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 long sea-voyage searches out hidden qualities and defects, not that there were many of the latter, still one man developed lung trouble and another had a strained heart.  One of these, to our great regret, was forced to leave the expedition before the ship went south, while the other had to be ruled out of the shore party—­an awful disappointment to them both.

We reached Simon’s Town on August 15, and here the Naval authorities gave us every assistance, lent us working parties and made good our long defect list.  We were disappointed on arriving to find that Captain Scott was away in Pretoria, but he succeeded in obtaining a grant of 500 pounds from the South African Government and raised another 500 pounds by private subscription.  When Captain Scott came amongst us again he wrote of the “Terra Nova” party that we were all very pleased with the ship and very pleased with ourselves, describing our state of happiness and overflowing enthusiasm exactly.