r roughing it, besides which he left Day over at Hut
Point, where his clever fingers found plenty to do to ameliorate the
condition of those living there. Day had learnt much under Shackleton in
these parts, and by some of us he was nicknamed "Handy Andy." Meares was
now appointed "Governor of Hut Point." As a matter of fact he and his
dogs were better off here than at Cape Evans, because the dogs could use
the big sheltered verandas already mentioned, whereas they had no such
shelter at Cape Evans.

Scott was back in the hut by April 21, having left Meares definite orders
that James Pigg and Punch the ponies were not to leave Hut Point for Cape
Evans until the entire journey could be made over the sea ice under
conditions of absolute safety. This meant a wait of three weeks to a
month before everything suited, and the "Governor of Hut Point" did not
come in until the 13th May, when he arrived in pomp and splendour with
all the dogs and the two ponies fit and well--his party, black with soot
and blubber, their wind-proof clothing smelly and greasy, a dirty but
robust and cheerful gang.

A glance at the accompanying plan shows whereabout we worked. Starting at
the left hand top corner we find Simpson's laboratory, and we usually
found Simpson in it at work, always at work, except when he was engaged
in scientific argument or when, just after lunch, he stretched himself
out on his bunk at the end of a large cigar! Simpson was no novice to
work in the frigid zones, for he had already wintered within the Arctic
circle in northern Norway. Weather did not worry him much nor apparently
did temperatures, for since his investigations midst the snows of the
Vikings' land, Simpson had worked extensively in India. His enduring good
humour and his smiling manner earned for him the sobriquet of Sunny Jim.

In the first year the self-registering instruments that found themselves
in Simpson's corner, or in the small hut which contained his magnetic
observatory, gave us an admirable record of temperatures, barometric
pressures, wind force and direction, atmospheric electricity, sunshine
when the sun did shine, and the elements of terrestrial magnetism. Thanks
to Simpson, we also had investigations of the upper air currents, aurora
observations, atmospheric optics, gravity determination and what is more,
some fine practical teaching that enabled the various sledging units
properly to observe and collect data of meteorological importance