that night, and, but for the dismal roar of the swell breaking on the rocks and the heavy rolling of the “Terra Nova,” we spent quite a comfortable night.  Dr. Atkinson and Brewster had been left ashore with the gear, but they got no sleep because all night the terns flew round crying and protesting against their intrusion.  The wail of these birds sounds like the deep note of a banjo.  The two men mostly feared the land crabs, but to their surprise they were left in peace.

Next day about 9 a.m.  I went in with Rennick, Bowers, Oates, Gran, and two seamen to the landing place, taking a whaler and pram equipped with grass hawser, breeches buoy, rocket line, and everything necessary to bring off the gear.  We had a rough time getting the stuff away undamaged by the sea, but the pram was a wonderful sea-boat and we took it in turns to work her through the surf until everything was away.

At the last, when nearly everything had been salved and got to the whaler, the collections in tin boxes, wooden cases and baskets, and the two men, Atkinson and Brewster, were on board, a large wave threw the pram right up on the rocks, capsizing her and damaging her badly.  Her two occupants jumped out just before a second wave swept the boat over and over.  Then a third huge roller came up and washed the pram out to sea, where she was recovered by means of a grapnel thrown from the whaler.  The two on the rocks had to face the surf again but were good swimmers, and with their recovery our little adventure ended.  It was a pity we had bad weather, because I intended to give the crew a run on the island when Campbell had finished with them.

We remained another day under the lee of Trinidad Island owing to a hard blow from the south-east—­a dead head wind for us—­because I felt it would be useless to put to sea and punch into it.  We were anchored one mile S. 4 degrees E (magnetic) from the Ninepin Rock, well sheltered from the prevailing wind.  We left Trinidad at noon on the 28th, well prepared for the bad weather expected on approaching the Cape of Good Hope.

Whilst clearing the land we had an excellent view of South West Bay and saw a fine lot of rollers breaking on the beach.  I was glad we kept there that day, as, in my opinion, our anchorage was really the only fair one off the island.  By noon on the 29th we had left South Trinidad out of sight, the wind had freshened again and we could almost lay our course under sail for the Cape.  This next stage of the voyage was merely a story of hard winds and heavy rolls.  The ship leaked less as she used up the coal and patent fuel.  All the same we spent many hours at the pump, but, since much of the pumping was done by the afterguard—­as were called the officers and scientists we developed and hardened our muscles finely.  In the daytime the afterguard were never idle; there is always plenty to do in a sailing ship, and when not attending to their special duties the scientists were kept working at everything that helped the show along.  Whilst on deck they were strictly disciplined and subordinate 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.