ouble in making this descent, on
account of crevasses in the ice slopes which overhung the level way under
the rock cliffs. As a matter of fact, the attempt on the 19th proved
abortive, although the little band got close to the rookery. They reached
it successfully on the 20th when the light was almost failing, and were
mortified to find only about one hundred Emperor penguins in place of the
two or three thousand birds which the rookery had been found to contain
in the "Discovery" days. Possibly the early date accounted for the
absence of Emperors; however, half a dozen eggs were collected, and three
of these found their way home to England. Wilson picked up rounded pieces
of ice at the rookery which the stupid Emperors had been cherishing,
fondly imagining they were eggs; evidently the maternal instinct of the
Emperor penguin is very strong.

The party killed and skinned three birds and then returned to the shelter
of the stone hut, not without difficulty, it is true. It is worthy of
note that the three birds killed by the party were very thickly
blubbered, and the oil obtained from them burned well.

The Ross Sea was found to be frozen over as far as the horizon. When the
party got back to their shelter two eggs had burst and saturated
Cherry-Garrard's mitts. This optimistic young man found good even in
this, for he said that on the way home to Cape Evans his mitts thawed out
far more easily than Bowers's did, and attributed the little triumph to
the grease in the broken egg! That night they slept for the first time in
the stone hut; perhaps it was fortunate that they did so for it was
blowing hard and the wind developed into a terrific storm.

One of the hurricane gusts of wind swept the roof of the hut away, and
for two days the unfortunate party lay in their bags half smothered by
fine drifting snow. The second day was Dr. Wilson's birthday; he told me
afterwards that had the gale not abated when it did all three men must
have perished. They had not dared to stir out of the meagre shelter
afforded by their sleeping-bags. Wilson prayed hard that they might be
spared. His prayer was answered, it is true, but before another year had
passed two of this courageous little band lost their lives in their eager
thirst for scientific knowledge.

When the three men crept out of their bags into the dull winter gloom
they groped about and searched for their tent, which had blown away from
its pitch near the stone hut. By an