ip (or as Meares always
insisted on calling her, the steamer) it was our pleasant custom to have
a glass of port or a liqueur after dinner. Alas, we had this no longer:
after leaving New Zealand space allowed of little wine being carried in
the Terra Nova, even if the general medical opinion of the expedition had
not considered its presence undesirable. We had, however, a few cases for
special festivals, as well as some excellent liqueur brandy which was
carried as medical comforts on our sledge journeys. Any officer who
allowed the distribution of this luxury on nearing the end of a journey
became extremely popular.

Lack of wine probably led to the suspension of a custom which had
prevailed on the Terra Nova, namely, the drinking of the old toast of
Saturday night, "Sweethearts and wives; may our sweethearts become our
wives, and our wives remain our sweethearts," and that more appropriate
(in our case) toast of Sunday, namely, "absent friends." We had but few
married officers, though I must say most survivors of the expedition
hurried to remedy this single state of affairs when they returned to
civilization. Only two of them are unmarried now. Most of them will
probably make a success of it, for the good Arctic explorer has most of
the defects and qualities of a good husband.

On the top of the pianola, close to the head of the table, lived the
gramophone; and under the one looking-glass we possessed, which hung on
the bulkhead of Scott's cubicle, was a home-made box with shelves on
which lay our records. It was usual to start the gramophone after dinner,
and its value may be imagined. It is necessary to be cut off from
civilization and all that it means to enable you to realize fully the
power music has to recall the past, or the depths of meaning in it to
soothe the present and give hope for the future. We had also records of
good classical music, and the kindly-disposed individual who played them
had his reward in the pleasant atmosphere of homeliness which made itself
felt. After dinner had been cleared away, some men sat on at the table
occupied with books and games. Others dispersed to various jobs. In the
matter of games it was noticeable that one would have its vogue and yield
place to another without any apparent reason. For a few weeks it might be
chess, which would then yield its place to draughts and backgammon, and
again come into favour. It is a remarkable fact that, though we had
playing cards with us