ate and
respectful to the ship's executive officers, while in the wardroom they
fought these same officers in a friendly way for every harsh word and
every job they had had imposed on them.

Campbell was a fine seaman; he was respected and admired by such people
as Oates and Atkinson, who willingly pocketed their pride and allowed
themselves to be hustled round equally with the youngest seaman on board.
The Wicked Mate generally had all the afterguard under the hose before
breakfast, as washing water was scarce and the allowance meagre on such a
protracted voyage.

In the hotter weather we nearly all slept on deck, the space on top of
the ice-house and in the boats being favourite billets. There was no
privacy in the ship and only the officers of watches and lookout men were
ever left with their thoughts. One or two of the younger members
confessed to being home-sick, for the voyage was long and it was not at
all certain that we should all win back to "England, home, and beauty."

Those who were not sailor men soon acquired the habit of the sea, growing
accustomed to meeting fair and foul weather with an equally good face,
rejoicing with us sailor men at a fair wind and full sail and standing by
top-gallant and topsail halyards when the prospects were more leaden
coloured and the barometer falling. We numbered about forty now, which
meant heaps of beef to haul on ropes and plenty of trimmers to shift the
coal from the hold to the bunkers. One or two were always stoking side by
side with the firemen, and in this fashion officers, seamen, and
scientific staff cemented a greater friendship and respect for one
another.

On August 7, after drinking to absent friends, Oates, Atkinson, and Gran,
"the three midshipmen" were confirmed in their rank and a ship's biscuit
broken on the head of each in accordance with gunroom practice, and after
this day, during good and bad weather, these three kept regular watch
with the seamen, going aloft, steering, and taking all the usual duties
in their turn.

From the start Pennell, who was to relieve me in command of the ship on
her arrival at the Antarctic base, showed an astounding knowledge of
birds, and Wilson took the keenest interest in teaching him about
bird-life in the Great Southern ocean and giving him a preliminary idea
of the bird types to be met with in Antarctica.

Reflecting back to these days one sees how well we all knitted into the
places we were to fill, because a