i 9 xi] MIDWINTER DAY DINNER 325 
Beginning on seal soup, by common consent the best 
decoction that our cook produces, we went on to roast 
beef with Yorkshire pudding, fried potatoes and Brussels 
sprouts. Then followed a flaming plum-pudding and 
excellent mince pies, and thereafter a dainty savoury of 
anchovy and cod's roe. A wondrous attractive meal even 
in so far as judged by our simple lights, but with its 
garnishments a positive feast, for withal the table was 
strewn with dishes of burnt almonds, crystallised fruits, 
chocolates and such toothsome kickshaws, whilst the 
unstinted supply of champagne which accompanied the 
courses was succeeded by a noble array of liqueur bottles 
from which choice could be made in the drinking of toasts. 
I screwed myself up to a little speech which drew 
attention to the nature of the celebration as a half-way 
mark not only in our winter but in the plans of the Expedi- 
tion as originally published. (I fear there are some who 
don't realise how rapidly time passes and who have barely 
begun work which by this time ought to be in full swing.) 
We had come through a summer season and half a 
winter, and had before us half a winter and a second 
summer. We ought to know how we stood in every 
respect ; we did know how we stood in regard to stores 
and transport, and I especially thanked the officer in charge 
of stores and the custodians of the animals. I said that 
as regards the future, chance must play a part, but that 
experience showed me that it would have been impossible 
to have chosen people more fitted to support me in the 
enterprise to the South than those who were to start in 
that direction in the spring. I thanked them all for 
