e had plenty of variety in the
matter of work; one part of the grotto was intended for Simpson's
magnetic work, and this was the illuminated section. Whenever people
visited the ice caves we got them to do a bit of picking and hewing; even
roping in Captain Scott, who did a healthy half-hour's work when he came
along our way.

Scott and Wilson got their hands in at dog-driving now, as I did
occasionally myself. Nobody could touch Meares or Dimitri at dog-team
work, although later on Cherry-Garrard and Atkinson became the experts.

The hut was finished externally on January 12 and fine stables built up
on its northern side. This complete, Bowers arranged an annexe on the
south side from which to do the rationing and provision issues. How we
blessed all this fine weather; it was hardly necessary to wear snow
glasses, in spite of so much sunshine, for the glare was relieved by the
dark rock and sand around us. When all the stores had been discharged
from the ship she lightened up considerably, and Campbell then set to
work to ballast her for Pennell. Meares amused the naval members of our
party by asking, with a childlike innocence, "Had they got all the cargo
out of the steamer?" There was nothing wrong in what he said, but the
"Terra Nova," Royal Yacht Squadron--and "cargo" and "steamer"--how our
naval pride was hurt!

Incidentally we called the sandy strand (before the winter snow came, and
covered it, and blotted it all out) Hurrah Beach; the bay to the
northward of the winter quarters we christened Happy Bay. Although our
work physically was of the hardest we lived in luxury for a while. Nelson
provided cocoa for Captain Scott and myself at midnight just before we
slept. He used to make it after supper and keep it for us in a great
thermos flask. We only washed once a week and we were soon black with sun
and dirt but in splendid training. In the first three weeks my shore
gang, which included the lusty Canadian physicist, Wright, carried many
hundreds of cases, walked miles daily, dug ice, picked, shovelled, handed
ponies, cooked and danced. Outwardly we were not all prototypes of "the
Sentimental Bloke," but occasionally in the stillness of the summer
nights, we some of us unbent a bit, when the sun stood low in the south
and all was quiet and still, and we did occasionally build castles in the
air and draw home-pictures to one another, pictures of English summers,
of river picnics and country life that framed thos