This stove was got going this morning in five minutes in the outer temperature with the blubber hard frozen.  It will make a great difference to the Crozier Party if they can manage to build a hut, and the experience gained will be everything for the Western Party in the summer.  With a satisfactory blubber stove it would never be necessary to carry fuel on a coast journey, and we shall deserve well of posterity if we can perfect one.

The Crozier journey is to be made to serve a good many trial ends.  As I have already mentioned, each man is to go on a different food scale, with a view to determining the desirable proportion of fats and carbohydrates.  Wilson is also to try the effect of a double wind-proof suit instead of extra woollen clothing.

If two suits of wind-proof will keep one as warm in the spring as a single suit does in the summer, it is evident that we can face the summit of Victoria Land with a very slight increase of weight.

I think the new crampons, which will also be tried on this journey, are going to be a great success.  We have returned to the last Discovery type with improvements; the magnalium sole plates of our own crampons are retained but shod with 1/2-inch steel spikes; these plates are rivetted through canvas to an inner leather sole, and the canvas is brought up on all sides to form a covering to the ‘finnesko’ over which it is laced—­they are less than half the weight of an ordinary ski boot, go on very easily, and secure very neatly.

Midwinter Day, the turn of the season, is very close; it will be good to have light for the more active preparations for the coming year.

Wednesday, June 21.—­The temperature low again, falling to -36 deg..  A curious hazy look in the sky, very little wind.  The cold is bringing some minor troubles with the clockwork instruments in the open and with the acetylene gas plant—­no insuperable difficulties.  Went for a ski run round the bergs; found it very dark and uninteresting.

The temperature remained low during night and Taylor reported a very fine display of Aurora.

Thursday, June 22.—­MIDWINTER.  The sun reached its maximum depression at about 2.30 P.M. on the 22nd, Greenwich Mean Time:  this is 2.30 A.M. on the 23rd according to the local time of the 180th meridian which we are keeping.  Dinner to-night is therefore the meal which is nearest the sun’s critical change of course, and has been observed with all the festivity customary at Xmas at home.

At tea we broached an enormous Buzzard cake, with much gratitude to its provider, Cherry-Garrard.  In preparation for the evening our ‘Union Jacks’ and sledge flags were hung about the large table, which itself was laid with glass and a plentiful supply of champagne bottles instead of the customary mugs and enamel lime juice jugs.  At seven o’clock we sat down to an extravagant bill of fare as compared with our usual simple diet.