 
for that meal arrived we sat down to a sumptuous spread 
with our sledge banners hung about us. Clissold's 
especially excellent seal soup, roast mutton and red 
currant jelly, fruit salad, asparagus and chocolate — such 
was our menu. For drink we had cider cup, a mystery 
not yet fathomed, some sherry and a liqueur. 
After this luxurious meal everyone was very festive 
and amiably argumentative. As I write there is a group 
in the dark room discussing political progress with large 
discussions — anotherat one cornerof the dinner table airing 
its views on the origin of matter and the probability of 
its ultimate discovery, and yet another debating military 
problems. The scraps that reach me from the various 
groups sometimes piece together in ludicrous fashion. 
Perhaps these arguments are practically unprofitable, 
but they give a great deal of pleasure to the participants. 
It's delightful to hear the ring of triumph in some voice 
when the owner imagines he has delivered himself of a 
well-rounded period or a clinching statement concerning 
the point under discussion. They are boys, all of them, 
but such excellent good-natured ones; there has been no 
sign of sharpness or anger, no jarring note, in all these 
wordy contests; all end with a laugh. 
Nelson has offered Taylor a pair of socks to teach him 
some geology ! This lulls me to sleep ! 
Wednesday, June 7. — A very beautiful day. In the 
afternoon went well out over the floe to the south, looking 
up Nelson at his icehole and picking up Bowers at his 
thermometer. The surface was polished and beautifully 
smooth for ski, the scene brightly illuminated with 
VOL. l x 
