n at sea-level. I believe that much
of the weather in this part of the world is an intensely local affair,
and these screens produced useful data.

Wilson and Bowers would go up the Ramp when it was blowing and drifting
fairly hard, so that although the rocks and landmarks immediately round
them were visible, all beyond was blotted out. It is quite possible to
walk thus among landmarks which you know at a time when it is most unwise
to go out on to the sea-ice where there are no fixed points to act as a
guide.

It was Wilson's pleasant conceit to keep his balaclava rolled up, so that
his face was bare, on such occasions, being somewhat proud of the fact
that he had not, as yet, been frost-bitten. Imagine our joy when he
entered the hut one cold windy evening with two white spots on his cheeks
which he vainly tried to hide behind his dogskin mitts.

[Illustration: MCMURDO SOUND--Apsley Cherry-Garrard, del.--Emery Walker
Ltd., Collotypers.]

The ponies' lunch came at mid-day, when they were given snow to drink and
compressed fodder with oats or oil-cake on alternate days to eat, the
proportion of which was arranged according to the work they were able to
do in the present, or expected to do in the future. Our own lunch was
soon after one, and a few minutes before that time Hooper's voice would
be heard: "Table please, Mr. Debenham," and all writing materials,
charts, instruments and books would have to be removed. On Sunday, this
table displayed a dark blue cloth, but for meals and at all other times
it was covered with white oilcloth.

Lunch itself was a pleasant meatless meal, consisting of limited bread
and butter with plenty of jam or cheese, tea or cocoa, the latter being
undoubtedly a most useful drink in a cold country. Many controversies
raged over the rival merits of tea and cocoa. Some of us made for
ourselves buttered toast at the galley fire; I must myself confess to a
weakness for Welsh Rarebit, and others followed my example on cheese days
in making messes of which we were not a little proud. Scott sat at the
head of the table, that is at the east end, but otherwise we all took our
places haphazard from meal to meal as our conversation, or want of it,
merited, or as our arrival found a vacant chair. Thus if you felt
talkative you might always find a listener in Debenham; if inclined to
listen yourself it was only necessary to sit near Taylor or Nelson; if,
on the other hand, you just wanted to be quiet,