longingly of baths and clean clothing.  The store of seal-blubber ran low early in April, and all hands kept a sharp look-out for seals.  On April 15 several seals were seen and killed.  The operations of killing and skinning made worse the greasy and blackened clothes of the men.  It is to be regretted that though there was a good deal of literature available, especially on this particular district, the leaders of the various parties had not taken advantage of it and so supplemented their knowledge.  Joyce and Mackintosh of course had had previous Antarctic experience:  but it was open to all to have carefully studied the detailed instructions published in the books of the three last Expeditions in this quarter.

CHAPTER XIV

WINTERING IN McMURDO SOUND

The ‘Aurora’, after picking up six men at Hut Point on March 11, had gone back to Cape Evans.  The position chosen for the winter quarters of the ‘Aurora’ was at Cape Evans, immediately off the hut erected by Captain Scott on his last Expedition.  The ship on March 14 lay about forty yards off shore, bows seaward.  Two anchors had been taken ashore and embedded in heavy stone rubble, and to these anchors were attached six steel hawsers.  The hawsers held the stern, while the bow was secured by the ordinary ship’s anchors.  Later, when the new ice had formed round the ‘Aurora’, the cable was dragged ashore over the smooth surface and made fast.  The final moorings thus were six hawsers and one cable astern, made fast to the shore anchors, and two anchors with about seventy fathoms of cable out forward.  On March 23 Mr. Stenhouse landed a party consisting of Stevens, Spencer-Smith, Gaze, and Richards in order that they might carry out routine observations ashore.  These four men took up their quarters in Captain Scott’s hut.  They had been instructed to kill seals for meat and blubber.  The landing of stores, gear, and coal did not proceed at all rapidly, it being assumed that the ship would remain at her moorings throughout the winter.  Some tons of coal were taken ashore during April, but most of it stayed on the beach, and much of it was lost later when the sea-ice went out.  This shore party was in the charge of Stevens, and his report, handed to me much later, gives a succinct account of what occurred, from the point of view of the men at the hut: 

“CapeEvans, Ross Island, July 30, 1915.

“On the 23rd March, 1915, a party consisting of Spencer-Smith, Richards, and Gaze was landed at Cape Evans Hut in my charge.  Spencer-Smith received independent instructions to devote his time exclusively to photography.  I was verbally instructed that the main duty of the party was to obtain a supply of seals for food and fuel.  Scientific work was also to be carried on.

“Meteorological instruments were at once installed, and experiments were instituted on copper electrical thermometers in order to supplement our meagre supply of instruments and enable observations of earth, ice, and sea temperatures to be made.  Other experimental work was carried on, and the whole of the time of the scientific members of the party was occupied.  All seals seen were secured.  On one or two occasions the members of the shore party were summoned to work on board ship.