Should we now try to go east or west?

I have been trying to go west because the majority of tracks lie that side and no one has encountered such hard conditions as ours—­otherwise there is nothing to point to this direction, and all through the last week the prospect to the west has seemed less promising than in other directions; in spite of orders to steer to the S.W. when possible it has been impossible to push in that direction.

An event of Christmas was the production of a family by Crean’s rabbit.  She gave birth to 17, it is said, and Crean has given away 22!

I don’t know what will become of the parent or family; at present they are warm and snug enough, tucked away in the fodder under the forecastle.

Midnight.—­To-night the air is thick with falling snow; the temperature 28 deg..  It is cold and slushy without.

A merry evening has just concluded.  We had an excellent dinner:  tomato soup, penguin breast stewed as an entree, roast beef, plum-pudding, and mince pies, asparagus, champagne, port and liqueurs—­a festive menu.  Dinner began at 6 and ended at 7.  For five hours the company has been sitting round the table singing lustily; we haven’t much talent, but everyone has contributed more or less, ’and the choruses are deafening.  It is rather a surprising circumstance that such an unmusical party should be so keen on singing.  On Xmas night it was kept up till 1 A.M., and no work is done without a chanty.  I don’t know if you have ever heard sea chanties being sung.  The merchant sailors have quite a repertoire, and invariably call on it when getting up anchor or hoisting sails.  Often as not they are sung in a flat and throaty style, but the effect when a number of men break into the chorus is generally inspiriting.’

The men had dinner at midday—­much the same fare, but with beer and some whisky to drink.  They seem to have enjoyed themselves much.  Evidently the men’s deck contains a very merry band.

There are three groups of penguins roosting on the floes quite close to the ship.  I made the total number of birds 39.  We could easily capture these birds, and so it is evident that food can always be obtained in the pack.

To-night I noticed a skua gull settle on an upturned block of ice at the edge of the floe on which several penguins were preparing for rest.  It is a fact that the latter held a noisy confabulation with the skua as subject—­then they advanced as a body towards it; within a few paces the foremost penguin halted and turned, and then the others pushed him on towards the skua.  One after another they jibbed at being first to approach their enemy, and it was only with much chattering and mutual support that they gradually edged towards him.

They couldn’t reach him as he was perched on a block, but when they got quite close the skua, who up to that time had appeared quite unconcerned, flapped away a few yards and settled close on the other side of the group of penguins.  The latter turned and repeated their former tactics until the skua finally flapped away altogether.  It really was extraordinarily interesting to watch the timorous protesting movements of the penguins.  The frame of mind producing every action could be so easily imagined and put into human sentiments.